One of the UK’s most prolific wild bird egg thieves has today been sent back to jail for what is reportedly his fourth jail term for similar offences.
This time, Matthew Gonshaw (49) from London, was caught with almost 700 wild bird eggs and egg-collecting paraphenalia at his house, including eggs from Scottish golden eagles and ospreys, as well as peregrines and red kites.
At Thames Magistrates Court, Gonshaw admitted ten offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act, including two counts of taking golden eagle eggs from sites on the Isle of Lewis in April 2010. He was sentenced to six months in prison.
Gonshaw will re-appear in court in February to find out if he will be subject to an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO), which would see him face a £20,000 fine and five years in jail if he commits more crimes.
Well done to the RSPB, Metropolitan Police and the CPS for a successful conviction.
BBC News article here
STV article here
Good photographs in Daily Mail article here
Raptor Persecution UK 
His sort are nutters. Egg collecting has become an obsessive compulsive disorder. He’ll be at it again as soon as he is released after serving half his sentence or less.
It’s a pity the Rampant Raptor Persecuters don’t receive similar sentencing for their dirty deeds, even the known re-offenders are getting away with it. Maybe it’s the stigma associated with egg collecting that does it, lets face it, if you’ve only ever poisoned / shot or trapped the Raptors you can’t be tarred with the same brush as the egg collectors can you !!!
and egg collectors dont have wealthy patrons who pay for QCs to defend them….I said that to a Police Conference some years ago and was accused by the senior officer in charge of being “unprofessional”!..Seems like professionals arent meant to point out the truth.
Dont get me wrong this guy…this egger is getting what he deserves…and also dont forget theres been a drastic drop in reported egg shell theft since the first eggers were jailed.
Now, lets see if that works for other types of wildlife crime?