Man sentenced for poisoning birds of prey
Date of alert:
Monday, 22 May 2023
Crime Ref:
Force:
Police Scotland
An exotic bird breeder has been sentenced for poisoning multiple birds of prey in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Scotland.
Barry Nicolle, 67, of near Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway, will have to complete 216 hours of unpaid work after he admitted lacing duck meat with banned pesticides and leaving it out on his land for scavengers in a bid to protect his own collection of prized waterfowl.
His actions, branded “shockingly irresponsible” by prosecutors, led to the deaths of five red kites and 10 rooks, whose bodies were discovered at various locations around the local authority area, including at Springholm Primary School.
Nicolle also left poisoned hunks of bread on fence posts around his land, which lies just 150 metres from the school.
