Latest news with #NationalWildlifeCrimeUnit
STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Scots woman jailed for watching and sharing videos of monkey torture online
A Scottish woman has been jailed for watching and sharing videos online of monkeys being tortured as part of a global ring. Natalie Herron, 39, was sentenced to two years and three months at Airdrie Sheriff Court on Tuesday. She previously pled guilty on Tuesday, May 13 to charges of distributing and possessing obscene publications between December 2021 and September 2022. This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad. Officers said this was one of the most 'horrific' cases they had dealt with and the material was like 'nothing they had seen before'. Herron was arrested in September 2022 following intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA). As part of the wider investigation with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, two women were jailed at Worcester Crown Court in November 2024 for their part in a global monkey torture ring. One woman, aged 37, was sentenced to two years and the other, aged 55, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. Detective Sergeant Karen Murray said: 'This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. 'Thanks to the work of these organisations Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which led contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals. 'Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it. 'This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.' Detective Inspector Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit said: 'This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. 'The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others. 'It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously. 'This investigation is part of a larger transnational investigation that the NWCU has been assisting with and the NWCU would like to thank Police Scotland for their hard work and dedication on this case. It shouldn't be underestimated the impact that working on a case like this can have on those involved. 'Wildlife crime can occur in many forms and the NWCU will continue to work with partners from across the world to ensure that we have the expertise, resources, and skills to fight this type of crime however it may occur.' Anyone who has any concerns around this type of behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Scots woman jailed for sharing online videos of 'tortured monkeys'
Natalie Herron, 39, was sentenced to two years and three months at Airdrie Sheriff Court today. She previously pled guilty on Tuesday to charges of distributing and possessing obscene publications between December 2021 and September 2022. The investigation was part of a wider operation with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which saw Herron arrested on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, following intelligence from the National Crime Agency. This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad, making it a landmark case. Officers said this was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen before. READ MORE: Scottish health board to scrap free nappies for newborns in bid to save £23m Detective sergeant Karen Murray said: 'This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. "Thanks to the work of these organisations Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which led contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals. "Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it. "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.' Detective inspector Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit added: 'This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others. "It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously "This investigation is part of a larger transnational investigation that the NWCU has been assisting with and the NWCU would like to thank Police Scotland for their hard work and dedication on this case. It shouldn't be underestimated the impact that working on a case like this can have on those involved. "Wildlife crime can occur in many forms and the NWCU will continue to work with partners from across the world to ensure that we have the expertise, resources, and skills to fight this type of crime, however it may occur.' As part of the wider investigation, two women were jailed at Worcester Crown Court in November last year for their part in a global monkey torture ring. One woman, aged 37, was sentenced to two years, and the other, aged 55, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. Anyone who has any concerns around this type of behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Osprey pair near Poole Harbour lays first egg of the season
The only breeding pair of ospreys on England's south coast have laid their first egg of the season.A webcam is monitoring the nest of female CJ7 and male 022 near Wareham, 2022, the birds, which were part of a reintroduction scheme, became the first nesting pair on the south coast in 180 say they expect more eggs to be laid in the coming days. The first egg appeared at about 19:50 BST on Sunday, two days earlier than last summer saw four chicks hatch - the highest annual figure so a Facebook post, Birds of Poole Harbour said: "After lots of courtship, fish handovers, nest building, mating and the odd intrusion by another Osprey, we now have the first egg at the Careys Secret Garden nest."The conservation charity said the birds laid their eggs three days apart, predicting the next one could appear on said the average time for eggs to hatch was 37 days but the first egg would often take 40 days, meaning the first chicks could hatch between 20 and 23 May."Since egg-laying both CJ7 and 022 have been dutifully brooding," the post of the fish-eating birds fell dramatically in the Middle they are a Schedule 1 species, meaning they have the highest level of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside of Poole Harbour and Careys Secret Garden are offering limited, managed tours near the nest location, including a viewing platform 350m (383 yards) are also working with Dorset Police Rural Crime Team and the National Wildlife Crime Unit to ensure there is no disturbance or trespassing risks to the private site. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
