Man who poisoned birds of prey escapes jail

A MAN responsible for one of Britain’s worst wildlife crimes yesterday escaped a jail term.

Stephen Muir pleaded guilty to deliberately poisoning 17 birds of prey by placing poison pellets in the countryside on the Barns Estate at Kirkton Manor in the Scottish Borders.

The 38-year-old gamekeeper, who could have been handed a custodial sentence for the death of the 16 buzzards and one goshawk, was fined €8,000.