A 77-year old pigeon fancier has been convicted and fined for killing a Sparrowhawk close to his pigeon lofts last year.
Peter Smith of Clifton Close, Barnsley, South Yorkshire was observed shooting a Sparrowhawk with an air rifle at Hope Street Allotments, Mapplewell in February 2023.
The witness confronted Smith, who claimed he had missed the bird, but the Sparrowhawk was found dead with an air gun pellet and it’s neck had been broken. The RSPCA conducted an investigation resulting in Smith’s prosecution.
Smith denied the offence but was found guilty after a trial at Barnsley Magistrates Court in December 2023. He reappeared for sentencing on 24 January and was fined £480. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 court costs and a £192 victim surcharge, so in total he owes £2,172.
Due to his circumstances the court is allowing him to pay £5 per week (which will take nine years to pay in full). Smith’s defence solicitor told the court:
“He rented his allotment for six years and used the site to keep, breed and train his pigeons, which he has had a history of doing so for more than 30 years. As a result of the allegation, he has lost his tenancy and had to get rid of his birds. He’s put a lot of time and effort into his hobby and visited them twice-daily but he has now been ostracised from that circle. He still maintains his innocence.”
I’m not sure why his defence agent thought it was relevant to tell the court that Smith had kept pigeons for more than 30 years. So what? The Sparrowhawk had been a protected species in the UK for 62 years by the time Smith shot this one so it’s not as though he’d had to get to grips with new legislation about its protected status.
The court was also told (although I don’t know by whom) that, ‘Barnsley’s [Sparrowhawk] population has reduced by 25 per cent in a decade due to persecution‘. Really? That sounds highly unlikely – what’s the source of that claim? I’d like to see the data.
It’s good that the court is provided details of the conservation status of a raptor species when it’s been the victim of illegal persecution but exaggerating figures or making wildly unsubstantiated claims really doesn’t help.
This case was covered by the Barnsley Chronicle here.
Raptor Persecution UK 
I have no problem with pigeon-fanciers. It’s all about Respect. I respect the pigeon-fancier’s skill and his right to pursue his hobby. In return, he must respect my right to enjoy watching Sparrowhawks and other raptors fly free. Respect.
It appears to have cost him his hobby—— GOOD.
the only bad thing about all this is he got caught, you would not be saying any off this if a bird of pray killed one off your grandkids bunnies in the garden. birds of pray in our towns are getting to be very dangerous and out off control birds of prey never saved life’s in the war pigeons did and will again if needed only thing a bird of pray would do is pick at the bodies
What a ridiculous comment. Birds of prey kill other animals and if someone doesn’t protect their grandkids’ bunnies they’re fair game. Dangerous and out of control? You think they’re going to start carrying off small children? As for the war, we have far more effective means of communication now, that don’t rely on wiping out peregrines. I suggest you educate yourself about birds of prey and their importance in the ecosystem, instead of just spouting emotive rubbish. Why are you even reading about raptor persecution if you’re happy for them to be killed?
Go and stand in the corner with the dunce’s cap on, scitt. You’d be out of your depth in a primary school class.
Bird of pray are comming in into towns and city’s, and killing any birds they can, for a very easy dinner, they don’t have any respect for wat they kill, but are protected, they take the garden birds, or fanciers quality pigeons, wer is the line drawn.
More breathtaking stupidity.
I quite enjoy seeing a sparrowhawk take a blue tit from my garden or feeders, its called feeding the birds, its nature, do you watch lions taking zebra on TV programmes ?, its nature. You need to get real, get into nature its amazing what goes on in the natural world.
What a stupid and ignorant comment, as if birds of prey have less right to exist than other birds. All wildlife are part of a complex web of life, which is sadly royally fucked up by people and their selfishness and ignorance. Pigeons are the natural prey of raptors; that’s the way it is, so get used to it.
In what way are these religious birds becoming very dangerous? Have there been any fatalities?
What gets me is the arrogance of people who believe that it’s ok to kill wildlife doing what it has to do to survive simply because it inconveniences someone’s leisure pastimes. I’m not picking on pigeon fanciers specifically here as the same applies with anglers and cormorants/goosanders; game shooters with more or less anything predatory and various others…….
If you ever find a lost racing pigeon, it is often harder than you expect, to get the owner to collect it.
A ‘homing’ pigeon which does not ‘home’… or will never be much of a racer, isn’t a lot of use to some pigeon-fanciers.
Quite so. Be assured that any lost racing pigeons that were collected would be taken around the corner and ‘necked’ without ceremony
When they get a “lost” bird back it usually has its neck wrung.
Get your facts correct or I will prosecute you for false information under the RPRA union
“RPRA union”?
You know there is no such thing.
Really? What legislation would you be trying to use?
Thats not true
Yes, it is.
See https://pigeons.forumotion.com/t11226-culling-birds:
“So have to go by results back to the loft.”
I’m glad he’s lost his allotment and pigeons and people aren’t speaking to him. It’s a more fitting punishment than a fine.
I thought the term “gunned down” was pretty odd, tho. It wasn’t a gangland killing
Pay £5/week? He doesn’t have the expense of keeping his pigeons or his allotment anymore surely he can pay 50/week now!!. The courts take any old crap off defense solicitors. A stipend magistrate if old in the Manchester courts used to tell drink drivers they wouldn’t have the expense of running a car for 12 months so made them pay their fines accordingly regardless of the nonsense their solicitors used to come up with
Looks as though he was a well practised crack-shot who just happened to have a loaded air-rifle handy when a Sparrowhawk appeared on the scene. Hmmmmmm! How many others had preceded this, one wonders? Was an air-rifle part of his regular pigeon-keeping kit?
Some real ignorant comments on here about pigeon fanciers.
As for why his representative thought it necessary to point out he has kept pigeons for 30 years; it’s because he has lost his hobby due to a conviction he denies. This will most definitely have a negative impact on his health and wellbeing. Seems very little evidence to convict him. A nagistrates court after all.
Very little evidence? Just an eye witness and a dead bird with an air-gun pellet in it.
As I said very little evidence. Has the pellet that killed the bird been linked to the gun he had in his possession. Who’s not to say someone else killed it ?????
“As I said very little evidence”
So, Ian Evans thinks he knows better than the court.
“Some real ignorant comments on here about pigeon fanciers.”
I think you made a typo, there. What you surely meant to write was ‘Some real ignorant comments on here FROM pigeon fanciers’?
Yeah I think I know better than most magistrates ! I have attended mafustrates courts countless times as a representative of a prosecutor. These are just lay people not judicial/ legal experts.
No typo.
“Yeah I think I know better than most magistrates ! I have attended mafustrates courts… No typo.”
Egotist. Followed by a typo.
“These are just lay people…”
So are you.
[Ed: comment deleted. Don’t be tedious, Ian. If you’ve got a thoughtful contribution to make towards the discussion then go ahead, but don’t use this site to bait other commentators with inane
two-word questions]
Totally wrong to assume all pigeons that make a mistake and need collecting from someone are killed by the pigeon fancier. Fanciers spend lots of money obtaining birds and don’t kill them if they get lost and need help. Also pigeon fanciers raise thousands of pounds for charity . Don’t tar us all with the same brush .
“Also pigeon fanciers raise thousands of pounds for charity.”
With respect, so did a now infamous radio/TV presenter at the BBC (guys and gals).
What proportion of “pigeons that make a mistake and need collecting” are culled then – is 25% or 50% fair? Those poor sods making their fatal mistake under extreme primal stress to get home to their mate or to their nest. I know only vaguely about the different strains of birds and racing methods – “widowhood, double widowhood, celibacy method, etc” but none of it is exactly endearing in its concept. Even if most lost birds are returned home as you say, sooner or later unless it’s a brilliant bird to breed from, its time to be culled will also come, will it not? And years before it’s natural lifespan? Just because they are a bit past it or have been usurped by better ones either young ones bred in-house or bought in, as there is only a finite amount of space in the loft and feed & vaccinating is expensive. Whether culls are done with a tear in the eye and a heavy heart or not, it still gets done. If I was a racing pigeon man (or woman) I would be very cautious about inviting a lot of general scrutiny of the sport. It’s arguably worse than greyhound racing in terms of collateral damage. The only difference being that most people tend to have a natural empathy and concern for dogs, not so much for pigeons.
P.S. Perhaps you could direct the readers to the precise comment which claims that “all” lost birds are “killed by the (definite article) pigeon fancier”.
Perhaps not, it seems.
“Fanciers spend lots of money obtaining birds and don’t kill them if they get lost and need help.”
https://pigeons.forumotion.com/t11226-culling-birds:
Subject: Culling birds
“This will be a difficult year for me. But have to do it. Just so many to get rid of. A few are obvious. So have to go by results back to the loft. Harder when flying to the nest as some times they miss then hit. 40 plus young to fly and perhaps 10 I will keep. So have to push them. Then breeders. Oh well has to be done.”
“This is the part of the sport I realy detested, but you cannot keep more pigeons than the loft can house in comfort, and I always had more than 15 spare perches. The more you breed the more you will have to cull…”
“All fanciers have to cull certain pigeons for numerous reasons it is all part of the sport, and any sport that involves animals does the same.
Greyhound racing being the best example.
Before the vaccination I would eat the young ones.”
Said old man can only afford £5 per week because he’s saving up for another air rifle
I wonder about the reaction of the other allotment gardeners to the removal of the pigeons. I admit it is outside my experience.
Probably heartfelt relief. I suspect that some would be aggrieved also about the loss of a sparrowhawk, the presence of which may have been deterring flocks of seed eaters from getting comfy among newly sewn future vegetable crops.