First deer hunting law conviction

Sentence was deferred on Andrew Barron for six months

A Borders teenager is the first person in Scotland to be convicted of hunting deer under the 2002 anti-hunting laws.

Andrew Barron, 17, of Fraser Avenue, Hawick, was found guilty of deliberately hunting the deer with a dog near his home town last year.

He was charged under the Protection of Wild Mammals Scotland Act, which became law in Scotland in 2002.

Sentence was deferred for six months at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for Barron to be of good behaviour.

The trial heard how the teenager had been out with a group of friends at Courthill Farm on 12 March last year shooting rabbits.

But when four deer broke from the woods, a lurcher which was in Barron's company was let off the lead.

We take wildlife crime very seriously and would remind members of the public to report any incidents to us that concern them and we will follow it up Con Mark Rafferty Wildlife crime officer

Depute fiscal Juliet Petrusev said witnesses in the group admitted that Barron did not tell the dog off or call it back.

Miss Petrusev said they also told police they wanted to chase the deer after seeing them.

They backed off, however, after a man shouted at them and the lurcher was put back on his lead without catching any deer.

Con Mark Rafferty, wildlife crime officer for Lothian and Borders Police, welcomed the conviction.

"We are pleased with the verdict," he said.

"We take wildlife crime very seriously and would remind members of the public to report any incidents to us that concern them and we will follow it up."

Sheriff Drummond described the offence as at the lower end of the scale.

The conviction was welcomed by the League Against Cruel Sports.

"The hunting and shooting fraternity are spreading black propaganda that the act is unenforceable," a spokeswoman said.

"This is a clear warning to them that it is not."