Two men appear at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for illegal sale of falcons

Our reporter Isla Todd went along to Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Two men have appeared in court for illegally selling 22 peregrine falcons.

Timothy Hall and his son Lewis Hall previously pleaded guilty to the charges and were due to be sentenced at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today.

However, the two men were told their sentence would be deferred to allow for an investigation into the full extent of the financial criminality in the case.

The birds are a protected species and it is illegal to disturb their nests or illegally breed them.

A select stock of captive peregrine falcons can be bred for falconry under strict regulations and licensing.The court heard today that a raid was carried out by police in 2021 which found a number of peregrine falcon chicks and a number of adult birds - including peregrine falcons - at Timothy Hall's address in Berwick.

Police also found evidence of drone flights near wild nests and the sale of these birds for thousands of pounds each.

One transaction saw eight chicks sold for a combined total of £25,000, the court was told.

Sheriff Peter Paterson adjourned the sentencing for four weeks to allow for bank records of the two men to be investigated.

The court was told that more work was needed to ascertain what income was declared to HMRC from both legal and illegal sales.

Sheriff Paterson said the development added a further seriousness to an already serious case.

Sentencing will now take place on 12 February.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...