While welcoming the conviction of Grassington Head Gamekeeper Racster Dingwall at York Magistrates Court, the environmental campaigning charity is shocked by the leniency of the sentence. As Executive Director Ann Shadrake puts it:
“In our view this paltry amount does not reflect the seriousness of the crime nor the impact on rare and beautiful birds of prey. We are campaigning for the introduction of specific sentencing guidelines for wildlife crime including harsher penalties.”
The charity recently launched an Eyes on the Skies campaign calling for an end to the criminal killing of birds of prey in the Yorkshire Dales.
“Racster Dingwall worked as the Head Gamekeeper on the Conistone and Grassington Estate, a large commercial grouse moor in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. He was employed in a highly responsible, trusted and senior role so it beggars belief that he was not fully aware of his legal responsibilities to protect, not persecute, wildlife. He apparently completely disregarded the full legal protection that has been in place for more than 70 years to stop persecution of all birds of prey, including Hen Harriers."
Is This Justice for Birds of Prey?
Yorkshire Dales environmental campaigning charity Friends of the Dales has welcomed the conviction of 34-year-old Grassington head gamekeeper Racster Dingwall at York Magistrates Court on Thursday 29 January, following his guilty plea for conspiring to kill a Hen Harrier on 2 October 2024. According to North Yorkshire Police it is thought to be the first time a charge of encouraging or assisting an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007 has been used in relation to bird of prey persecution.
Footage and sound recordings obtained lawfully by the RSPB’s Investigations Team were instrumental in detecting this crime and securing the conviction. Without this painstaking and incontrovertible evidence the case would never have been brought to justice.
Ann Shadrake, Executive Director of Friends of the Dales, said:
“Racster Dingwall worked as the Head Gamekeeper on the Conistone and Grassington Estate, a large commercial grouse moor in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. He was employed in a highly responsible, trusted and senior role so it beggars belief that he was not fully aware of his legal responsibilities to protect, not persecute, wildlife. He apparently completely disregarded the full legal protection that has been in place for more than 70 years to stop persecution of all birds of prey, including hen harriers.
“This is not a case of a ‘bad apple’ or a spur of the moment error of judgement. This crime was planned. Mr Dingwall went equipped with a semi-automatic shotgun for the sole purpose of killing a Hen Harrier. He communicated with two of his keepers by radio and they spoke in code to discuss shooting towards and killing wild birds, including Hen Harriers, a Buzzard and a Raven which are all legally protected.
“Listening to the RSPB video, available on its YouTube account, it appears that keepers seem to be referring to landscape features such as Hebden Gill and Mossy Moor Reservoir. Local residents and the thousands of visitors who legally walk on the footpaths, bridleways and open moorland above Hebden and Grassington will be horrified to learn that someone responsible for managing this private moorland for gamebird shooting, on behalf of the owners of the Conistone and Grassington Estate, is capable of such a serious crime.”
During the trial District Judge Adrian Lower noted that there are no sentencing guidelines for wildlife crime. Under general guidelines, a custodial sentence of 6 months or unpaid community work were options but the final outcome was a fine of £400 per offence plus costs. “In our view this paltry amount does not reflect the seriousness of the crime nor the impact on rare and beautiful birds of prey. We are campaigning for the introduction of specific sentencing guidelines for wildlife crime including harsher penalties,” added Ms Shadrake.
“The relentless persecution of birds of prey continues despite decades of legal protection and dedicated investigation and campaigning work by conservation charities and the police. We know there were 152 confirmed incidents of raptor persecution, including 41 involving hen harriers, over a recent 15-year period in the Yorkshire Dales. Hardly a month goes by without further persecution being reported, and untold more crimes will have occurred completely undetected due to its remote and isolated terrain. Unfortunately, these crimes are strongly associated with the gamebird shooting industry which is a major land-use in the Dales, so we are joining others in calling for its effective regulation and licensing.”
“We urge those who live in, work in, and visit the national park to support our Eyes on the Skies campaign and learn the signs of wildlife crime, protect evidence and report their concerns directly to the police or RSPB. The Yorkshire Dales National Park should be a haven for wildlife. Not a blackspot of wildlife crime.”
Friends of the Dales is also hosting a series of public events aimed at raising awareness of birds of prey and the threats they face:
- Saving Our Precious Sky Dancers, featuring Indy Kiemel Greene and Adrian Rowe from Hen Harrier Action, takes place on Wednesday 18 February at 5.30pm.
- On 18 March at 5.30pm, wildlife conservationist and former President of the International Raptor Research Foundation, Dr Ruth Tingay, will speak about the ongoing persecution of birds of prey in the UK.
For full details of events and further information, visit: www.friendsofthedales.org.uk