A man who shot at seagulls with a catapult and ball bearings has been ordered to surrender his weapons, but will face no further punishment.
Bryan MacLennan, 35, was admonished by Sheriff Gary Aitken at Tain Sheriff Court after he admitted targeting the wild birds for a second time.
MacLennan appeared at Tain Sheriff Court for sentencing having pled guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of intentionally or recklessly injuring and taking a seagull at Kirkside, Alness on July 24 of this year.
He admitted striking the gull and rendering it unconscious before taking away the injured bird in a bag.
The guilty plea came just eight months after he had admitted three charges under the Wildlife and Country act in relation to a similar incident.
Injured gull found in a cage
On that occasion, the court heard that Maclennan was spotted acting strangely by police in Invergordon in May of last year.
When they stopped him he was attempting to dispose of an injured herring gull he had been carrying in a plastic bag.
A search of his person and home uncovered slingshots, ball bearings and herring gull eggs. There was also an injured gull in a cage on top of a freezer in MacLennan’s kitchen.
The bird was subsequently handed over to animal welfare professionals and was treated and released.
After hearing that MacLennan had demonstrated a period of good behaviour, Sheriff Gary Aitken ordered the forfeiture of the catapult and ball bearings before admonishing him, meaning he will face no further punishment.
He warned, however, that MacLennan, of Firhill, Alness, might not benefit from such leniency if he repeats the unusual behaviour.
“You have managed to acquire two very similar convictions for things that, by and large, nobody gets convictions for,” he said.
