Latest news with #IainBatho
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Man sentenced for coating pheasant carcasses in rat poison over feud
He hoped that his actions would cause reputational damage to the landowner's country estate. Burgoyne was given the Community Payback Order at Forfar Sheriff Court after he admitted a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (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. READ MORE: '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 (SASA), who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.' Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate near Arbroath on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate. The dead pheasants had clearly been left out in the open to attract non-target species such as birds of prey (Image: COPFS) 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. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was an anticoagulant rodenticide formulation containing the active ingredient difenacoum. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcases suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. Difenacoum is highly toxic to birds and if consumed causes haemorrhaging. A single feed from a baited carcass would prove fatal to a raptor. The court heard that the dead pheasants had clearly been left out in the open to attract non-target species such as birds of prey. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- BBC News
Wick deer attack leads to first hunting with dogs sentencing
A man whose dog attacked and injured a deer has become the first person in Scotland to be convicted and sentenced under new hunting Chenier, 56, was using his golden lurcher for hare coursing - an illegal practice involving dogs chasing and killing hares - when it went after the deer near a cemetery in of the public tried to protect the severely injured deer, before Chenier appeared and killed the animal with a was prosecuted under the Hunting With Dogs Act (Scotland) Act, which came into force in 2023, and fined £750 and banned from owning a dog for five years. Chenier pleaded guilty at Wick Sheriff Court. Carcass found The court heard that the incident happened near Olrig cemetery in March last being chased, the deer broke a front leg and was running on its knees when the dog caught up with it and was seen killing the deer and then putting it in the back of a later found the carcass hanging in an outbuilding at his analysis matched the deer's hair and bones with samples taken from the site of the lurcher's DNA was also found on the sentencing, Iain Batho, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "Whilst it was not Nickolas Chenier's intention for his dog to attack and injure a deer that day, this incident shows that using dogs to hunt wildlife can have additional serious and unforeseen consequences."
