A “brutal” gamekeeper who bludgeoned a protected bird of prey to death and illegally stored ammunition has been sentenced.
Russell Mason, 49, killed a goshawk by repeatedly striking it with a cosh while it was stuck in a trap set for crows on Cochrage Moor, Perthshire, in February 2024.
Mason then placed the raptor in a car and drove away.
He admitted killing the bird at a previous hearing and was sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday.
He also admitted a charge of illegally storing ammunition at his home address, which breached the terms of his firearms licence.
Mason received a 200-hour community payback order for killing the bird, and was fined £890 for the ammunition offence.
Prosecutor Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife 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.
“Russell Mason’s brutal and wholly unnecessary actions resulted in the suffering and death of a rare and magnificent bird of prey.
“COPFS takes raptor persecution 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, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.”
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) set up cameras to monitor a trap on the estate and spotted Mason on the footage.
He was seen entering the trap on February 12, 2024 carrying a handheld net.
He was also caught on camera striking the bird six times, and the RSPB then informed Police Scotland’s National Wildlife Crime Unit.
The illegally stored ammunition was later recovered by police after they searched his house.
Ian Thomson, RSPB investigations manager, said: “Crimes such as this give unequivocal proof that these types of traps are incredibly effective at catching non-target species such as birds of prey, which are then routinely killed.
“We welcome the conviction of Mr Mason and are pleased that our video evidence was again key in detecting a crime against one of our rarest raptors and in securing this result.
“We are, however, disappointed that the penalty imposed will have little in the way of a deterrent effect on others considering committing similar offences.
“There are hundreds of these traps in use across our countryside, and this case shows, yet again, that the indiscriminate nature of such traps encourages their misuse and deliberate abuse; this in turn poses a significant threat to protected species.
“For those wanting to undertake licensed control of species such as crows, other more selective options are available, posing considerably less risk to non-target species such as protected birds of prey.
“We have been raising these concerns with the licensing authorities for over 30 years, and cases such as this again pose significant questions about the legitimacy of using indiscriminate cage traps in our countryside.”
