Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
A man who baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work.
Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights.
He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors.
At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023.
The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey.
On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said.
Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed.
Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023.
A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said.
The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid.
A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS.
Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation.
They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds.
After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds.
Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it.
'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law.
'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death.
'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so.
'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Four men jailed over ‘egregious' NHS bribery and corruption offences
Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been jailed. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow which followed an investigation at health boards across Scotland. The offences, which took place between 2010 and 2017, included bribery, corruption, and other offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Hush and Sharoudi were additionally convicted of charges of fraud. Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were jailed for eight years and seven years respectively when they were sentenced at the court on Thursday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Hush, who was telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian, was sentenced to eight years in jail, while Cox, who was head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, was jailed for six years. In a sentencing statement later published online, Lord Arthurson said: 'The public are entitled to expect that their fellow citizens will not seek to subvert public officials in the diligent exercise of their duties, and public officials in their turn should know that succumbing to bribery will result in the handing down by the court of immediate and significant custodial terms. 'The reach and character of the corruption and in particular the corrupt relationships engaged in by all of you, when considered as a whole, was on a grand scale.' The trial at the High Court in Glasgow lasted 65 days. Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at COPFS, said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. At the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Arthurson sentenced Alan Hush, Gavin Cox, Adam Sharoudi & Gavin Brown to imprisonment for bribery and proceeds of crime offences. Hush received 8 years' imprisonment, Cox 6 years, Sharoudi 8 years, and Brown 7 years. — Judges Scotland (@JudgesScotland) June 5, 2025 'The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland, who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition.' The four men will now be subject to confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
A man who baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors. At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey. On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed. Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Smuggler caught with 100lb of cocaine claimed he only had sombreros
A drug smuggler who was caught with 100lb (48kg) of cocaine from Mexico in his luggage told officers he was only carrying sombreros. Kristopher Purvis posed as 'an innocuous tourist' when attempting to bring drugs with a street value of £5.64 million into the UK. The 35-year-old, from Durham, was stopped by Border Force Officers at Edinburgh airport while carrying a black suitcase and a bag filled with Mexican sombrero hats. When questioned, he told officers that the hats were the only things he had brought home with him from his visit to Mexico City. It later emerged that Purvis was being used as a mule by international drug traffickers and the cocaine was found in his suitcase. Police described it as a 'substantial attempt to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland'. Purvis pleaded guilty to the importation and being concerned in the supply of class A drugs at Edinburgh's High Court on March 4. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday. A trial date of Nov 10 has been set for a second suspected drug smuggler who was arrested at the time and pleaded not guilty to the same charges. Donnie Lawrie, from the National Crime Agency, said: 'Kristopher Purvis attempted to appear like an innocuous tourist and claimed to only be carrying sombrero souvenirs. 'The truth was, the luggage he was carrying contained millions of pounds worth of drugs. 'Purvis was used as a mule for the criminals keen to increase their profits when selling drugs on the streets of the UK. 'The NCA continues to work closely with UK Border Force, police forces and other law enforcement partners throughout the world to reduce the supply of class A drugs intended for the UK market.' Det Chief Insp Laura Sands of Police Scotland, said: 'This conviction and sentencing serves as yet another example of our ongoing commitment to target the supply and distribution of controlled drugs across Scotland, which remains an absolute priority for the Organised Crime Partnership and its partners. 'This intervention and subsequent detection disrupted an attempt to bring a significant volume of class A controlled drugs into the country. 'I would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that information from our local communities is an essential part of our investigation, as we work to disrupt the drugs trade and work with our partners to bring those responsible to justice.' Moira Orr, who leads on major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), added: 'This was a substantial attempt to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland. 'Kristopher Purvis has now been held accountable thanks to an extensive OCP Scotland and Border Force operation, working with COPFS, to investigate a network of drug supply. 'With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm that these drugs inflict on communities.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
