MATT STROUD CONVICTED IN WEETING, SUFFOLK FOR ILLEGAL KILLING AND POISONING OF BIRDS OF PREY

Gamekeeper Matthew Stroud, born around 1976 and residing at Keepers Cottage, Fengate, Weeting, Brandon IP27 0QF, was convicted in 2022 for unlawfully shooting and poisoning birds of prey. Stroud was found to have dosed dead pheasants with poison intended as bait to kill buzzards in woodland areas near Weeting Heath and Breckland Forest, both protected sites.

At Norwich Magistrates Court, he admitted to shooting five buzzards and one goshawk, poisoning another buzzard, laying poison baits, and illegal possession of poisons, including strychnine. He also became the first individual to be convicted for the unauthorised release of game birds on a Special Protection Area (SPA).

Despite the seriousness of these crimes, Stroud received only a fine and a community order, allowing him to walk free. The investigation was initiated after RSPB officers discovered a dead pheasant poisoned in Belvedere Wood, Weeting, on August 19, 2021. Police subsequently searched Stroud’s home, where they recovered three dead buzzards that had been shot, as confirmed by x-rays. They also found two pheasant carcasses with extremely high levels of strychnine and a poisoned buzzard in Belvedere Wood, an area protected for its internationally important population of stone curlews. Additional evidence included photos on Stroud’s mobile phone depicting a dead goshawk and five dead buzzards.

Stroud, who was self-employed as a gamekeeper at Fengate Farm, pled guilty to six counts: killing a common buzzard, killing a northern goshawk, both protected species, possessing four shotguns for killing wild birds, unlawfully possessing poison, improperly storing poison, and releasing 3,400 pheasants into the wild contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

During mitigation, Michael Horn explained, “There has been a shoot in this area for over 300 years. In 2020, there were no shoots for obvious reasons. The following year, the defendant was, perhaps wrongly and unlawfully, eager to restart it. At that time, his livelihood was being decimated by buzzards.”

Mark Thomas, head of RSPB Investigations UK, expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is difficult not to be disappointed with the outcome considering the significance of the offences and the efforts of the agencies involved. Laying poison baits in the open is illegal, extremely dangerous, and irresponsible. Baits like those used at Fengate Farm pose a lethal risk to any animal or person. This was happening on an SPA, an area designated for wildlife protection, where laws should be upheld.”

PC Chris Shelley, Norfolk police rural crime officer, commented, “This is one of the largest cases of its kind in Norfolk. Stroud's actions were dangerous and inhumane—shooting and poisoning birds of prey at will, using a banned poison that could have severely impacted local wildlife and posed risks to others.”

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) issued a statement saying, “Illegality has no place in the countryside or the shooting community. BASC maintains a zero-tolerance policy against the illegal killing of birds of prey. Shooting has contributed significantly to conservation and the rural economy, and the actions of a small minority should not threaten these benefits. Thankfully, such cases are becoming rarer, and populations of UK birds of prey are at record levels, largely thanks to shooting-related conservation efforts.”

In sentencing, Stroud received a 12-month community order, was ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work, and was fined £692.