Racster Dingwall, the now former Head Gamekeeper on Conistone and Grassington Estate in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, pleaded guilty at York Magistrates’ Court last month to conspiring to kill a Hen Harrier.
His crimes were captured on camera after the RSPB installed covert equipment on the grouse moor, capturing video and audio recordings of Dingwall and his two armed accomplices, as shown on Channel 4 News, here.
Dingwall’s sentence was a fine of just £1,520. I’ve written previously about the judge’s remarks and how this derisory penalty was determined (see here).
Now the Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF, representing raptor fieldworkers) has added to the commentary in a new blog (here), which is well worth a read.
Here are some of the highlights:
Dingwall had a previous conviction for violence, but this was discounted because it was dissimilar to the offence before the court. However, there is ample evidence in the literature showing that violence towards people and animal cruelty are frequently linked.
It was accepted by the court that Dingwall’s actions in this case were “completely out of character”. Was it really? The RSPB Investigations Team didn’t just turn up on the estate and install covert recording equipment. The team was there as a result of intelligence they had received and had spent several months confirming that the information was correct. They also identified the precise location where Dingwall and his colleagues usually sat. There was nothing random in the enquiry. Dingwall and his two underkeepers, recorded during the filming, were dressed in camouflage clothing, using radios, and armed with shotguns. They were clearly on a mission when sat in their allocated positions, waiting for dusk and for Hen Harriers to come in to roost.
Mr Ryan, Dingwall’s solicitor, told the court that his client “regrets enormously” his actions. If that were true, why were he and his colleagues there in the first place, dressed and armed with shotguns? Why didn’t he chastise his staff when they discussed having killed a Buzzard and a Raven? Why didn’t he call the whole thing off when they talked about not shooting a Hen Harrier—now known to be Ataksak—because it was wearing a box and would cause problems for the estate? Why, when the next Hen Harrier arrived without a “box”, did Dingwall leave his post to go and shoot the bird, which he subsequently told his staff he had done? He had every opportunity to prevent his underkeepers from killing the Buzzard and Raven. He also had a duty to ensure that Ataksak and the untagged Hen Harrier were not threatened with death. He failed on all accounts. Clearly, the only thing Dingwall regretted was being caught.
There is no requirement for a defendant to identify who his two underkeepers were, and Dingwall chose that route and stood in the dock alone. That was his choice, and the identity of his underkeepers remains unknown—at least in the public domain. Obviously, their employer knows who they are; but will they be sanctioned? Will they lose their jobs?
What we do know is that the owner will not be sanctioned, and it is business as usual. This loophole in the law is ludicrous and needs to be closed. Owners and land agents responsible for managing shooting estates need to be held accountable for the criminal activities of their employees. Until they are, they have no incentive to ensure that their estates are managed in compliance with wildlife legislation.
To read the full blog on the NERF website, click here.
I’ll be writing a further blog about this case shortly…
Raptor Persecution UK 
would it not be a robust reaction as affirmation of the seriousness being taken of the persecution of the raptors, by putting a blanket ban on grouse shooting for as long as this raptor killing goes on, it would hurt the perpetrators more than any other sting
Can someone cleverer than I explain why a charge of vicarious liability isn’t brought more often against employers?
Because that law only exists in Scotland.
When these type of people refuse to name their ‘colleagues’, Judges and Magistrates should jail those who would otherwise have got a fine and double the sentence of those who are going to jail.
Almost certainly both an apt and accurate commentary not only what Dingwall and his two “unknown” colleagues were about but quite probably this is the case on any number of moors where satellite tagged and otherwise Hen Harriers have been shown to ” disappear.” In such places most of such crimes will not be a fortuitous event for the criminal, far from it they will be a carefully laid and sprung trap at some known ( to them) haunt of harriers quite often a roost. This is the reality that the pro DGS cabal most want to disguise and deny, if their loud professions of being anti persecution rhetoric were a truth such things wouldn’t be happening in the almost routine manner the regular loss of harriers suggests. This is the proof of their lie about their professed intolerance of persecution. That as much as anything is a most important outcome of the case.
I believe that any neutral watching the footage cannot come to any other conclusion other than this is a “typical day in the office” for the lads on the fell – and IMO this is precisely what most grousekeepers do most of the time regards raptors bigger than a Merlin, or sometimes Kestrel (though a cock Sparrowhawk rarely gets a ‘pass’).
The other side have no option but to state Dingwall and his underlings/pals were just rare, roguish bad apples. But I just don’t think this line will work on many people this time around.
I believe the neutrals will see through it.
But I also hope people will think very carefully come Springtime about which Estate led “Curlew Safari” or “Black Grouse Safari’ they might go on if they are on holiday in the Yorkshire Dales, etc. Dingwall was (no doubt still is) as thick as thieves with the keepers on at least one of the estates that are featured on Yorkshire Dales Regional Moorland Group on Facebook running them.
And I also hope parents will just think for a minute before signing the form for the school to take their kids on a day trip to a “Let’s Learn Moor” event. Which estate are they going on? Who owns it? How do they manage it? What history of missing, dead and ‘dead with parts removed by human hands’ raptors is there on that estate? What is the real agenda of this PR campaign? Who is paying for it and what is their real goal? Am I being suckered and are my kids being played in a big PR game?
Im not saying kids shouldn’t go – it’s none of my business it’s for the parents to decide, but I just hope the parents have given it some real thought first.
Also , even I recognise quite a few people who IMO are identikit Dingwalls on the Facebook posts of these “Let’s Learn Moor” open days. And I am pretty sure the RSPB Investigators who gathered the evidence so brilliantly for the Dingwall case will give a wry smile, if they ever have a spare minute to look at those pages too!
Not only should parents be making that carefully considered opinion, had I any in such a position they’d not be going to be brainwashed, but the school authorities also should be very careful about such outing options. If the school still ok it perhaps they should also offer a talk by somebody from RSPB investigations or NERF to give a balance to the whole thing. Given I’m banned from the YDMG FB page which estates are running them? Given there are probably only two “clean” estates in the Dales and neither of them feature in condemning wildlife crime at all, to me it should all be a no no, this potential criminals teaching kids.
Dingwall’s actions in this case were “completely out of character”?
What absolute bow locks!
How on earth did the court come to that conclusion I wonder.
Shooting and killing raptors was something [Ed: rest of comment deleted as libellous]
Just look at those following and working for fox hunts. There’s a whole industry of similar people employed to do similar jobs all trying to go under the radar. Would love someone to copy the conversations in their WhatsApp groups to reveal exactly what they talk about every day of their lives, killing and covering up. The hunt sabs and moorland monitors, RSPB etc can only scratch the surface. People would be horrified if they knew the half of it and the likes of Channel 4 news should be required watching for all so the public can’t pretend otherwise
Foxes are a menace. Do you want to see them trapped and poisoned or even clubbed to death as I did? Raptors and Red Kites are not a menace and they dont kill to the extent that foxes do nor kill for fun. Foxes do. Red Kites also catch fish when they can and the filth that persecute them also go after Ravens Crows, Owls. Since when were they a danger to their precious pheasants and grouse to be shot for sport? All live animal and bird shooting should be banned, outlawed and those responsible sacked and jailed. Fines should be in tens of thousands and they HAVE to pay it regardless of what poverty they may claim. Birds of prey are supposed to be protected let’s see it in action and enforced right now. Foxes are not hunted nor persecuted but Raptors are.
“Foxes are not hunted or persecuted”.
You’re not actually serious, are you?!