Jail for stuffed birds collector

Michael Barclay and John Metcalf - picture by Jason Bye

A wealthy owner of a stately home has been jailed for four months after being found guilty of buying stuffed birds of prey from a former museum worker.

Michael Barclay, 68, of Hanworth Hall, Norfolk, was also ordered to pay £30,000 prosecution costs.

When Barclay's home was searched in May 2004 RSPB officers found a stuffed pair of peregrine falcons, two barn owls, a tawny owl and a sparrowhawk.

Barclay had also admitted amassing a collection of more than 500 eggs.

John Metcalf, 66, from Leicestershire, was given a two-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months for selling prohibited endangered birds.

'Dealt with severely'

Metcalf was also ordered to pay £8,300 in costs at Norwich Crown Court.

Andrew Bird, prosecuting, had told the jury earlier in the trial that both men committed offences under laws protecting endangered species.

Sentencing Barclay, Judge Simon Barham said: "I appreciate you are a wildlife enthusiast, but the purpose of this legislation is to protect endangered species.

"It is important they (violators) are dealt with severely."

Two barn owls were among the endangered species found

Barclay was found guilty of eight charges of illegally purchasing prohibited specimens of birds between June 1997 and May 2004.

Metcalf was found guilty of eight counts of selling the birds between the same dates.

Barclay pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of buying prohibited wild birds eggs and to two counts of illegally importing wild birds eggs.

On Thursday Barclay also admitted four charges of possessing stuffed wild birds and eggs.

Some of the birds were from a protected site on the Scottish island of North Rona.

Metcalf, an ornithologist and taxidermist who formerly worked at Leicester Museum, also pleaded guilty to two charges of taking a wild bird and one of disturbing a wild bird between 13 July and 17 July 2003 at North Rona.

During the trial, Mr Bird said that neither of the men had the necessary licence to trade in endangered birds.