Gamekeeper who beat trapped buzzards to death avoids jail

A gamekeeper who admitted trapping and killing two buzzards has avoided jail.

Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard on two separate occasions in January 2021, John Orrey was filmed going into a trap at Kneeton, Nottinghamshire, and beating the birds to death.

He was filmed after the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was alerted to the trap, and an officer set up a hidden camera to monitor it.

Orrey, 63, was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

John Orrey also admitted a number of offences connected to the ownership of guns and ammunition

He also pleaded guilty to a number of offences linked to the storage and licensing of firearms.

Orrey was also told to pay £1,880 in fines, costs and compensation.

In two separate incidents on 8 and 9 January, Orrey was pictured entering the trap and striking a bird until it was dead and then taking the corpse to his car.

The court heard the RSPB, with Nottinghamshire Police, then went to the gamekeeper's house in Slack's Lane, Kneeton, and found a number of firearms and ammunition stored incorrectly.

Buzzard numbers have climbed in recent years but they are still a protected species

The RSPB said these kind of cage traps could be used legally under license to catch the likes of crows and magpies, but the law states anything caught accidentally must be released unharmed.

Thomas Grose, assistant investigations officer for the RSPB, told the BBC: "I deal with bird of prey persecution on a daily basis but it was really shocking.

"To see the way these birds were beaten to death - these birds are a protected species and they shouldn't be being killed full-stop, never mind in such a horrific manner.

"I hope this sentence acts as a deterrent and sends a strong message to people thinking of committing this crime."

Buzzards were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th Century but the RSPB say there may now be more than 40,000 pairs.