Two major news broadcasters covered the first court appearance of 34-year-old gamekeeper Racster Dingwall on Friday, who pleaded not guilty at Skipton Magistrates’ Court to two charges relating to an alleged conspiracy to shoot and kill a hen harrier on a grouse moor last October on the Conistone & Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (see here).
Attending court was a team from Channel 4 News, who had first broadcast the RSPB’s covert footage and audio last autumn that is now at the centre of this case.
Channel 4 News filmed the accused as he left the court on Friday with his solicitor, Tim Ryan, and this was shown in a short segment on Channel 4 News at 7pm although the programme is no longer available.
A journalist from the BBC also attended court and produced an article that was published on the BBC News website:
The BBC News article set out the two charges to which the defendant has pleaded not guilty: possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 bird, and encouraging and assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 bird.
The article goes on to say: ‘The RSPB said the prosecution is the first involving any bird with Schedule 1 status in England‘.
I don’t think this statement is accurate and is perhaps a misunderstanding on the part of the journalist.
There have certainly been other prosecutions ‘involving a bird with Schedule 1 status in England’ (e.g. Goshawks, Peregrines, Red Kites) but as far as I’m aware these have all been related to offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. I think this latest case is the first relating to an alleged offence against a Schedule 1 bird under the Serious Crime Act where it concerns the alleged ‘encouragement or assistance’ of crime.
The case will continue with a pre-trial hearing on 9 September 2025.
NB: Comments are closed until criminal proceedings have concluded.
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