A Croydon man who killed a deer by slitting its throat to make a ‘good meal for ten’ was sentenced for ‘causing unnecessary suffering’ yesterday.
Mian Zeeshan Shahid, from Kenley, was given a suspended four month sentence after he took a deer from a field in Mitchley Avenue and transporting it to his Wattendon Road home before killing it.
A member of the public spotted Shahid taking away an injured deer in a vehicle and called the police on December 23 2014.
On the same day, Shahid posted an update on a Facebook group called ‘Deer Stalkers International’.
He boasted how he had killed a deer and ‘made a good meal for ten’, members of the group forwarded his post to police who seized hunting equipment from Shahid.
Police Constable Ian Reeve, Croydon Wildlife Crime officer, said: “Shahid caused the deer he caught a prolonged, painful and unnecessary death.
“Ultimately, his boasting on the Internet and reports from eagle-eyed members of the public helped us to catch him and bring him before a court.”
The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of taking / injuring / killing a deer under the Deer Act 1991 and a second offence of causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
He was sentenced to four months for causing a deer unnecessary suffering and three months for taking a deer – both to run concurrently and suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
Alyx Elliott, head of campaigns for World Animal Protection UK, said: “World Animal Protection applaud the work of Croydon Wildlife Crime Unit in securing a successful conviction for this case.
“Not only does it illustrate the diversity of urban wildlife crime, it also shows the shocking cruelty involved in the illegal poaching of wild animals.
“We hope that the conviction will act as a deterrent to those that might carry out this sort of wildlife crime.
“The public play an essential role in bringing wildlife criminals to justice and we urge others to always report anything suspicious to the police.”
Picture courtesy of Shane Kemp, with thanks
