The case against Ruabon Moor gamekeeper Stuart Hart has been discontinued.
Hart, 47, had faced two charges – Using a trap to kill or take a wild bird (in this case, a Goshawk) and possession of an article capable of being used to commit a summary offence (see here and here for earlier blogs).
The first hearing in this case was held at Wrexham Magistrates on 28 March 2024. Hart had not entered a plea as his defence solicitor told the court he considered there had been procedural errors in the way the case had been brought. He also told the court that he wanted to challenge the admissibility of the RSPB’s video evidence (here).
The case was adjourned and was due to be heard again today (30 April 2024). However, according to the court, the case has now been discontinued.
Interesting. More to come on this…
Raptor Persecution UK 
Sounds like XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX, hard enough to get a case to court . Disappointing to say the least.
[Ed: comment deleted as libellous]
[Ed: comment deleted as libellous]
[Ed: comment deleted as libellous]
The idea that video of a [Ed: alleged] crime can be excluded on a technicality is absurd. Even if the RSPB were trespassing, that is a civil, not a criminal offence. Could you imagine the uproar if a murder was caught on film, that enabled the murderer to be identified, but the judge threw out the film on a technicality and the murderer walked free?
It is time to remove any barrier to video evidence of crime no matter how it has been gathered.
This exactly.
XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX I dare not say what I really want to it will be deleted.
…….video evidence not good enough to secure a conviction….what is this country coming too!!
[Ed: to clarify, the case was discontinued before any video evidence was even considered by the court. I think there were other issues – more on that to come in due course]
[Ed: comment deleted as libellous]