Thug had 'sick grin' as he tortured rare birds to death before posting them through letterboxes

Chad Wogan, Jake Higgs, Thomas Knox and a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, tortured the birds before posting them through letterboxes and dropping them though people's windows.

The birds were stolen from Lee Williams' aviary in Brownhills. They were bundled into sacks and containers, with only one finch left alive and another dead at the property in Bridge Street, Clayhanger.

Mr Williams, a rare bird breeder, had spent his whole life collecting the rare jays, finches, budgerigars, doves, quails and pigeons.

At Walsall Magistrates Court this week, it emerged how the gang were captured on security cameras arriving in Goscote in the early hours of January 12 with the bulging bags and boxes.

Worgan, of Dolphin House, Goscote, was said to have a 'sick grin' on his face as he kicked and squeezed the birds before heading into a flat. The 19-year-old admitted an offence of receiving stolen goods and an offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal on the basis that he kicked a pigeon.

But Mr Michael Pryor, prosecuting, told the court: "The Crown doesn't accept that basis. We say that he knew that he was in possession of stolen property. In his interview he says he didn't know there were birds in the bags until they were emptied out. On the CCTV he participates in a gratuitous kick.

"You can see on the film that there is a sick grin across his face as if he is enjoying what he is doing. At one point he seems to grab one of the perched birds and visibly squeezes that bird before it is put back in a bag."

Mr Pryor told the trial hearing that a dog was let into the flat and terrorised the birds. The animal belonged to Knox, aged 19, of Mulberry Road, Dudley Fields, Bloxwich. It was subsequently seized by a dog warden.

The trial also heard how 15 live pigeons were found crammed into a drawer.

Knox denied causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and receiving stolen goods - so did the 16-year-old from Erdington in Birmingham.

Higgs, 23, of Margam Crescent, Mossley, Bloxwich, admitted receiving stolen goods but denied causing unnecessary suffering.

Magistrates found all four guilty of the charges after the trial.

They were arrested after the unfolding incident was spotted on CCTV. Then, a resident with learning difficulties reported that a dead bird had been posted through their letterbox - leading the police to link it to the earlier burglary.

None of the defendants gave evidence in the witness box.

Chairman of the bench, Mr Bob Thomas granted them conditional bail and the matter was adjourned until May 8 when they will be sentenced.

He said their actions amounted to 'joint enterprise'.

"They arrive with a dog and are seen to be carrying a variety of bags and containers," said Mr Thomas. "These are emptied by them and both a large number of dead and live birds are seen. The birds are seen to be pushed through windows, letterboxes, kicked and chased by a combination of the defendants and the dog.

"The CCTV shows all of them entering the property together and all playing some part in the birds' suffering. We are satisfied that they were all aware of the contents of the bags."

Back in 2008, Mr Williams considered giving up his passion for breeding rare birds after 270 animals worth £4,000 were stolen from the same aviary at his home.

At the time, the father-of-two said he was scared he would be targeted by thieves again.

Speaking to the Express & Star at the time, his wife Michelle said: "This has devastated him. His bird breeding plays a major part of his life."