A GAMEKEEPER has been fined £2,000 after being found guilty of killing a bird of prey.
William Dick, a gamekeeper from the Newlands Estate in Dumfriesshire, was earlier convicted of the killing and possession of a buzzard in April 2014.
Two walkers gave evidence at Dumfries Sheriff Court that they had seen him throw rocks at the bird and then repeatedly stamp on it, before taking it away in his pick-up truck.
They contacted the Scottish SPCA, who in turn alerted the police.
He was found guilty at Dumfries Sheriff Court on August 4 and yesterday was fined £2,000 for the offences.
Mr Dick claimed he was on his way home from a training course, more than 100 miles away. It is understood he will appeal against his conviction.
But Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s Head of Investigations, said: he hoped that the sentence would show how seriously courts take "these outdated crimes".
He said: “It is unfortunate that buzzards are regularly vilified by some sectors of the gamebird shooting industry, despite them only just recovering after decades of persecution.
"While scientific evidence shows they have a minimal impact on released pheasants, the cruel actions of Mr Dick are symptomatic of a continued Victorian attitude towards birds of prey, one that all too frequently leads to them being illegally killed.”
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association Chairman Alex Hogg said the organisation had a clear and consistent policy against wildlife crime.
He added: “It is our understanding that an appeal has been lodged in this particular case so it would not be appropriate for us to comment until such times as the legal process has concluded.”
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