CONVICTED (2020) | traveller Jason Price, born c. 1997, of Burnaby Road, Stoke on Trent ST6 – shot and killed eight pheasants with an air rifle on private land Jason Price, a traveller whose previous convictions include sexual activity with a child, has apologised to the owners of the Whitmore Shooting Estate – after shooting and stealing his pheasants. The owner was alerted to the crime after hearing gunshots and then spotting Price loading something into the back of his van. North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard police later found the 22-year-old with eight dead pheasants in his vehicle. Prosecutor Sue Hayers said: “The injured party was at home at 9pm on January 14 when he heard what he thought sounded like silenced rifle shots. He saw a light shine in the trees and formed the opinion someone was outside. “He saw a van parked up the road and saw someone throw something into the rear of the van. The person was holding a rifle. The vehicle pulled away. “Police later located the van and the defendant. They recovered an air rifle, pellets and eight pheasants from the vehicle.” When he was arrested, Price claimed he did not know the Whitmore land was private and said he intended to eat the birds. The court heard the landowner, the Cavanagh-Mainwairing family, rears pheasants to be used in licensed shoots held on the estate, and the theft left them £320 out of pocket. Price pleaded guilty to theft and a charge of trespassing at night with an air rifle to destroy game. The offences put him in breach of a conditional discharge he received for another theft, when he was collecting scrap metal and took property that the owner had not agreed he could have. Mohammed Fiaz, mitigating, said: “He has written a letter of apology for his behaviour. The reason Mr Price took the pheasants was for his own consumption. He wasn’t going to sell them on. He purchased the rifle legitimately. “He was working as a labourer but unfortunately he lost that job a couple of weeks ago.” Sentencing: 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay £320 to the victim. He must also pay a £120 fine for breaching the conditional discharge. Stoke Sentinel