Highland estates men in court after probes into birds of prey deaths

One of the golden eagles found dead on the Skibo Estate.

THE sporting manager for of an exclusive Highland estate had a stash of poison which was enough to kill every bird of prey in the united Kingdom, Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

Dean Barr (44), of Skibo Estate, near Dornoch – which is a playground for the rich and famous – pleaded guilty to the possession of the banned pesticide, carbofuran and was fined £3,300.

And in a second case at the same court an In verness-shire gamekeeper was prosecuted over the death of a red kite.

James Rolfe (20) was fined £1,500 after pleading guilty to being in possession of a dead red kite, a protected species.

The bird of prey was found in his vehicle during a police wildlife crime operation at an estate in Moy, near Inverness in June last year.

And Northern Constabulary’s Wildlife Crime co-ordinator, Chief Inspector Matthew Reiss, pledged to continue to crackdown of wildlife crime.

He said: "The Highlands and Islands attract large numbers of visitors every year and many arrive hoping to see some of the most iconic species in the United Kingdom, such as red kites and golden eagles.

"The persecution of these magnificent species is illegal, unacceptable and has an unwelcome and negative impact both on the natural environment and local economy."

In the case of Barr at Skibo, the banned pesticide was found during an investigation following the discovery of five poisoned birds – three golden eagles and a sparrow hawk and a grouse.

It was described by Ch Insp Matthew Reiss as the largest ever recovered amount of the banned pesticide Carbofuran found by police.

"Experts say that the amount of poison our officers uncovered would have been enough to kill every bird of prey in the UK," he said.

"The poison was discovered within premises operated and solely accessed by Mr Barr on Skibo estate land.

"It was found in the course of an investigation launched after the discovery of dead birds of prey, believed to have been illegally killed on the estate, including three golden eagles and a sparrow hawk and a Grouse laced with Carbofuran, which was pinned to the ground by a metal spike."

No one has yet been convicted in connection with the death of golden eagles and the sparrow hawk.

"Undoubtedly this was a prepared piece of bait. No one has been convicted of these offences," Ch Insp Reiss added.

He added: "This was an extensive and detailed inquiry and highlights Northern Constabulary’s commitment to tackling crimes against wildlife, which the force treats extremely seriously.

"Our investigation into the deaths of these birds remains open. There is no excuse for the illegal killing of some of our most iconic species.

"We will continue to deal robustly with anyone who is found to have been involved in the illegal persecution of any protected species."

Carbofuran is a banned pesticide which could be extremely harmful to anyone or any animal coming into contact with it.

Police would encourage anyone who has information about wildlife crime to report it to Police or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.