RSPB Press Release (29th June 2023):
DNA LINKS PART-TIME GAMEKEEPER TO SHOT GOSHAWKS
At Norwich Magistrates’ court today, Frances Addison (72) a part-time gamekeeper of South Park, Weeting, pleaded guilty to 19 charges in connection with a multi-agency raptor persecution investigation led by Suffolk Police, including possession of five shot Goshawks.
The five birds were found dead together in Kings Forest, near Wordwell, Suffolk on 16 January 2023.
The incident was reported to Suffolk Police, who swabbed the birds at the scene for human DNA and then x-rayed them as part of their investigation. All five birds were found to contain multiple pieces of shot and remarkably a human DNA hit was registered from a swab of one of the bird’s legs.
The DNA findings led Suffolk and Norfolk Constabularies, assisted by RSPB Investigations and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, to search the suspect’s home in nearby Weeting, where a number of offences in relation to firearms and traps were uncovered. In interview, Addison claimed that he had found the Goshawks and then put them back and that all gamekeepers were killing birds of prey.
The court dealt with all the offences together and sentenced Addison to 12 weeks imprisonment – suspended for 12 months and ordered him to pay £1080 in compensation and £105 costs.
All birds of prey are protected by law, and to kill or injure one could result in jail and/or an unlimited fine. Yet the illegal killing of birds of prey remains a widespread national problem.
The RSPB’s annual Birdcrime report for 2021 revealed 108 confirmed incidents of birds of prey being shot, trapped or poisoned. However, the true number is likely to be far higher.
The report also found that Norfolk had the highest number of confirmed raptor persecution incidents than any other county in 2021.
It remains unknown who shot the Goshawks despite extensive rewards on offer from RSPB, Wild Justice, and Rare Bird Alert.
Mark Thomas, UK Head of Investigations at RSPB said:
“Goshawks are an exhilarating apex predator, so it was both shocking and appalling to see images of the five shot birds discarded in the Breckland Forest car park, we applaud the efforts and professionalism of Suffolk Police in deploying key forensic techniques that have led to court charges in this case. In 2021, two-thirds of all confirmed UK raptor persecution incidents happened in connection with land used for gamebird shooting, faced with huge public displeasure there is increasingly no place to hide for those who commit these crimes“.
Sergeant Brian Calver, of Suffolk Constabulary’s Rural and Wildlife Crime team, said:
“This is a particularly disturbing case. Bird of prey crime is a national wildlife crime priority, which is taken very seriously by police. We will leave no stone unturned in pursuing criminals that cause deliberate harm to wildlife. This incident has had a significant impact on the Goshawk population in the Brecks and in particular their ability to expand their territory. As well as possessing dead schedule 1 birds, Addison has shown a complete disregard for the security of his guns, which is equally concerning.”
He went on to say “We welcome today’s outcome and I hope the sentence imposed sends a strong message to others that are involved in this type of criminality. We’ll continue to work closely with partners to ensure such crimes become a thing of the past.”
The charges were:
· Five counts of possession of a dead schedule 1 wild bird (Goshawk)
· One count of killing a non-schedule 1 wild bird (Wood Pigeon)
· One count of use of an animal trap in circumstance for which it is not approved
· Two counts of possession of an article capable of being used to commit a summary offence, namely two air rifles and six animal traps
· Six counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a firearm certificate
· Four counts of failing to comply with the condition of a shotgun certificate.
ENDS
Brilliant multi-agency partnership work – very well done to everyone involved.
The sentence is, as usual, insignificant and no deterrent to others.
The Norfolk village of Weeting seems to be somewhat of a hotspot for raptor persecution – last year another gamekeeper, Matthew Stroud, was convicted of multiple wildlife crime offences in the area including the placing of poisonous baits and the killing of buzzards and a goshawk (see here).
I look forward to reading BASC’s condemnation of Addison and his crimes – given their faux outrage when Suffolk Police initially asking the shooting community to help progress the police investigation (see here).
UPDATE 30th June 2023: More on convicted Norfolk gamekeeper Francis Addison (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
Suspended sentence?!? Seriously, WTAF!!!
Pathetic sentence and no mention of a ban on owning guns
True
I guess his age was significant in the sentence. The Chief Constable has authority over shotgun licences.
ROFL. As do the estate owners.
Mmmmmm, I had for once hoped that we might get a proper sentence with this one but no a far too short a sentence and suspended. Goshawks breeding unmolested in game shooting areas whilst not quite as rare as hen’s teeth are pretty scarce and surely THAT should be taken account of? The other thing that has always frustrated me in such cases is that every keeper MUST KNOW what the law is and yet to then act in defiance seems in some ways doubly reprehensible. Six months for each bird to run consecutively would have been more like it plus £5000 compensation and confiscation of all air weapons and Firearms.
Seeing the Goshawks in East Anglia was one of the most amazing wildlife experiences. I take the point about not being told whether the criminal has had his gun licence revoked. It seems recent common practice for the police to keep this secret. Why? Surely there is a public interestv here.
What a wimpy sentence ! Xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
More depressing news on what seems to be common practice of those who are part of this dismal country ‘sport’ industry. In seeking to find some sort of positive outcome from the efforts put into this case this man now has a criminal record and if caught again I would (perhaps naively) hope that he would be dealt with a lot more severely.
If it was committed within the suspension, he would be jailed
Addison claims that all gamekeepers are killing birds of prey….makes you think!!!
Yes, I was struck by that. Perhaps the most honest comment to come out of the shooting industry in a long while!
Perhaps a reporter will ask the gamekeepers’ association to comment? Since it may be thought to constitute a small part of his defence.
There is no justice in this country for these birds ! Pathetic no deterrent I would [Ed: rest of comment deleted]
Surely the sentence should have stated “never to hold a firearms certificate/licence again”
The chief officer of police has the power to revoke a firearms certificate, it is he who issues it in the first place.
Precisely – why not take his licence away?
A good result that a wildlife criminal has been found guilty. Hopefully this conviction will send a very clear message that robust investigations will be conducted by the authorities to establish who is responsible for the raptor persecution crimes which are being so regularly committed.
What is so desperately needed is a conviction of some of those criminals responsible for Hen Harrier persecution.
When this does happen, I really hope the courts understand the grave consequences criminal persecution is having on Hen Harrier recovery and any person found guilty actually goes to prison.
Once it is realised that there is no place for the criminals to hide we might start to see a change in how game bird management is conducted, so that the umbrella shooting organisations really start to expose the criminals who have for too long been able to lurk beneath the surface.
Commit your crime, take your punishment.
Is there any more information on the sentencing details anywhere?
Of particular interest the traps and air rifles that ‘could’ be used in an offence in the future? Were they illegal?
When I read the headline to this post I said out loud “For f***s Sake” Apologies but I couldn’t help it.
After reading the article I felt even more out raged. What a puerile, lamentable justice system we have in this Country.
We have all read about Cyprus being a death bed for birds, especially passerines which are netted, limed, trapped etc yet a poacher who killed two Raptors – Bonelli’s Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard by the use of Carbofuran. This highly toxic substance has been banned within the EU since 2008.
The punishment handed down for the above was 21,000’00 Euros. Is the UK and Cyprus on the same planet???? Not when it comes to protecting Raptors.
Another joke of a sentance – they might as well be handing out medals to these scum at this stage!!
What sort of message does this pathetic sentence send out. In order to reduce the senseless killing of so many birds of prey a proper sentence needs to be administered. A realistic fine would be a good start and an appropriate custodial sentence. This might then act as a deterrent to others but this sentence certainly will not.
FFS These are guys are licensed to own and use firearms and, after conviction for a crime in which firearms was used — illustrated by the shotgun pellets in the corpse — and yet licence was not removed.
All it takes is a report in the crime file by the oic recommending that the offender is unfit to hold a firearms or shotgun certificate. It’s easy and I never had a recommendation turned down when I was in the job.
Pathetic sentence, I agree removing his firearm’s license would have been an additional deterrent. I wonder what the sentencing guidelines are and if this sentence was the maximum for a first offence or just a light slap on the wrist as it seems?
As a point of clarity, Addison’s firearms and shotgun certificates have been revoked. New blog post on it’s way…
When will courts stop being so soft on these countryside thugs. If they killed wild birds in a city they would be sent to prison.
“When will courts stop being so soft on these countryside thugs”
When people like you write to your MP and the Attorney General to get the law changed.
yep its awful
I would like to see a “Tales of the Convicted Gamekeepers” book put together, it could sit on my bookshelf alongside my Brian P. Martin ones! Seriously though I think a newspaper / journalist should approach all of these people when convicted (yes, they will need to “buy their story” the way it is done in their business, which may grate a bit on some) but it would be worth it for the edification of the general public and exploding a few carefully crafted PR myths.
Convicted by DNA found on one of the birds legs!!! Well, this will cause a few of the “stuff it down a hole / podge it into a boggy bit of ground” types to reconsider tactics, and opt for burning of corpses as the default method!
It is possible to appeal a sentence as being too lenient but I don’t know if this applies to those handed out in a Magistrates’ Court. In the event this is possible, then I think there should be a campaign to tackle the extremely lenient sentences being given to those guilty of crimes against raptors. The magistrates need their heads examined. Maybe they are part of the hunting and shooting fraternity round there. I stayed in Thetford once, the hotel where I was also had many guests who were there to shoot pheasants. I was disgusted at their attitude and they appeared to be bumpkins, not a brain cell between them.
“It is possible to appeal a sentence as being too lenient…”
Only by the CPS.
“I think there should be a campaign to tackle the extremely lenient sentences being given to those guilty of crimes against raptors.”
So, have you written to your MP and the Attorney General yet?
I’m going to buy shares in Marigold gloves as I foresee a sudden upturn in sales from the game-keeping fraternity. I wonder if they come in blood red..?