CONVICTED (2014) | serial animal killer Brandon Robb (aka Brandon Lee), born c. 1997 of Paterson Cottages, Leslie, Glenrothes KY7 3DZ – used his pet dog to hunt and kill a rare deer
Robb killed the exceptionally rare piebald deer while awaiting sentence for stealing 30 ducks from Meikle Balquhomrie Farm, Leslie, with friend Benjamin ‘Benny’ Murray.
The deer have a distinctive brown and white coat and are thought to make up less than 1% of the white-tailed deer population.
In court, it was revealed Sheriff Max Hendry had received a social work report that stated Robb was “effectively living a feral existence”.
He had plastered his own Facebook page with photos of him posing next to illegally slain animals, including the stolen ducks and the dead deer.
Robb and accomplice Murray admitted stealing 30 ducks from between July 29 and August 1, 2013.
Robb was found out after being caught on film when gamekeeper Mark Robson planted an infrared camera to catch the thieves.
Depute fiscal Lauri Mitchell said: “The birds were checked daily and on July 29 there were approximately 30 injured or missing.
“Witness Robson, who owns the farm, checked Brandon Robb’s Facebook page and saw a number of images of dead ducks and contacted the police.
“The Facebook messages indicated the accused Murray had also been present at the time.”
Robb also pleaded guilty to using a lurcher-type dog to hunt and kill a piebald deer at Ballingall Farm, Leslie, when he did not have the legal right to take or kill deer, on March 16 and 17, 2014.
He also admitted that between January 1 and March 17, 2014, at the same farm, he hunted deer with dogs, as well as assaulting a man on February 19, 2014, and four bail breaches.
Hours before one court appearance Robb ranted on Facebook about “grasses” and vowed to continue killing, writing: “Born a hunter, I’ll die a hunter. F*** THE BAN.”
Robb also admitted shouting racist abuse and hitting a man with a
golf club.
Robb was given eight months’ detention in the care of the local authority, while accomplice Benjamin Murray was sentenced to 13 months in prison.
He told Murray: “Your behaviour was, in short, atrocious. Your behaviour in the duck case was barbaric.”
Turning to Robb he said: “Although you are only 17 you cannot expect to continue to break the law and avoid the consequences of that.”
Update May 2014
Robb was back in court in May 2014 after threatening to beat up a 14-year-old boy. This was a breach of his bail conditions which banned him from having any contact with children.
Update July 2014
Robb returned to court yet again in July 2014 to face charges relating to the carrying out of sexual offences in the presence of two children.
It was alleged that on July 5, 2013, at an address in Fife, Robb repeatedly uttered remarks of a sexual nature to a girl who had not reached the age of 13.
He was also charged with exposing his genitals in a sexual manner to the same girl by lowering his trousers and exposing himself in her presence.
Furthermore, he intentionally engaged in a sexual activity in the presence of the girl by repeatedly simulating a sex act.
Robb faced a further charge that, on August 7 2013 at an address in Fife, he intentionally engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a boy who was under 13, by exposing himself and performing a sex act.
Robb was granted bail and due to return to court for trial in October 2014; however, the outcome was not reported.
Update August/September 2020
In August 2020 Fife Police issued an appeal for information as they launched a hunt for “urban hunter” Brandon Robb, and warned the public not to approach him.
It was reported that Robb is known to frequent parks, wooded areas and farmland in the area, and has connections in Glenrothes.
In response to the appeal, Brandon Robb posted on Facebook that he was “not missing” but had gone fishing and was in Bishop Auckland, County Durham
He was soon apprehended and summoned back to court in September 2020 in relation to four breaches of a sexual offences prevention order imposed on him in March 2016. He admitted those offences when he appeared via video link at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
Under the terms of the order, Robb, of Paterson Park Cottages, was forbidden from contacting any child under the age of 16 but the court heard he had ignored that by having contact with two 14-year-olds and two 15-year-olds on various occasions in the Leslie area between March 1 and 3 last year and between June 1 and July 31 this year.
Fiscal Ronnie Hay explained Robb had regularly met up with people – some of whom were under the age of 16 – in the grounds of Leslie House, local parks and woodland and at a nearby reservoir.
Mr Hay also revealed how he had been messaging a girl under the age of 16 on social media channel Snapchat, in particular sending pictures of his stomach muscles.
Defence solicitor David Cranston explained as Leslie was a small community, it was common for children of different age groups to grow up together, with large groups of around 20 people tending to congregate in certain areas.
He said: “The context is that everybody is quite well known to each other in Leslie, but he recognises that he shouldn’t have been as friendly with the under 16s.”
Mr Cranston went on to say Robb was aware the police were looking for him and arranged to hand himself in on August 11.
However, Sheriff James Williamson was not impressed by the manner in which Robb had breached the order imposed by the court.
He said: “The phrase has been used that you came into contact with children.
“That would give an indication of innocent contact but it’s clear that you went out of your way to make contact with young people quite contrary to the sexual offences prevention order.”
Sheriff Williamson sentenced Robb to 28 months in prison, backdated to August 3, 2020.
Robb previously gained notoriety when he posted pictures of himself and his dog hunting, and was jailed in 2014 after using his pet dog to hunt and kill a rare piebald deer.
Making reference to that, Mr Cranston told the court his client had “quite severe” ADHD but loved hunting and enjoyed “ridding the local golf course of pests”.
