Disgruntled shooter tries to frame Scottish estate 

A man from Angus has been charged with setting out pheasant carcasses laced with rat poison in an attempt to frame an estate after his shooting rights were withdrawn.

Forfar Sheriff Court heard that Clive Burgoyne sought revenge on estate managers at the Guynd Estate near Carmyllie by trying to frame them for raptor persecution crimes. Landowner Elliot Ouchterlony had been in dispute with the Burgoyne family and had told them to keep off his land.

On 3 February 2023 four poisoned gamebird carcasses were discovered on the estate following sightings of men believed to be Mr Burgoyne and his father. The carcasses were taken in for forensic examination and found to contain an anticoagulent rodenticide with the active ingredient difenacoum, which is toxic to birds. Even a single feed from a carcass would be fatal to a bird of prey.

A veterinary pathologist confirmed the laced bait had not been fed on.

Clive Burgoyne’s DNA was found on the legs of all four pheasants and he subsequently admitted that he had placed them out to “cause problems for the estate”. Sentencing will take place on 5 June.