In July 2024 Joe Morris, 28, of White Grove, Colne, Lancashire was charged with killing two wild birds with an air rifle after police received reports of someone seen dumping a Tawny Owl and a Woodpigeon in a wheelie bin in Colne in March 2024 (see here).
This case was heard in November 2024 but it missed my radar so here, for completeness, is a belated report, thanks to the court reporter Andrew Bellard at the Lancashire Telegraph who wrote the following article, published 18 November 2024:
DRUNK MAN SHOT TAWNY OWL AND WOOD PIGEON AT ALKINCOATS PARK
A drunk man shot two “beautiful” birds with an air rifle when he went shooting in a public park.
Blackburn magistrates heard Joe Morris was drunk when he went to the park and shot a tawny owl and a wood pigeon.
Morris, 28, of White Grove, Colne, pleaded guilty to possessing an air weapon in Alkincoats Park, Colne, and killing a tawny owl and a wood pigeon.
He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.
He was fined £40 with £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
District Judge Alexandra Preston said wildlife was priceless and Morris had killed two beautiful birds.
“It is alarming to think you were out with an air rifle and, by your own admission, you were drunk when you did this,” she said.
Henry Prescott, prosecuting, said police received an anonymous tip-off about a man returning to his home address and putting a tawny owl and a wood pigeon in his wheelie bin.
The caller said Morris regularly went to Alkincoats Park shooting wild birds.
When officers spoke to Morris at his home he admitted what he had done and recovered the birds from the bin.
Mr Prescott said the air rifle was not an illegal weapon and had not been seized by the police.
Mark Williams, defending, said his client had disposed of the air rifle and had no intention of replacing it.
“He is very embarrassed and ashamed of what he did,” said Mr Williams.
“He can’t and doesn’t wish to put forward any excuses. He accepts what he did was very inappropriate.”
Mr Williams said his client had problems with alcohol and had self-referred to Inspire.
ENDS
Raptor Persecution UK 
Piss poor penalties considering the maximum possible and the use of an air weapon in a public space putting others at risk.
So drunk he was able to shoot straight at least twice .Not sure I could Crap excuse crap fine .
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Fined £40, that’s a joke. Should be £400 more like. This fine was/is useless. Life is life, be it Human animal or Bird animal, and Courts should that Life, no matter what species, should be honoured, not the cost of a few pints.
So, District Judge Alexandra Preston said wildlife was priceless and Morris had killed two beautiful birds.
True.
But he was only fined £40 with £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge. Not exactly priceless then.
This is just another slap on the wrist as far as I am concerned. But no surprise there. Our judiciary seems loath to hand out much larger fines and possible jail sentences to try and stop these loathsome, sadistic bozos when they commit crimes against our wildlife.
And adding to the fact he went out drunk, armed with an air rifle, into a public place, this is even less than a slap on the wrist. Pathetic. The punishment does not fit the crime.
I expect taxpayers will be footing the cost for his 12-month community order, 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and six-month alcohol treatment requirement. So, he got off very lightly once all is taken into account.
Handing out the equivalent of minor parking fines for such crimes shows the UK is not serious about dealing with wildlife crime
The reason Britain isn’t concerned about Wildlife Crime is because Britain isn’t concerned about Wildlife… PERIOD.
Again so upsetting despair for this country and comments hit the nail on the head I was charged more for my speed awareness course than he was for killing innocent critters.
Why would anyone get pleasure from shooting a beautiful owl and a wood pigeon? They are just sick in mind and I don’t believe a word that he is sorry or repentant. Its I’m sorry —- until next time.
It’s very easy to claim you’re ashamed of what you did and have disposed of the air rifle but is it actually true?
There’s been loads of cases of people shooting wildlife and even pets with air rifles, surely it’s time these weapons were subject to the same controls as other guns. There’s absolutely no reason why anyone should have one of these weapons in a public place. If people enjoy target shooting that’s fine, their rifle can be securely stored at a shooting range and they can use it there whenever they want to.