The case against a gamekeeper accused of wildlife crime offences began at Inverness Sheriff Court last week. Andrew Slaughter, 34, of Faddock, Killialan, Kyle, faces two charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 in connection with setting a spring trap at Glen Elchaig on Inverinate Estate on 22 September 2010.
He also faces a charge under the Animal Health & Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 that he failed to ensure that a crow which was caught in a trap was “provided with adequate shelter and protection from adverse weather”. A fourth charge states that he “set a spring trap which was capable of catching birds, pine martins, badgers and otters”, contrary to the Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948.
Slaughter, who did not appear in court, had his case continued without plea until 7 April 2011.
Thank you to the contributor who sent us a copy of the newspaper report about this article (published in Press & Journal, 18 March 2011). We could not find an on-line link to this article.
Inverinate Estate, close to the Isle of Skye, is believed to be owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, crown prince and ruler of Dubai. He is thought to have bought the 63,000 acre estate for £2 million 25 years ago. The Sheikh, worth an estimated £12 billion, is believed to visit the estate with his family for a few weeks every year in the summer.
Raptor Persecution UK 