The incident was captured on CCTV outside Broughton Community Shop in Hampshire in the early hours of March 15, 2024. , with the driver remaining inside and two men getting out. " The two men were dressed in tracksuits with hoods up and balaclavas covering their faces, making identification difficult.
They proceeded to discard the bodies of 50 dead hares over the forecourt, deliberately strewn to maximize coverage. One of the men then tore a hare in half, with blood dripping on the floor, and wiped the shop front, smearing the blood. The prosecution alleges that Kempster stuffed a dead kestrel and a barn owl under the door handles after wiping them in the blood.
DNA discovered on the dead birds was matched to Kempster, who was also linked through his mobile phone location, clothing, and connections to the car, which was found burned out in a country lane. The prosecution claims one of the men who dumped the bodies is Kempster. Kempster denies the charges, and the trial continues.
The motive for the incident remains unclear, and the identities of the other two men involved have not been disclosed.