Egg Collector Gets Prison Sentence and an ASBO.

Claire,  This person will see this in the same way as an avid trainspotter, plane spotter (they get arrested abroad), butterfly collector, bird lister, twitcher etc etc.   Yes, he has moved into a criminal area whereas they don't; but then so did a few people (unnamed) who legitimately studied eggs before the 1981 Act and are mentioned in various books but couldn't leave it alone afterwards.  He is just one of many but thankfully not as many as a few years ago.    Birding still remembers the Hasting's scandals (a different subject) and you have to ask why was that done; it really does seem to be some individuals develop this sort of obsession. 

Ann S said:

Perhaps it should be 3 months a year for 10yrs over the breeding season!!

I also agree that its a shame that we aren't able to encourage these people + to share their knowledge in a possitive beneficial 'to all' manner.

Yes I was thinking along those lines. Sentence to be served only  during the egg season. 

Really a question for Bob,would he with all his knowledge be likely take to a responsible job with the RSPB if it was offered?.Personally cannot see anything else stopping him,afraid if he he has managed almost always to avoid being caught egg collecting think he will find creeping into Scotland really easy.completely different to getting onto a Island but even then they would rely on car registration I would think and false plates seem two a penny.

Unknown said:

the last two posts make good sense!! If only these people could or would use their knowledge to help rather than destroy.. How much better would it all be. But six months...I ask you.... Six months per egg would maybe be a deterrent..

michael s said:

Really a question for Bob,would he with all his knowledge be likely take to a responsible job with the RSPB if it was offered?.Personally cannot see anything else stopping him,afraid if he he has managed almost always to avoid being caught egg collecting think he will find creeping into Scotland really easy.completely different to getting onto a Island but even then they would rely on car registration I would think and false plates seem two a penny.

Sooty,  I don't know him but I suspect he wouldn't and I can't see the RSPB offering.  The daft thing is he probably believes he is a conservationist at heart.   A lot of modern day ornithologists could well have started by taking the odd egg but it was almost a naive thing in those days. 

As regards him being detected again, I would have thought the chances are quite high.  He will be on a national database somewhere and he only has to make one mistake.   I am a bit worried about you knowing about false plates you know!!  The last time I needed a new index plate I had to produce 2 forms of  I.D and my vehicle regristration certificate..

I would also like to see some form of delayed sentence to be imposed during the breeding season but this ASBO seems to be the nearest such option.

Unknown said:

I would also like to see some form of delayed sentence to be imposed during the breeding season but this ASBO seems to be the nearest such option.

If he had been convicted in Scotland - and probably resident there - a restriction of liberty (electronic tagging) order could have been imposed during the breeding season. I don't think this sentence is available in England.

Claire,  I understand he is from South of England.

Unknown said:

Claire,  I understand he is from South of England.

I am aware of that, Bob, - just making a general comment on the different sentencing provisions of England and Scotland.

Mind this begs the question. What about the nests in England?