This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Mock wildlife crime trials
14/10/2003
Two mock trials with a difference took
place within the courtroom at the Scottish Police College
today.
The courtroom, which is normally used
for acquainting new police recruits with court procedures,
saw mock trials relating to wild bird egg collecting,
trapping and poisoning incidents unfold in front of Sheriff
Drummond from the Borders.
The 50 delegates attending the trials
were police wildlife crime officers, who gave evidence from
specially prepared scripts, and Procurators Fiscal
who prosecuted and defended the cases.
'Productions' in the form of traps and
containers of 'pesticides' were shown to the court, as was
egg collecting equipment and at the end of the day, as in
any real trial, the Sheriff was asked to make a judgement
based on the evidence led.
However, on this occasion, unlike
during real trials, the audience could stop the trial to
ask a question or to make a comment at any time.
Deputy Chief Constable of Tayside
Police Ian Gordon said:
"Sheriff Drummond has considerable
experience of wildlife crime trials both from the defence
side, as a leading QC, and from the bench.
''The format of the seminar was
devised by Alan Stewart, Wildlife and Environment Officer
with Tayside Police, and the event will assist those
involved in the detection and prosecution of wildlife crime
offenders.
"The successful investigation of
wildlife crime requires specialist skills and relatively
few police officers in Scotland have been involved in
preparing such cases. Likewise many Procurators Fiscal have
never prosecuted a wildlife crime case in the courts. The
seminar will ensure that everyone involved will be more
confident and knowledgeable when they have to deal with the
real thing. ''
Alan Stewart, Wildlife and Environment
Officer with Tayside Police, added:
' Some of our natural fauna and flora
in Scotland is recovering from either being wiped out
completely or being almost exterminated. Particular concern
is expressed about the rarity of creatures such as the
freshwater pearl mussel, on a par in Scotland with the
tiger in India because of the actions of some who have
killed thousands in their quest for the pearl which very
occasionally is found inside one.
"Another bird facing extermination is
the hen harrier, the breeding success of which is at rock
bottom and blamed, at least in part, on the actions of some
game managers. The role of the police wildlife crime
officer is to work with other organisations in preventing
these wildlife crimes taking place, or detecting those who
commit them.
''The golden eagle we have with us
today has been loaned by the British School of Falconry at
Gleneagles. Golden eagles, though not threatened, are not
present in many of their former territories. As carrion
eaters, they are susceptible to poisoned baits. A
scientific paper has just been published linking poisoning
incidents with areas of heather management.''
The training exercise was opened by
the Crown Agent, Norman McFadyen of the Crown Office and
Procurator Fiscal Service, and chaired by the Deputy Chief
Constable of Tayside Police and ACPOS Representative on
Wildlife Crime Issues, Ian Gordon.
Norman McFadyen said:
"The prosecution service is strongly
committed to improving specialism in the area of wildlife
and environmental law. We are driving forward a strategy
which will result in the establishment of a network of
specialist rosecutors, thoroughly equipped to conduct
effective investigation and prosecution of wildlife and
environmental cases.
"We will achieve this aim by the
strong action we are taking to reduce wildlife and
environmental crime through increased training and support
for prosecutors and the police. Through input from
specialist reporting agencies, the detailed guidance on
wildlife and environmental crime available to prosecutors
is also being kept under review to ensure that prosecutors
are well informed of developments in the law."