Poacher becomes first person in UK to be prosecuted using deer DNA evidence

James Kennedy, 70, was fined at Fort William Sheriff Court after he admitted to poaching a hind at the 9,000-acre Glenfinnan Estate last year.

In Mr Kennedy’s sixth conviction, DNA from the deer matched blood found in his van.

He was stopped by police last February after the carcass of a deer was discovered in his van.

The deer had been “gralloched” by him – meaning it had been eviscerated and its head and lower legs had been removed.

Two days later, however, the remains of the beast were found on his estate and samples were taken to the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) laboratory in Edinburgh for analysis.

After a search warrant was obtained to search the vehicle Mr Kennedy used, it was found that the DNA from the red deer’s remains and the bloodstain matched.

Mr Kennedy explained he shot the deer on “Black Donald’s” land, where he was permitted to stalk.

Sheriff Richard Davidson fined the poacher £100 and ordered him to pay £70, the value of the deer, to the estate.

The judge explained that he deal with the case with a fine because of Mr Kennedy’s “good work in the community”.

However, he added: “It appears old habits died hard. Stick to Black Donald’s land in future.”

“Donald”, Mr Kennedy said, was a 90-year old crofter who allowed him to hunt on his land situated at the edge of Loch Morar.

One local estate factor said: “James is an okay guy, but a legendary poacher known as such all over the West Highlands. I think he quite enjoys the tag ‘Prince of Poachers’.

“When the jungle telegraph alerts all the estates he is on the move people just say, ‘He’s out’, as if he was a German battleship or something. Everyone knows who ‘he’ is.”