A gamekeeper has appeared in court at Chesterfield Magistrate’s today on the first day of a trial where he is accused of seven charges under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the Animal Welfare Act 2010.
Glenn Brown, 39, of Old Henry’s Schoolhouse, Derwent Valley, is accused of illegally using a crow cage trap to catch birds of prey on National Trust property, Howden Moor in the Derwent Valley. The case was brought after covert operations carried out by the RSPB.
The District Judge, Caroline Goulborn, is clearly taking an interest in the details of this case as she and other court officials spent the afternoon visiting the trap site. Good on her. The eight-day trial is to be continued…with some high profile expert witnesses for both prosecution and defence…
News story here: http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk/news/regional/gamekeeper_denies_cage_trap_charges_1_3276704
A bit more detail here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/12/gamekeeper-live-pigeon-trap
Thanks to the contributor who sent us the original link.
Raptor Persecution UK 
An eight day trial…with high profile witnesses..and no doubt some high profile and very expensive defence lawyers.
Now every one deserves a good defence when they are accused of a crime in court….but how many of us would get this level of defence?…for what many people would consider a middling to lower level of crime – compared to say murder, bank robbery or heroin dealing.
Eight days!!…In Scotland you wou would be lucky to get a two day trial , no matter hwo good the prosecution evidence.
“Money doesnt talk, it swears”…