In October 2024, prominent falconer and eagle breeder Andrew Knowles-Brown was found guilty at Lanark Sheriff Court of multiple offences relating to the welfare of approx 90 eagles and some parrots at his breeding facility, the Scottish Eagle Centre at Elvanfoot, near Biggar (see here).
Knowles-Brown was due to be sentenced in November 2024 but I’ve learned that sentencing has been further delayed until June 2025. His lawyer apparently told the court that Knowles-Brown was continuing to scale down his facility, having already transferred 30 eagles (I don’t know to where) and was improving the size of the remaining aviaries.
It’s an interesting situation. When Knowles-Brown was convicted in October 2024, the Sheriff was reportedly considering whether to disqualify him from keeping birds. However, if suitable homes couldn’t be found for all the eagles then it would be unlikely that disqualification would occur, because who would then take care of his birds?
It looks to me like the sentencing delay is probably in the interests of those remaining eagles – with a sentencing decision hanging over his head, Knowles-Brown may be more likely to make improvements for those remaining eagles and that work will undoubtedly be monitored/reported back to the court in June and may be considered as mitigation during sentencing.
If sentencing hadn’t been delayed, and the court had simply imposed a financial penalty at the November hearing, Knowles-Brown may not have had any incentive to make improvements for the welfare of those remaining eagles (bearing in mind that he’d pleaded not guilty to all charges during the trial).
Yes, Knowles-Brown deserves to be punished for his offences but I’d argue that the welfare of those eagles is a more urgent issue and perhaps that’s what the Sheriff had in mind when deciding to delay sentencing for seven months.
Reading the description of the squalid conditions in which the eagles had been kept by Knowles-Brown (here), I’m pleased that work is underway to improve their environment. I also hope that sentencing, when it comes, reflects the seriousness of the suffering he inflicted on those birds.
UPDATE 15 October 2025: Prominent falconer Andrew Knowles-Brown fined almost £14,000 for ‘shocking’ animal cruelty (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
Too many unknowns to comment sensibly, other than it fills me with disquiet.
I agree, it all sounds a bit fishy to me. I should have thought the eagles could have been accommodated somewhere in the Highlands as there are various eagle projects there. It is a long time until June 2025 just how much time does he need to rehome these raptors? I wonder whether this will be extended again in the event he fails to rehome them by that time. It could carry on indefinitely if that is the case. It suggests a possible bias towards him on the part of the Sheriff to my mind.
How on earth did he come to have 90 Eagles.Did he have records/paperwork to indicate how these Eagles came into his possession ,if not why not ?
Does he have the paperwork regarding the Eagles that have been found ” homes ” ?
He appears to be a person who’s only ambition is too make money at the cost of the ill treatment and suffering of birds under his care.
Yet again the judical system in this country fails big time when it comes to the protection and welfare of our wildlife.The amount of heartless people in the judical system is very unsettling.
I would like to know what checks are being made on the homes that these eagles are being sent to. Is there any animal welfare organisation involved here?