Man coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison in feud with landowner
Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work and given a community payback order after he admitted a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023.
The crime was committed as part of an ongoing feud with a local landowner over shooting rights.
He hoped that his actions would cause reputational damage to the landowner's country estate. COPFS Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, carried out the crime as part of an ongoing feud
Prosecutors told Forfar Sheriff Court 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 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 difenacoum.
Difenacoum is highly toxic to birds and if consumed causes haemorrhaging. A single feed from a baited carcass would prove fatal to a raptor.
They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcases suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds.
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.
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
'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.'
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
44 minutes ago
- North Wales Live
Seagull airgun shooting in North Wales seaside town sparks police probe
A seagull was left with a large wound after being shot in a residential area. North Wales Police (NWP) are appealing for the public's help after the bird was found in Llandudno Junction, Conwy. The NWP rural crime team said the seagull was discovered in the town's Maes Cwstennin area on the morning of July 4. The bird was examined by vets, who confirmed it had been shot by an air weapon. A team spokesperson said: 'All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside act. Additionally, officers are concerned about an air weapon being used in a residential area, which could have injured members of the public or family pets as well.' Herring gulls divide opinion in many seaside towns and on occasion they have been targeted by residents. Last year the NWP rural crime team said they received 'numerous reports' of the illegal shooting of gulls. Many of the incidents were on coastal parts of Denbighshire, along the Abergele /Pensarn area of Conwy. It is understood air rifles were used in the incidents – police warned this could constitute a firearms offence. In June 2018, three gulls were feared shot dead with an air rifle in Prestatyn, Denbighshire. In another notorious incident, a seagull was left wandering around the streets of Rhyl with a crossbow bolt sticking out from its head. Others, in Towyn, are thought to have been similarly targeted. More recently, bird lovers have flagged another disturbing trend – people apparently scattering food across roads and filming gulls being run over. Herring gulls are a species of conservation concern in the UK with populations in decline. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox The RSPCA has condemned the attacks, urging coastal communities to treat their wildlife 'with kindness'. Anybody with information that could help the rural crime team with the latest seagull attack should contact the NWP website or call 101, quoting reference 25000552700.
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Inquiry to be held into death of landscape gardener hit by tree trunk
An inquiry is to be held into the death of a landscape gardener who died after being struck by a tree trunk. Andrew Pirie was working on June 25, 2020, when he was hit with a two-metre-long section of the tree. A Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be held into the 53-year-old's death as it occurred while he was in the course of his employment. The investigation will look at the circumstances surrounding Mr Pirie's death as well as what precautions could have been taken and could be implemented to prevent future accidents. Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame. A preliminary hearing is set for September 3, 2025, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said: 'The death of Andrew Pirie occurred while in the course of his employment and as such a Fatal Accident Inquiry is mandatory. 'The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff. 'Mr Pirie's family will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.' 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 Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Police witnesses will not attend summary trials during Trump visit
These summary trials see the sheriff or justice consider all the available evidence and make a judgment themselves. President Trump will visit his golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire between July 25 and 29, requiring a major security operation. As a result it's understood the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has agreed that police witnesses will be stood down from summary trials between July 23 and 31. READ MORE: Donald Trump will visit Scotland next week (Image: PA) Trials will "proceed as far as possible" where appropriate, or will be suspended if police witnesses are required. A similar operation was in place for COP26, when summary trials were halted for a three week period due to the policing operation required. A spokesperson for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service said: 'As always we have been working with justice partners to ensure the effective and efficient running of the courts. "Following a request from Police Scotland, Police witnesses will be excused from some summary and Justice of the Peace court trials, but all trials will call as scheduled. We expect this to have limited impact on court business.' A spokesperson for the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service said established arrangements are in place to ensure COPFS and its partners have the necessary flexibility, capability and capacity to respond to the requirements of the visit. They added: 'COPFS will continue delivering an effective, rigorous and fair independent prosecution service and contributing to a system-wide response to maintaining the administration of justice throughout the visit of President Trump to Scotland.'
