CONVICTED (2022) | David Farrow, born c. 1951, of Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 – tortured squirrels by trapping and drowning them.
Farrow pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a squirrel under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He also admitted using a Fenn trap in circumstances for which it was not approved for.
He was reported to the RSPCA by several people for trapping and drowning grey squirrels at his former home at Ranworth Close in Cusworth, Doncaster.
He said he’d used Fenn traps to catch the squirrels because they were pests, even though he was told the manner in which he was trapping them was unlawful.
RSPCA inspector Tamsin Drysdale visited Farrow’s bungalow on June 27, 2021 where the defendant showed her a humane trap he had set up in a lean-to.
Farrow explained he took the ensnared squirrels and drowned them in a water butt.
Inspector Dysdale said in a written statement presented to the court that she explained to Farrow that although his trap was legal, the drowning of squirrels was an offence.
He said he wasn’t aware of this and that he would now dispatch them with an air rifle,” said the inspector.
“He then said that he would get his nephew to kill them with a shotgun. I got the impression that he was not taking the situation seriously.”
Two weeks later the inspector paid another visit to Farrow’s bungalow with a police officer when he told them he was still trapping squirrels, but not drowning them.
He was told to stop his actions, but when RSPCA inspectors paid a further visit on October 15, 2021, a critically-injured squirrel was found dangling in a Fenn trap. The animal was put to sleep by one of the inspectors to end his suffering.
“The squirrel was hanging by its front leg from the trap, which was suspended with rope from the roof of the lean-to. The squirrel was alive, screaming and clearly in pain and distress,” said inspector Drysdale.
An expert report presented to the court by a veterinary surgeon said one of the squirrel’s front legs had been crushed by the trap and he would have been in “considerable pain”.
Fenn traps should be set in an artificial or natural tunnel and a person is guilty of an offence under the Pest Acts 1954 if they do not do so.
In mitigation, the court was told Farrow checked the traps twice daily and it was said had he known the animal was there he would have despatched it much earlier. He claimed he was unaware of the trap requirements and was trying to control the local squirrel population because they caused problems in his loft.
Magistrates fined Farrow £160 and told him his actions were incompetent, but were not those of “someone looking to deliberately ill-treat the animals”.
They said as he was now living in a bedsit without access to outdoor space he was unlikely to have an opportunity to continue this type of behaviour.
Farrow was also told to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £100 court costs.
Well I am surprised at this as grey squirrels are a pest. The law is simply stupid. I bet this would even happen for rats at a time when the rat population is exploding.
Problem with shooting them in a trap is the danger of pellets ricocheting. Pellets could also damage the trap.
Maybe he could release them to be caught by a dog.
We do have Local Authority Pest Control Service, where Rats and other things are a problem.
Squirrels are Not A Pest, and deserve to be left alone.
No One Has The Right To Kill Squirrels In Any Way.
Setting Dogs On Wildlife as you suggest. Is Also Illegal, and is Cruel and Unacceptable.
If he did have problem with Squirrels in his loft.
(Only I doubt this very much).
Then why didn’t He Phone The Local Authority For Advice From Their Pest Control Department.
So They Could Have Sorted It Out Professionally.
Sorry but grey squirrels are a pest. They destroyed the red squirrels. They eat all the hazel nuts before the nuts become viable to the hazels would die out.
Also it is a lot cheaper to do it yourself than to call in the Council.
What about all the immegration all this building for the new arrivals destroying the habitat of so many animals.
Wild life have the right to live in peace.
They are Not A Pest, and deserve to be left alone.
No One Has The Right To Kill Squirrels In Any Way.
He won’t have no luck for what he has been up to.
He is merely Cruel Scum.
We Thank the one who Reported his actions.
If he did have problem with Squirrels in his loft.
(Only I doubt this very much).
Then why didn’t He Phone The Local Authority For Advice From Their Pest Control Department.