Alan Rennie and Barry Shaw, aged 31 and 26 respectively and both from Edinburgh, pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 25th January 2017 to two charges under Section 1(1)(a) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Court heard that on 26th April 2016 at an address near Edinburgh Park, Shaw alighted from a car driven by Rennie and repeatedly fired a slingshot at a seagull causing injuries that prevented it from flying.  Shaw then stood on the gull’s head before putting it in the car.

On 15th June 2016 and still in the Edinburgh Park area, a slingshot was fired from the same vehicle before Rennie left the car and returned carrying an oystercatcher that he proceeded to swing round by the neck.

Rennie and Shaw’s houses were searched by officers from Police Scotland and the National Wildlife Crime Unit where ball bearings, slingshots and a frozen oystercatcher were all recovered.

Alan Rennie and Barry Shaw were fined £1000 and £500 respectively.