Former gamekeeper admits killing buzzard

Feb 16 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A FORMER estate gamekeeper who shot a buzzard and was caught with poisons was yesterday ordered to appear for sentencing at Perth Sheriff Court.

Through his solicitor, Graham Barclay Kerr (53), who previously lived in Mary Findlay Drive, Dundee, and is now a storeman in Staffordshire, admitted shooting a buzzard at Redmyre Estate, Abernyte, on September 6, and being in possession of the pesticides carbofuran and alpha-chloralose.

Not guilty pleas to two other charges – killing a buzzard on August 29 at Kirkton Wood, Abernyte, by inducing it to eat bait which was laced with poison, and being in possession of two rifles and ammunition – were accepted by the Crown.

Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson told the court that Kerr was the gamekeeper on the Redmyre Estate when police attended last September 9.

Kerr was asked if he possessed any pesticides and showed them a small plastic tub containing granules.

Analysis showed they contained carbofuran, which if ingested by a bird brings on convulsions and death, and alpha-chloralose, which paralyses and eventually causes death in birds.

Kerr admitted he had used a .243 rifle to shoot dead a buzzard that was found in his car with a broken wing.

A solicitor said Kerr had been concerned that young pheasants bearing reared on the estate were being taken by one particular buzzard.

“When he was on patrol with the rifle he came across a buzzard eating of the poults,” said the solicitor. “He fires at it with the intention of scaring it. He did not intentionally kill it.”

The solicitor pointed out Kerr had been charged with being in possession of pesticides, not with using them.

The agent asked for Kerr to be allowed to keep his rifle, valued at over £1000, for which he had a certificate.

Sheriff McCreadie said: “For offences like this I would expect an appearance by the accused.”