Tag: crow trap

Following the report that convicted gamekeeper Glenn Brown lost his appeal yesterday (see here), one of the RSPB investigators has blogged about his experience, and that of his colleagues, in the appeal process.

Mark Thomas discusses how he and three other RSPB investigation colleagues (Guy Shorrock, James Leonard and John McMahon) were repeatedly accused of being ‘unscrupulous liars’ by Glenn Brown’s defence team. Not for the first time (see here), the RSPB has been publicly accused of ‘planting evidence’ in order to gain a successful prosecution against a gamekeeper accused of raptor persecution. Also not for the first time, this ridiculous accusation has been found to be completely fabricated. I think we can probably make up our own minds as to the identity of the ‘unscrupulous liars’ based on all the evidence available in the public domain.

Mark Thomas goes on to suggest that the reason for the repeated attacks on the credibility and integrity of RSPB investigators is “…because RSPB Investigations working with the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service is the only dedicated team able to pull off these complex gamekeeper- related investigations and convictions, making us an obvious target“. Well, that’s almost true – in Scotland we also have the expertise of the SSPCA to rely upon – but nevertheless, Mark’s conclusion about why the RSPB is an obvious target is, well, obvious and accurate (see link in above paragraph for multiple examples of unfounded hostility from the game-shooting industry towards the RSPB).

Also included in Mark’s blog is a fascinating PDF that gives the full judgement notes from the judge at Brown’s original trial in June 2011. This really is well worth a read, and full credit to the RSPB for allowing this document to be published.

Mark Thomas (RSPB Investigations blog) here

Full judgement notes from Glenn Brown’s original trial: Glenn Brown full judgement notes June 2011

The RSPB reports that Derbyshire gamekeeper Glenn Brown has lost his lengthy appeal against his conviction for seven offences relating to the illegal use  of a baited trap to take birds of prey, the intentional taking of a sparrowhawk, and numerous animal welfare offences.

Brown was convicted in June 2011 for the offences that took place on the National Trust’s Howden Moor in Derbyshire. Despite the penalties available, he was only given 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay £10,000 costs (see here, here, here and here for background).

According to the RSPB press release, Brown’s appeal, which began on 3 January 2012 at Derby Crown Court, included ‘a blistering attack against the integrity of the RSPB, claiming evidence had been planted to incriminate Brown’. The appeal was dismissed on 24 January 2012 by Judge Watson, who commented on the credibility of the RSPB witnesses. Brown was ordered to pay a further £7,000 costs.

It is not known whether Brown was/is a member of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation. You can find out by sending an email to: info@nationalgamekeepers.org.uk

RSPB press release here

Following the conviction this week of gamekeeper Glenn Brown on the National Trust’s Howden Moor in the Upper Derwent Valley, Derbyshire, the sporting tenant has been named on the Birdguides website as Geoff Eyre (scroll to the comments section under the article).

According to The Moorland Association website, Geoff Eyre won the 2005 Purdey Award for Game and Conservation, for his Howden Regeneration Project. (As an aside, scroll down the page to see another 2005 Purdey Award winner, head gamekeeper Jimmy Shuttlewood from the Snilesworth Estate North Yorkshire – who was later convicted in 2008 with two underkeepers for the use of cage traps to capture birds of prey – story here).

Geoff Eyre has had a lot written about his pioneering work to restore Howden Moor to its former glory as a viable grouse moor. Here in 2006 he spoke about the ‘beneficial’ work of his gamekeeper. Also in 2006, this article was written in The Telegraph about the return and then subsequent loss of a pair of hen harriers on Howden Moor. In 2007, he hosted a visit by a DEFRA Minister for Landscape and Rural Affairs, reported here in The Shooting Times, accompanied by gamekeeper Glenn Brown. The Minister was impressed with what he saw, calling the project an ‘inspiration’ and a good use of public money.

One can only assume that Geoff Eyre was completely unaware of the criminal activities of his gamekeeper. You can ask him about it, and whether Brown has been sacked, at National Trust activity days in September 2011 – details here.

It was good to see so much media coverage following the conviction of criminal gamekeeper Glenn Brown on Monday. It made local, regional, national and international news, probably because he committed his crimes on National Trust property – which isn’t somewhere you’d normally expect to hear about wildlife crime taking place. Let’s hope that the National Trust are reviewing the lease of their land to the ‘un-named third party’ as we speak.

Despite the broad media coverage, very few articles mentioned the dead sparrowhawk that was found close to one of the traps that criminal gamekeeper Glenn Brown was operating.  Also found close by was the body of a white pigeon. Mark Thomas, one of the RSPB investigators involved with catching Brown at it, has written an excellent little piece about the investigation here, alluding to what might have happened to the dead sparrowhawk and dead pigeon.

Thomas also writes that since 2006, goshawk and peregrine productivity in the Derwent Valley has collapsed. By coincidence, gamekeeper Brown is reported to have been employed as a gamekeeper since 2006. Amazing.

Thomas and his colleagues from the RSPB Investigations team deserve a great deal of credit, especially for the innovative techniques they used to catch Brown. So too does Derbyshire Constabulary and the CPS. The resulting punishment for Brown, convicted of seven offences – 100 hours community service – delivered by District Judge Caroline Goulborn (famed for the recent cat-in-the-bin-case) is pathetic, especially when you consider the sentencing options available, which include fines up to £5,000 and a six month prison term for each offence. Had Brown not been ordered to pay £10,000 costs, some might have concluded that he had got off very lightly. Depending on who pays for these costs, and whether he keeps his job as a gamekeeper, some may be certain he got off lightly.

The long-running trial that began over two months ago against Derbyshire gamekeeper Glenn Brown concluded today, and he was found guilty of using an illegal trap to try and catch birds of prey on the National Trust’s Howden Moor in the Peak District. The court heard that he was interested in protecting the grouse where he worked. The trial began on 11 April 2011 at Chesterfield Magistrates Court.

Brown was caught after RSPB investigators installed covert cameras overlooking a trap and filmed him over a period of time visiting the trap. He was unlawfully using a pigeon as a lure bird – this is illegal and is an indication that birds of prey were the target species he was trying to catch. He operated traps on land in the Upper Derwent Valley owned by the National Trust but leased by another party between 14 April and 25 May 2010.

Brown was found guilty of seven offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Animal Welfare Act 2010.

He was given 100 hours community service and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

BBC news story here including video

More on this story later. Congratulations to the RSPB investigators for catching another criminal gamekeeper at it, and to Derbyshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for seeing the case through to trial. In the BBC news video, it is reported that Brown is the 100th gamekeeper to be convicted of crimes against birds of prey. So, Alex Hogg, Chairman of the Scottish Gamekeeper’s Association, still think it’s “unfair to accuse gamekeepers of wildlife crime“?

The trial of gamekeeper Glenn Brown, accused of seven offences under the Wildlife & Countryside Act & the Animal Welfare Act, came to a temporary close on 13 May 2011. The charges relate to his alleged activities on Howden Moor in the Derwent Valley, Derbyshire. The trial has now been adjourned until 13 June 2011, when a verdict is expected at Chesterfield Magistrate’s Court.

For background info see blog posts 11 April 2011, 27 April 2011, 28 April 2011 and 9 May 2011.

The trial of Glenn Brown, the Derbyshire gamekeeper facing 7 charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act and the Animal Welfare Act, will continue this week at Chesterfield Magistrates Court.

Amongst other things, Brown is accused of using a crow trap to illegally trap raptors on Howden Moor in the Derwent Valley. See blog posts 11 April 2011, 27 April 2011 and 28 April 2011 for background info to this case.

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…