A man who performed a sex act with a herring gull has pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a wild bird in a 'bizarre' incident. David Lee, 40, from Sunderland, appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, April 25.
The man was sentenced for committing a sexual act involving a herring gull, which is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, reports the ChronicleLive.
CCTV footage captured the disturbing moment the man kneeled down in an alleyway near Gladstone Street in Sunderland at around 1am last August and proceeded to trap the bird between his legs.
He is then seen pulling his underwear off and appearing to perform a sex act on himself with the bird close to his groin area while watching pornography on his mobile device. He can then be seen kicking the bird away and walking off.
A court heard Lee was charged with the following: "On Thursday, August 18 last year at Sunderland, Lee wantonly or unreasonably did an act [where] he namely took a wild bird and undertook a sexual act whereby unnecessary suffering was caused to that animal, namely a herring gull."
Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: "At around 1am the defendant was seen chasing a gull down the road. The second piece of footage sees the defendant chasing the same bird down the road.
"In the third piece of footage, the defendant has a different bird in his hand. It is a smaller bird. You see the defendant with the bird in his arms and he goes a short space down the road.
"It is clear from the CCTV footage that the defendant is masturbating. The defendant places the bird close to his groin and in between his legs. He goes back to his phone and continues with the act.
"He pulls his trousers up and gives a kick to the bird. He picks up his phone and starts to walk off."
The court then heard Lee's phone was found to have searches for pornographic sites. Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said Lee "can't explain his actions" and that had some history of mental health issues. She told magistrates that she is seeking a psychiatric report for Lee.
Chair of Magistrates, Kay Gilbert, told the court that it was one of the most unusual cases she had ever dealt with. A sentencing hearing will take place on May 23 at South Tyneside Magistrates Court after she adjourned the case. Lee was granted unconditional bail and will be sentenced at South Tyneside Magistrates Court on May 23.
"The word bizarre has been used on more than one occasion," she said. "I have to say that as an experienced Magistrate, this is one of the most unusual cases we have come across in the magistrates’ court."
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