Further to blog posts on 25th January 2011, 11th February 2011, 2nd March 2011, and 1st April 2011…
After three adjournments, the pre-trial hearing in the case against Holkham Estate head gamekeeper, Nicholas Parker, was finally heard yesterday at Norwich Magistrates Court. His case has now been sent for trial, due to begin on 15th July 2011. Parker denies the wildlife and firearms charges against him.
Updates on the Moy and Skibo cases will follow shortly…
Following blog posts 11 & 27 April 2011…
The trial of Derbyshire gamekeeper Glenn Brown, accused of using a crow cage trap to capture birds of prey, has not finished today as expected. The trial will continue into next week…
Further to blog posts 23 March and 8 April 2011…
The trial of Andrew Malcom Slaughter, gamekeeper on the Inverinate Estate, was continued without plea at Inverness Sheriff Court today. It is now due to continue on 19 May 2011.
Press & Journal article here
Following blog posts on 6, 7 and 11 April….
The name of the Perthshire sporting estate raided by Tayside Police earlier this month, following the discovery of poisoned buzzards and poisoned bait in March 2011, has been recently reported on the raptor study group website as Edradynate Estate.
Described by Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart in 2005, “Edradynate Estate, which is owned by an absentee landlord from Hampshire, has probably the worst record in Scotland for poisoning incidents, going back more than a decade. In 14 separate incidents since 1998, 16 poisoned victims (nine buzzards, a cat, a tawny owl, two sparrowhawks, a common gull, a polecat and a crow) and 12 poisoned baits (rabbits, woodpigeons and a pheasant) have been found, with traces of the pesticides mevinphos, carbofuran and alphachloralose”.
His comments were made after the collapse of a trial concerning two gamekeepers from the estate, who were charged with various offences involving the alleged poisoning and trapping of birds of prey. The case was dropped by the Procurator Fiscal, reportedly because of the time taken for the case to be heard. Full story here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/legaleagle43_tcm9-132966.pdf
Since his comments, there have been more discoveries of poisoned birds on this estate, and public denials in the media of any involvement by estate gamekeepers, who claim the dead birds must have been ‘planted’ by someone else. Nobody has ever been convicted for wildlife crime offences on this estate and still the poisoning continues. Let’s hope that Tayside Police are able to detect the perpetrator(s) of the most recent poisoning incident.
Interestingly, it is also reported on the raptor study group website that Edradynate Estate is believed to be a member of the SRPBA and that at least one gamekeeper is a self-confessed member of the SGA. This is difficult to verify though as, conveniently, neither group publicises the names of their members. Both of these groups have made many public statements about how they deplore illegal raptor persecution and how they are working hard to eradicate it. They are both also members of PAW Scotland. It was reported last year that the CEO of the SRPBA paid a visit to Edradynate Estate – perhaps to apply some much needed ‘peer pressure’. If he did, then he is to be congratulated for his efforts, although judging by recent events it would appear that peer pressure was unsuccessful. Or perhaps it was successful, and the latest deaths were attributable to those pesky carcass planters – you know, the ones who have never been seen or heard but who are managing to plant poisoned birds on sporting estates up and down the country…
Further to the blog post 11 April 2011….
A few of our readers have e-mailed to ask for an update on the trial of Derbyshire gamekeeper Glenn Brown. The trial started 11 April 2011 and was anticipated to last for 8 working days. We are reliably informed that the trial is now expected to conclude tomorrow (28 April 2011).
Further details to follow…
A police special constable and wildlife officer in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, is putting Scottish police forces to shame. Special Constable Phil Sanderson, also a retired police officer, has appealed to the public for help in what he believes is a potential poisoning threat to peregrines in his area. Compare Phil’s actions below with those of Tayside Police last week after their raid on an [un-named] Perthshire sporting estate.
A chicken carcass, believed to have been tainted with poison, was discovered in the Ryburn Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, close to a peregrine nesting site. The carcass has been sent to the lab for analysis. Even though West Yorks Police are waiting for confirmation of the poisoning, they were sufficiently concerned, both for the welfare of the peregrines and for humans and domestic pets in the area, to put out a public appeal for information. They released the name of the valley where the suspect bait had been found, and they advised the public on what sort of thing to be suspicious of and what to do about it if they do see something suspicious.
Special Constable Phil Sanderson could teach Tayside Police a thing or two. Well done mate.
News story here: http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/find_the_poison_maniac_1_3279512
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.
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.
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.
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.
Raptor Persecution UK 