Pair jailed after seagull attack

The men said they were putting the bird out of its misery

Two drunken men who filmed each other kicking an injured seagull to death in a seaside town have both been jailed for four months.

Paul Cheetham, 21, from Wythenshawe, Manchester and Jamie Griffiths, 20, from Meliden, Denbighshire, used mobile phones to capture the attack in Rhyl.

Their "sickening" attack was caught on a CCTV camera.

Prestatyn Magistrates Court heard the men, who admitted the attack, kicked the bird like a football.

The pair admitted a charge under the Countryside and Wildlife Act at an earlier hearing.

You seemed to take great delight in kicking and stamping on the bird. You were enjoying it Court chairman, Ken Allit

They had been drinking heavily when they filmed themselves with mobile phones chasing the bird and kicking it repeatedly as it lay in the street.

Griffiths also stamped on its head three times.

When arrested, they said they had wanted to put the bird out of its misery.

The footage was played to magistrates, who said it had "sickened" them.

Prosecutor Nita Dowell said: "They kicked the bird as though they were playing football."

Court chairman Ken Allitt told the defendants: "You seemed to take great delight in kicking and stamping on the bird. You were enjoying it."

The pair claimed they had drunk 16 cans of lager between them.

Defending, Alex Fitzgerald said: "When shown CCTV in interview Mr Cheetham couldn't bring himself to watch what he had done.

"Mr Griffiths told the officer how disgusted he was with his behaviour.

"They are ashamed of what they have done."