1 comment.Hunter jailed for one year and fined €5,000 for kestrel shooting
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Update 2: 24-year old Kirsten Mifsud, of Cospicua was arraigned before Magistrate Dr Francesco Depasquale LL.D.late this afternoon, charged with shooting a protected kestrel.
The Court found him guilty, and this evening he was sentenced to one year in prison with a fine of €5,000. The Judge also ordered the permanent revocation of his hunting licence and his shotgun was confiscated.
The Police said that, it was yesterday, at approximately 1.00pm that the Administrative Law Enforcement Unit was informed that an injured common kestrel (spanjulett) had fallen inside the college’s grounds.
Eyewitness said that about five shots were heard, the Police said.
The Police concluded, “immediate searches in the area known as tal-Fata proved fruitless and it was only through further investigation that the suspect was eventually identified.”
It was this latest incident that brought about the Government’s announcement to close the hunting season yesterday with immediate effect.
KSU statement:
Kaccaturi San Ubertu said this afternoon that it commends the immediate action by the police that lead to the arrest of the person responsible for a crime which lead to the closure of the spring hunting season.
“Unfortunately the premature closure of the hunting season following 6 incidents, 3 of which resulted in arrests, was reason enough for 10,000 hunters to be collectively penalised for something totally unrelated to their exemplary behaviour.”
KSU said that “such a rash decision sends out the wrong message and serves no purpose other than to antagonise law abiding hunters and warp public opinion. There’s absolutely no point in having harsh penalties if all and sundry are punished for the crimes of a few.”
KSU reiterated their proposal to the Government to “urgently implement a Whistle Blower procedure for the reporting of hunting crime to facilitate this process and offer their full cooperation to apprehend any defaulters.”
Photo: Community and Media Relations Unit
On the contrary, it sends out the right message. Police yourselves or the courts will do it for you.