People threaten to shoot and rape me but I’ll never give up
AN animal rights campaigner has vowed not give up her fight against fox hunting despite the daily online abuse she receives.
Judith Hewitt spoke out after a man was jailed for 28 days for saying he would “put a bullet” in her.
Ivor Derek Wilkinson, 49, pleaded guilty to three counts of sending offensive messages on Facebook to Mrs Hewitt.
The grandmother of two, who is in her 60s, said: “The abuse from the pro-hunting lobby started in 2014.
“Comments vary from I should be shot, raped or be sent to a gas chamber.
“I’ve also been told I’m a ‘nutter’, a mad Welsh woman. I try not to look at the comments – they are just too painful.”
The former professional singer said her campaigning against fox hunting with dogs began in 1991 when she witnessed a hunt with hounds.
“The poor fox was surrounded by hounds and I felt the animal’s panic and terror,” she said. “I became actively involved when I saw live fox cubs being dug out of their burrow and thrown into a crowd of hounds, it was horrific. This is why, no matter what abuse I get, I’ll carry on campaigning.”
She has been forced to protect the home in Rhyl she shares with husband, Bob, and lives in constant fear that those who oppose her views will target her property.
“Our letterbox is fitted with a fire retardant, we’ve got CCTV cameras and our house is marked by the police in case there is trouble,” she said.
But she has no regrets, adding: “I’ve no idea if I’ve made a difference or not, although I think, because I’m quite a high profile campaigner, I’ve raised awareness of the issues involving fox hunting.”
She admits the unrelenting abuse has taken its toll on her: “I take myself off on long walks up in the hills and that seems to help, but it’s hard not to dwell on the way a certain type of troll behaves. The internet describes an ‘insult troll’ as a pure hater. Those targeting me have been so severe I can only describe them as serious cyber bullies.”