A man whose dog attacked and injured a deer has become the first person in Scotland to be convicted and sentenced under new hunting legislation.
Nickolas Chenier, 56, was using his golden lurcher for hare coursing – an illegal practice involving dogs chasing and killing hares – when it went after the deer near a cemetery in Wick.
Members of the public tried to protect the severely injured deer, before Chenier appeared and killed the animal with a knife.
He was prosecuted under the Hunting With Dogs Act (Scotland) Act, which came into force in 2023, and fined £750 and banned from owning a dog for five years.
Chenier pleaded guilty at Wick Sheriff Court.
The court heard that the incident happened near Olrig cemetery in March last year.
While being chased, the deer broke a front leg and was running on its knees when the dog caught up with it and attacked.
Chenier was seen killing the deer and then putting it in the back of a van.
Police later found the carcass hanging in an outbuilding at his cottage.
DNA analysis matched the deer’s hair and bones with samples taken from the site of the attack.
The lurcher’s DNA was also found on the deer.
Following sentencing, Iain Batho, of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Whilst it was not Nickolas Chenier’s intention for his dog to attack and injure a deer that day, this incident shows that using dogs to hunt wildlife can have additional serious and unforeseen consequences.”
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