CONVICTED (2023) | David Lee, born c. 1983, of Roker Avenue, Roker, Sunderland SR6 0HP – carried out a bizarre sexual act on a baby herring gull. David Lee carried out a bizarre sex act on a baby herring gull. It’s known if the bird survived Sexual deviant David Lee was seen near Gladstone Street, Sunderland, at around 1am on August 18 2022, chasing a gull down the road, with a second piece of footage showing him chasing the same bird down the road again. Finally, in a third piece of footage, Lee emerges holding a smaller bird. He could then be seen putting the bird between his legs, before masturbating while watching pornography on his phone. When he had finished, Lee put the gull down, kicked it away and walked off in the opposite direction. Lee was arrested at a nearby takeaway and told police he picked up the gull because he thought it was hurt and was looking on his phone to find out what he should do. But instead of searching for a vet’s phone number, as he claimed to have done, police checks revealed Lee had actually been looking at animal porn, the court was told. Lee, who is originally from Washington, Tyne and Wear, but lives in the city, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the bird. Annalisa Moscardini, mitigating, said Lee was a heavy drinker who experienced blackouts. “He accepts he must have done this act but he didn’t have a good recollection of it,” she said in explanation of his initial denials. “To some extent he cannot explain what happened.” A psychiatric report found he suffered from an unstable personality disorder and was detached from reality. He was also a pathological liar whose lies served no purpose. Lee, who is on benefits, has a criminal record and was given a prison sentence in 2020 for possession of a blade. Sentencing Lee, Chair of the Bench Angela Thompson said suffering was caused to the young bird and that Lee had consumed alcohol and accessed porn involving animals at the time of the offence – which were aggravating features. Sentencing | jailed for 24 weeks; £300 costs and £150 surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years. Chronicle Live Express ITV News