Serial egg thief banned from visiting Scotland in breeding season for life

In flight: A manx shearwater, one of the species whose eggs were stolen by Matthew Gonshaw.Bill Bouton

A serial egg thief has been been given a lifetime ban from visiting Scotland during the breeding season.

Matthew Gonshaw, from Bow, east London was also sent to prison for six months after he admitted taking wild birds' eggs on the Isle of Rum last year.

On Friday a sheriff in Inverness gave Gonshaw an Asbo banning him from Scotland between February and August for the rest of his life.

Gonshaw, 49, has been sent to prison five times for collecting eggs and has spent more time in jail than anyone else convicted of stealing protected birds' eggs.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson said her main concern was to "protect the wildlife of Scotland from predators like you".

Gonshaw went to Rum on May 25 last year and was spotted three days later collecting eggs from a gull colony on a remote part of the island.

He was arrested as he tried to get on a ferry to leave the island while carrying eggs belonging to Manx shearwater, meadow pipit and willow warbler.

Rum holds one of the world's biggest colonies of Manx shearwater birds and is a special protection area.

Gonshaw was caught with four containers of eight eggs of the Manx shearwater, seven meadow pipit eggs and five eggs that could be meadow pipit, reed bunting or black cap.

RSPB Scotland head of investigations, Ian Thomson, said: "We welcome this sentence and the strong comments made by the sheriff as it sends out a clear message to those who seek to destroy Scotland's natural heritage."

Craig Harris, head of the wildlife and environmental crime unit at Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: "Wildlife crime is a serious matter as is demonstrated by the sentence of imprisonment imposed by the court.

"This conviction and sentence should send a message loud and clear to those who think of committing such crimes: you will be brought to justice."

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