Motherwell badger baiter served with life ban from keeping animals

Robert King (33) from Scotia Street, was sentenced at Lanark Sheriff Court after being found guilty of two charges under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and a charge under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

King was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and given a Restriction of Liberty Order for a seven-month period.

The court heard that the police caught King in the act of digging into an active badger sett in woodland near Carluke Train Station on 25 April 2018. King had sent two Jack Russell Terriers into the sett.

The dogs involved had been fitted with locator collars to allow King to determine their exact location whilst underground.

The Scottish SPCA was called to provide assistance and when the terriers returned to the surface they were found to have injuries indicative of having fought with a badger.

The terriers, along with King’s lurcher, which was roaming freely, were seized by the Scottish SPCA.

One of the terriers was so severely injured that it had to be put down.

The court made a deprivation order removing the surviving terrier and the lurcher from King’s ownership for safety’s sake.

Sara Shaw, Head of Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit said: “I welcome the conviction and sentence of Robert King and the message it sends to others who would cause such terrible and unnecessary suffering.

“The law protects badgers from harm as well as dogs from being used for fighting.

“I would like to thank Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.

“COPFS will continue to work to ensure those who participate in this barbaric practice are prosecuted. We would also encourage anyone who may have information on animal fighting to contact Police Scotland.”

A Scottish SPCA spokesperson said: ““This case further highlights the significance of utilising our expertise to work in collaboration with Police Scotland to bring an organised animal fighters to justice. We are pleased that awareness of badger baiting and animal fighting among members of the public is increasing. These are abhorrent crimes and we are pleased that King has been found guilty.”