CONVICTED (2022) | Bryan Maclennan, born c. 1987, of 62 Firhill, Alness IV17 0RS – shot seagulls with a catapult, stole their eggs and kept an injured bird in a cage in his kitchen.
Maclennan pleaded guilty to three charges under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. He admitted two charges of intentionally or recklessly injuring a wild bird by striking it with a ball bearing from a slingshot or similar instrument and a third charge of taking or destroying eggs from a wild bird.
The court heard that Maclennan was spotted acting strangely by police in Invergordon, Easter Ross, in May 2021.
When they stopped him he was attempting to dispose of an injured herring gull he had been carrying in a plastic bag.
A search of his person and home uncovered slingshots, ballbearings, herring gull eggs and an injured bird in a cage on top of a freezer.
Maclennan’s solicitor Neil Wilson said his client had offered an explanation for his actions to the social work team and had been assessed as posing “no risk of reoffending”.
Fining Maclennan £940 and granting a motion for forfeiture of the catapults, ball bearings and gull eggs, Sheriff Aitken told Maclennan this was “not the way to deal with” any perceived menace from the birds.
He said: “I take the view that these are in fact fairly serious charges and that anyone who is prepared to use a weapon against another living creature is someone to be concerned about.”
The sheriff added: “Injuring something and then taking it home and keeping it on a cage in the kitchen is also concerning.”
Update September 2022
The Press and Journal reported that Maclennan was back in court after being caught catapulting ball bearings at another bird.
He admitted a further charge under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, following an incident at Kirkside, Alness on July 24, 2022.
MacLennan was accused of a single charge of intentionally or recklessly injuring and taking a wild bird.
He admitted striking the gull and rendering it unconscious before taking away the injured bird in a bag.
Calling for pre-sentencing reports the sheriff told MacLennan: “You have been dealt with previously for something very similar. This will need to stop otherwise something most regrettable might happen”.
MacLennan will reappear for sentencing sometime in October 2022.