Gamekeeper pleads guilty to brutal killing of protected buzzard near Hovingham
Gamekeeper Thomas Munday has been ordered to pay £1,215 in fines and associated costs at Scarborough Magistrates Court, after pleading guilty to killing a protected buzzard.
***GRAPHIC CONTENT – Some people may find the details contained in this story upsetting***
On March 30 2024, a covertly deployed RSPB camera filmed the gamekeeper brutally beating a protected buzzard to death inside a cage trap set in woodland near Hovingham.
The footage showed a buzzard entering the crow cage trap, and four hours later, a masked and hooded individual arriving at the trap in an all-terrain vehicle. The individual entered the trap and repeatedly struck the buzzard with a stick.
The injured and incapacitated buzzard was then removed from the trap – clearly still alive – and beaten several more times with the same stick.
The individual then picked up the bird by its wing and threw it into the vehicle before driving away from the site.
The RSPB shared the footage with North Yorkshire Police, who later identified the individual in the footage as Thomas Munday, of Main Street, Gillamoor – employed as a gamekeeper.
A police-led search of the land, assisted by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), resulted in a number of items being seized including the stick used to kill the buzzard.
Forensic testing by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA) funded by the Partnership against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Forensic Analysis Fund found traces of buzzard DNA on the stick.
Munday, 35, was subsequently charged with the illegal killing of the buzzard, an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Crow cage traps can be legally used under Government General Licence, issued by Natural England, to control corvid species such as Carrion Crows or Magpies, on condition that licence conditions are adhered to. Under these conditions, if a bird of prey or any other non-target species is caught in the trap, on discovery the bird must be released at point of capture without undue delay.
Howard Jones, RSPB Senior Investigations Officer said: “The casual and brutal killing of the Buzzard is extremely upsetting to watch and it’s clear that Munday has a complete disregard for the law, and the legislation that protects these birds. Frustratingly, this incident isn’t a one off but is just the latest example of the cruel and disturbing lengths some individuals will go to in order to illegally kill birds of prey.”
James Robinson, RSPB Chief Operating Officer said: “Although we welcome Defra’s recent announcement of a review of corvid traps, this latest incident underlines a far wider and deeply entrenched issue for our protected birds of prey.
“For decades, these species have been illegally killed on land managed for pheasant, partridge and grouse shooting. More than half of all 1,529 confirmed persecution incidents recorded from 2009-2023 were linked to gamebird shooting. These crimes will continue without meaningful legislative change.”
The RSPB welcomed the guilty verdict but said that it was disappointed that the sentence imposed is at the lower end of the provisions available to the court.
The RSPB thanked North Yorkshire Police, the NWCU and the Crown Prosecution Service for their vital role in investigating and prosecuting this case.
Members of the public are urged to report any suspected incidents of bird of prey persecution by contacting the police on 101 and by submitting a report to the RSPB.