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Derbyshire gamekeeper in 8-day trial

A gamekeeper has appeared in court at Chesterfield Magistrate’s today on the first day of a trial where he is accused of seven charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Animal Welfare Act 2010.

Glenn Brown, 39, of Old Henry’s Schoolhouse, Derwent Valley, is accused of illegally using a crow cage trap to catch birds of prey on National Trust property, Howden Moor in the Derwent Valley. The case was brought after covert operations carried out by the RSPB.

The District Judge, Caroline Goulborn, is clearly taking an interest in the details of this case as she and other court officials spent the afternoon visiting the trap site. Good on her. The eight-day trial is to be continued…with some high profile expert witnesses for both prosecution and defence…

News story here: http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/regional/gamekeeper_denies_cage_trap_charges_1_3276704

A bit more detail here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/12/gamekeeper-live-pigeon-trap

Thanks to the contributor who sent us the original link.

Dead Silence

Last week’s police raid on a sporting estate in Perthshire was widely reported in the media. We were told that three week’s earlier, two poisoned buzzards and poisoned bait had been discovered on the estate, and that this had led to the issuing of a police warrant to search various properties on the estate. What we weren’t told was the name of the estate in question. Was this omission just a genuine oversight? Apparently not. According to an article published in The Courier on 8 April 2011, Tayside Police ‘refused to disclose the exact location of the estate’. This suggests that the journalist from The Courier had specifically asked for the name of the Estate but Tayside Police decided to keep it a secret. Courier article here: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/Living/Outdoors/article/12730/inquiry-into-discovery-of-poisoned-birds-of-prey-on-a-perthshire-estate-continues.html

Similarly, the other agencies involved with the raid (reported to be the RSPB, National Wildlife Crime Unit and the Scottish Government Rural Payment Inspections Directorate) have remained tight-lipped about the operation.

Let’s contrast this silence with the report of another police raid that Tayside Police undertook last week. According to a news item on the Tayside Police website, they raided six properties across Dundee last Friday ‘as part of a pre-planned operation aimed at disrupting a serious and organised crime group believed to be involved in a number of offences including drug dealing, money laundering and mortgage fraud’. Were they silent about the locations of the raids and the on-going inquiries? Were they heck. They named the actual streets where these properties were located, the type of property searched and even disclosed what they’d found so far. See news item here: http://www.tayside.police.uk/default.aspx.locid-013new0k8.Lang-EN.htm

Let’s also contrast the silence with the reporting of the two poisoned peregrines that were discovered at the base of a block of flats in Motherwell in February. The SSPCA, who are leading that particular investigation, immediately released the location of where those poisoned birds had been found. And quite right too. See their press release here: http://www.scottishspca.org/news/571_warning-after-falcons-poisoned

So, why would Tayside Police, the RSPB, NWCU and SGRPID not want to reveal the name of the Estate where they have discovered poisoned birds and poisoned bait? They might argue that revealing the Estate’s name is likely to defeat the ends of justice, for example, that evidence could be destroyed or removed. That would be a perfectly legitimate concern BEFORE the raid took place, but their news release was made AFTER the raid and AFTER they had collected potential evidence, so that particular argument doesn’t wash here.

This silence is also an interesting strategy considering the recent launch of the Tayside Policing Plan 2011-2014 (available for download on the Tayside Police website). This Policing Plan sets out the Force’s ‘high level aims for serving and supporting local communities, the local economy and the environment over the next three years. The plan focuses on two Community Priorities – Public Safety and Public Reassurance’. So, how does keeping quiet about the location of potentially lethal poison (which could kill humans and pets, as well as the wildlife it has already killed), fit in with this new Policing Plan? Does this secrecy benefit public safety? Does this secrecy benefit public reassurance? That’s for the local community to decide – although hang on, they can’t decide because they haven’t been told that this poison was found within their community.

Imagine if Tayside Police had discovered a car bomb in, say, Perth town centre. Would they be so coy about revealing the location? Would we see a press release along the lines of ‘We have discovered a car bomb but we’re not telling you where it is and we’re keeping its location a secret’?

I think not. It would obviously be in the public’s interest to be informed about such a threat. So why does Tayside Police and these agencies think that it’s ok not to tell the public where poisoned birds and poisoned bait has been discovered, regardless of whether they can or cannot identify the individual who laid the bait? It’s all very curious.

Reward offered to catch Motherwell peregrine poisoner

Two concerned members of the public have offered a £1,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution in the Motherwell peregrine poisoning incident that took place in February.

Two peregrines were killed after being poisoned with the highly toxic (and illegal) chemical strychnine, and their bodies were discovered just yards from a primary school in Motherwell. See blog post 16 March 2011 for details.

The Scottish SPCA, leading the investigation, have been unable to trace the person responsible, and it is hoped the reward will now act as an incentive for someone to come forward with new information.

SSPCA press release: http://www.scottishspca.org/news/588_reward-for-falcon-poisonings

Thanks to the contributor in France who sent us this link.

Latest on Inverinate Estate case

Another case adjournment….

Gamekeeper Andrew Malcom Slaughter from Inverinate Estate, Lochalsh, is facing charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948. He did not attend his court hearing yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court and he did not enter a plea. His case has been adjourned until 28 April 2011, back at Inverness Sheriff Court.

See blog entry 23 March 2011 for background to this case.

Latest on Moy Estate case

Surprise surprise! The Moy Estate case has been adjourned for a second time. Gamekeepers Wayne Grant and James Roderick Rolfe, facing charges under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, did not attend the court hearing yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, and no plea was entered. Their case has been adjourned until 5 May 2011, again at Inverness Sheriff Court.

For background reading to this case, see blog posts 3 June 2010, 4 June 2010 and 23 March 2011.

Update on yesterday’s police raid

Tayside Police have released a statement about the raid on a Scottish sporting estate that took place yesterday, following the discovery three weeks ago of two poisoned buzzards and poisoned bait. A 62 year old man was taken in for questioning but has been released pending further enquiries.

Tayside Police statement: http://www.tayside.police.uk/default.aspx.locid-013new0k6.Lang-EN.htm

Police raid well-known Scottish sporting estate – one man questioned

Police have raided a well-known sporting estate in Scotland and at least one man has been questioned at the police station. Further details cannot be reported just now but will be publicised in due course. Let’s just say this estate is no stranger to allegations of raptor persecution…let’s hope justice is finally served.

Full credit to the police for this one.

Poisoned baits found in Ayrshire: dogs and buzzards reported poisoned

A recent spate of poisoning has been reported at Fullarton Woods, Troon, Ayrshire over the last month, apparently resulting in the death of one dog, one fox and possibly two buzzards. A second dog was poisoned but survived. Strathclyde Police are reported to have launched an investigation.

The first incident was reported in the Troon Times on 1 March 2011 and the Ayrshire Birding Forum on 2 March 2011. Rabbit baits laced with poison were discovered in Fullarton Woods on the Fullarton Estate (this is not a sporting estate – it is a public amenity run by South Ayrshire Council that includes a play-park for children). A local resident’s dog was poisoned but made a recovery. Two dead buzzards were apparently discovered, although it has not been confirmed if they had been poisoned.

Troon Times: http://www.troontimes.com/news/troon/articles/2011/03/01/410725-beware-poisoned-carcasses-left-in-troon-woods/

Ayrshire Birding Forum: http://www.ayrshire-birding.org.uk/

On 22 March 2011, Troon Times reported the death of a two-year old golden retriever and linked it to the discovery of a poisoned fox in Fullarton Woods: http://www.troontimes.com/news/troon/articles/2011/03/22/411384-more-animals-poisoned-in-woods/

Holkham Estate head gamekeeper’s court case adjourned again

Further to blog posts 25 January, 11 February and 2 March 2011….

Nicholas Parker, head gamekeeper at Holkham Estate, Norfolk, was due at Norwich Magistrate’s Court today relating to charges against him for alleged wildlife crime and firearms offences. His case has been adjourned for the third time and is now due to be heard on 4 May 2011.

This case was originally due to be heard at King’s Lynn Magistrate’s Court on 9 February 2011. This was delayed until 2 March 2011. The case was then moved to Norwich Magistrate’s Court, due to be heard 1 April 2011.

Five separate poisoning incidents unreported at end of 2010

Earlier this month, PAW Scotland released the ‘2010 poisoning hotspots’ maps as part of their annual reporting. Along with the maps, they released a report called ‘Bird of Prey Poisoning Incidents 2006 to 2010 – Incident Details’. Here is a PDF of that report: 0114784

The name is a bit of a misnomer, as the ‘incident details’ are about as vague as you can get. However, the report does have its uses. There appear to be five separate poisoning incidents that took place between October and December 2010 that were not apparently reported/publicised in the press; three incidents in Tayside and one each in Lothian & Borders and Strathclyde. An internet search has failed to locate any information about these cases. Why do you think Tayside Police, Lothian Police, Strathclyde Police, and the RSPB (if they were involved in the investigation) were so quiet about these incidents?

Ref 10192: 1 buzzard poisoned by carbofuran, 2 pigeon baits. Oct 2010, Tayside.

Ref 10196: 2 buzzards poisoned by carbofuran isofenphos. Oct 2010, Tayside.

Ref: 10204: 1 buzzard poisoned by carbofuran. Nov 2010, Lothian & Borders.

Ref 10206: 1 buzzard poisoned by carbofuran, 1 pheasant bait. Nov 2010, Strathclyde.

Ref 10225: 1 red kite poisoned by chloralose. Dec 2010, Tayside.