A former deer stalker from the Highlands is embroiled in a legal dispute with police over obtaining gun certificates amid allegations that he fabricated cull records.
John Dodd, who formerly operated a wild game and deer shooting business at Gruids near Lairg, is appealing a decision by Police Scotland’s chief constable to refuse his applications for firearms and shotgun certificates.
An initial legal writ lodged with Tain Sheriff Court also highlights allegations against Mr Dodd of poaching and presenting a danger to campsites while using a shotgun.
Mr Dodd, 32, who lives in Knockbreck Road, Tain, denies the allegations and wants the court to overrule the chief constable’s decisions on the basis they are wrong in law and unfounded in fact.
Yesterday in court, Sheriff Christopher Dickson fixed a proof for May when evidence will be heard from witnesses.
The initial writ states that Mr Dodd applied to renew his firearms and shotgun certificates in August 2015, but these were refused by the chief constable, meaning he has been unable to run his business since.
The writ references a letter sent from the chief constable to Mr Dodd in December 2016 which states that the pursuer contravened section 40 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, which requires the return of deer numbers culled on owned or occupied land.
The writ then states: “Furthermore, in the said letter there was a reference to a meeting on May 24, 2016, where the pursuer allegedly admitted that he had made up culling records to gain further contracts.
“The pursuer accepted that with reference to a cull at Strathtirry the figures were fabricated. The pursuer had been advised by a senior figure in the Forestry Commission for Scotland that his cull figures needed to be higher in order for him to become Forestry Commission contractor.
“Although the pursuer had originally misled the police officers at the said meeting with respect to this matter, he did through his representative, Colin Shedden, of the BASC (British Association for Shooting & Conservation) Scotland reconvene the meeting and set the record straight.”
The writ also states that the letter refers to Mr Dodd allegedly “presenting danger to camp sites,” in connection with the shotgun certificate.
But Mr Dodd said that he is “unaware of any campsite that falls within the areas that he normally shoots over.”
Mr Dodd also denies an allegation of poaching contained in the letter.
He advised a police constable handling the inquiries that that the only poaching allegation he was aware of was a “false one” in November 2013 when he allegedly passed through Dallhork, near Lairg and Altnahara.
