Man pleads guilty to trapping wild birds

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence, tagged, fined and ordered to do a community sentence after pleading guilty to the illegal trapping of wild birds.

The RSPCA and police officers found 40 birds, as well as the bodies of three dead birds, at the home of Grant Robert Bell in October last year following a tip-off.

The 43-year-old admitted to eight offences relating to the trapping and keeping of wild birds when he appeared before Sandwell Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Bell, of Devey Drive, Tipton, who was due to face trial, admitted having the birds but said they were for pleasure and that he was not benefitting financially from having them.

As there was disagreement on this point the case went to a special hearing with magistrates not accepting Bell's claims and he was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody for each charge – suspended for two years.

The court heard that the birds found were mainly goldfinches but included bullfinches, linnets, siskins, red poles and a greenfinch.

The surviving birds were released by the RSPCA.

Bell was also ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work and was tagged for a four-month period.

He was told to pay costs of £2,948 to the RSPCA.

The court ordered that £1,178 costs were to be made to the charity from central funds.

Welcoming the sentence, RSPCA inspector Paul Seddon said: "This is a very good result. The severity of the penalty was completely justified.

"The magistrates stressed how serious the offences were and this can be clearly seen by the sentence im-posed.

"The trapping of wild birds is wrong pure and simple, causing immense stress and suffering to the birds.

"The courts have shown they will not tolerate this illegal activity under any circumstances and neither will we."