Criminal proceedings against Scottish gamekeeper George Mutch of Kildrummy Estate, Aberdeenshire, continued yesterday at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
This was the 5th hearing for offences alleged to have taken place in August 2012.
Mutch was facing six charges of alleged wildlife crime. Yesterday he pled not guilty to all six. The court accepted his not guilty plea for two charges (under Section 1 subsection 2A of the Wildlife & Countryside Act: relating to the possession of dead birds) but four other charges remain.
The remaining four charges come under Section 5 subsection 1B of the WCA (relating to the use of a trap for the purpose of taking or killing wild birds) and Section 1 subsection 1A of the WCA (relating to the killing, injuring or taking of wild birds).
An intermediate diet will take place on 17th March 2014, and a provisional trial date has been set for 28th May 2014.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Here we go again ???????
Indeed Nirofo, cant of course comment on this actual case but it seems to me, that in so many of these cases all the hard investigative work which results in multiple charges, gets “boiled down” and plea bargained away until there are a few of the easiest proved ones left. The Sheriff can only give a judgement on the few in front of him..and yet another serial wildlife killer looks like a minor offender. Thats got to be wrong.
why has george mutch still got a firearms ticket..surley he is noe deemed unfit to hold a f,a,c
Mutch has not been convicted of an offence. His trial is set to take place this October.