Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Scottish man who clubbed 21 seal pups to death is jailed
Share:
by mudricky | March 25, 2009 at 05:07 am
547 views | 80 Recommendations | 10 comments
Photos
The fisherman who beat and crushed the skulls of 21 seal pups to death on a beach on the island of East Linga, near the Shetland Islands has been jailed for 80 days.
First ofender Jimmy Stewart, 47 admitted mutilating, beating and crushing the animals last November with a wooden fence post.
Sheriff Graeme Napier told stewart: "As you are aware you have pled guilty to a very serious offence."
"It is an unusual offence for the courts to deal with which perhaps, if nothing else does, makes clear the general acceptance by law abiding members of the community of how unacceptable this behaviour is.
"I am not here to sentence you on the basis that your actions have caused heightened emotions in certain parts of the community. My responsibility is to sentence you in accordance with the law."
"I must balance that against the seriousness of the offending and a need to make clear that society in general and the courts will not tolerate the infliction of such unnecessary suffering not just on one but on 21 seals."
"I consider that there is no alternative but a custodial sentence."
Original Now Public coverage Source: BBC
Defence agent Tommy Allan told the court that Stewart had believed the seals were suffering because they had been abandoned by their mothers, but now he realised that grey seals are left to fend for themselves at three weeks of age.
He said that his client had become a recluse since his arrest because the strength of feeling about what he had done both locally and nationally was so great.
"There is no particular reason for him to want to kill seals. They don't affect his business or his livelihood or personal beliefs or anything in any way. There is no agenda against seals," Mr Allan said.
"He accepts his responsibility and he is deeply sorry for the distress he has caused other people as a result of this, as well as what has happened to the seals."
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
mudricky
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Recommendations (80)
ainvar12
Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain
cassy82
Los Angeles, California, United States Minor Outlying Islands
hussain
All Places, Pakistan
Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
sara star
Halifax, NS, Canada
charliemcmillan
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
mtammas
Vancouver, Canada
djsblack
San Francisco, California, United States
amyjudd
Vancouver, Canada
jazzyzazzy
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (10)
at 05:44 on March 25th, 2009
I would have to agree with the judge here.
at 05:50 on March 25th, 2009
I don't think it's long enough.
at 09:16 on March 25th, 2009
What a shame for the poor wee seals a custodial sentence where maybe he can get some treatment for this was a truly barbaric act executed by a mad man.
at 09:57 on March 25th, 2009
That is soo ridiculous.
he should be in jail and get a ticket.
that is horrible. just think if those were your animals or something.
he could have gotten them help instead of making them suffer.
at 10:05 on March 25th, 2009
Geeze, if he wanted to club baby seals that bad he could have joined the hunt in Greenland or Labrador with the other murderers and been sanctioned and paid.... To think a 47 yr old who spent his life on the sea wouldn't know that the mothers leave their babies to wait on the shore????
at 11:06 on March 25th, 2009
There's no way that's long enough - this story sickens me. I guess at least he got some jail time, but 80 days! It's practically a vacation!
I hope he is shunned by the community at least for this.
at 11:31 on March 25th, 2009
It will be the sort of place where everyone knows each other .
at 11:13 on March 25th, 2009
The guy's crime is pretty terrible; I'm not sure about his remorse.
at 13:59 on March 25th, 2009
What in the world is wrong with you man! Crazy! Maybe after putting this man to jail, drive him straight at mental institution. Seriously. -cris
at 03:02 on March 26th, 2009
Such a slap for those brutal murders, do we really want this guy on the streets? Speak up, Scotland, this is not an accidental animal killing, this is indicative of something more evil than your leaders are acknowledging, demand stiffer sentences for such monstrous crimes before these people commit them against you and your children.
When the world shows no care what happens to animals just because they feel they are lesser creatures, the world allows monstors like this one to get away with murder.