A HUNT whipper-in has been jailed for six months after using his horse to attack a woman hunt monitor.

Christopher Marles, 47, of Farringdon, near Exeter, used the animal to repeatedly barge Helen Weeks, 61, off her feet when she was filming the activities of the East Devon Hunt last March.

Marles was already subject of a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, for an assault on another hunt monitor, Kevin Hill, which left the animal welfare officer with two black eyes and in need of six stitches.

Marles will serve three months for that incident after the suspended sentence was activated, and a further three months for the attack on Ms Weeks.

Sentencing Marles, Recorder Ros Collins said: "You acted like an arrogant, cowardly, and drunken lout and I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself."

During the attack on Ms Weeks, Marles knocked her to the ground three times with his horse, despite her cries to leave her alone. The incident was captured on her video camera and some of the footage can be viewed at www.thisisexeter.co.uk/hunt.

At an earlier hearing, Marles publicly apologised to Ms Weeks but magistrates ruled the apology was no indication the attack was not intentional.

He told the court he would never hunt again following the incident and the East Devon Hunt has previously revealed he had his red coat revoked as a result of the attack.

Ms Weeks has said she would not be deterred from monitoring hunts, and from campaigning to have anti-hunting legislation strengthened to include a recklessness clause.

She said: "Not only would that protect the hunted animal, it would also protect the hunt monitors from attack."

The incident regarding Mr Hill happened in October, 2005, while the victim was filming the activities of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds.

Countryside Alliance spokesman Tim Bonner said there was "no justification whatsoever" for Marles' conduct.

He said: "It's got no place in hunting, and neither has Christopher Marles."

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports welcomed the sentence.

"It's good to know that the judiciary are sending a clear message to huntsmen that when they are claiming they are hunting within the law they have nothing to fear from hunt monitors," he said.

"There is certainly no need to go around assaulting them."