We are upset at the ruling and disappointed that yet again another poacher/warden - a man of trust has killed threatened animals he was supposed to be guarding.. A gamekeeper convicted of the worst case of bird of prey poisoning recorded in England has been given a 10-week suspended sentence. Allen Lambert, 65 that used to reside at Old Lodge Cottage, Stody, Melton Constable NR24 2ES who worked on the Stody Estate, near Holt in Norfolk, was found guilty of deliberately killing 10 buzzards and a sparrowhawk. Mr Lambert now resides at The Lodge, The Green, Edgefield, Melton Constable NR24 2AL with wife Jacqueline J Lambert. Head of RSPB investigations Bob Elliot said the discovery of the carcasses at Lamberts home was truly dreadful. Norwich Magistrates Court heard he did it to protect pheasants he was rearing. In October Lambert, of Holt Road, Edgefield, was also found guilty of possessing pesticides and items used to prepare poison baits. He had pleaded guilty to five other charges, including the illegal use of pesticides. District Judge Peter Veits said the offences had crossed the custody threshold but said his sentence would be suspended. Lamberts 10-week jail sentence was suspended for a year and he was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £930. Judge Veits said: In other industries employers as well as the employee could be facing prosecution in such cases, and I hope therefore that this case can serve as a wake-up call to all who run estates as to their duties. The RSPB said it was calling on the government to bring in stronger legislation to make sporting estates more accountable for the actions of their staff. Birds of prey are protected by law and the Stody Estate has been a national pioneer in wildlife enhancement schemes. The RSPB said it was the worst bird of prey poisoning case it had seen in England and was one of the worst ever in the UK. Tricky fox The hearing at Norwich Magistrates Court followed an investigation at the game shooting estate in April 2013 by RSPB officers. They found the remains of several birds of prey in woodland and a feed bag containing nine dead buzzards in Lamberts house. Analysis of the remains found 11 birds had been poisoned. Police found containers of the pesticide in Lamberts car and storeroom, as well as a syringe and needles.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 03:08:30 +0000
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