Drug addict tree surgeon jailed for abseiling into quarry to steal rare bird eggs worth £20,000 after being caught on CCTV
16 January 2024, 17:19 | Updated: 16 January 2024, 17:43
Peregrine falcon nest eggs being stolen
A drug-addicted tree surgeon, who was caught on camera abseiling down a quarry cliff face and stealing valuable peregrine falcon eggs, has been jailed for 18 weeks.
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Christopher Wheeldon, 34, of Matlock, Derbyshire, was filmed stealing the eggs at Bolsover Moor Quarry in Whaley last April. while distressed birds gave out alarm calls.
The jury heard that after stealing the eggs, the father-of-two went on to steal from several shops to feed his heroin addiction.
The lucrative eggs of the rare bird can fetch up to a whopping £20,000 on the black market and are often sold in the Middle Eastern avian market.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) installed a hidden camera nearby to watch over the unborn chicks, before discovering the thief on the covert footage reaching into the nest and taking the eggs.
The footage shows a rope drop from the top of the clip before Wheeldon climbs down. He can be seen disturbing the nest, which was being guarded by an adult bird, and placing the stolen eggs inside an orange box.
The panicked bird, which was protecting three eggs in the nest, is seen flying off and giving out distress calls as Wheeldon helps himself to the unborn chicks.
At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court, District Judge Stephen Flint told Wheeldon: "It seems even the birds are not beyond your thieving grasp."
The judge continued: "You may see them simply as eggs for profit but this causes damage to the environment and it is a deplorable thing to do. In your state, hanging off anything, whether it's a quarry wall or a tree, is not the best thing to do."
Wheeldon was helped by a second person who helped pull him back after the brazen theft, but no other arrest was made.
Prosecutor Lynn Bickley said: "The peregrines can be seen and heard 'alarm calling' with the female on the nest turning her head and looking upwards.
"A green rope comes into view and Mr Wheeldon can be seen carrying a box and an insulated bag.
"He reaches into the nest three times, puts the eggs in the box and the box in the insulated bag."
Ms Bickley added that Derbyshire was a hotspot for peregrine falcon nest thieves, and rated the second worst county in the country for the number of peregrine falcon egg thefts.
Defending, solicitor Clare James said that Wheeldon, who admitted at a previous hearing to disturbing the nest of a protected wild bird and taking eggs, had "no answer" for his actions.
Wheeldon also admitted to five counts of shoplifting, as well as failing to surrender to police and court bail for an earlier appearance and a string of shoplifting offences in the Matlock area.
RSPB investigator Tom Grose said: "Peregrine falcons represent the epitome of being wild and free and it is this very characteristic that makes them such a target for criminals involved in the illegal falconry trade, earning money from the laundering and trading of these birds overseas.
"The theft of peregrine eggs and chicks has been a persistent threat to these birds in Derbyshire. This case is a great example of organisations working together to bring those responsible to justice.
"Without dedicated volunteers and the efforts of Derbyshire Constabulary this would have been just another failed nest. I hope this sends the message that we are watching and will continue our efforts to protect these amazing birds of prey.”
PC Emma Swales, from the Derbyshire Police rural crime team, said: "It's not very often we get a conviction, let alone a sentence, so it's very positive for us. Derbyshire is a hotspot for this."
Peregrine falcons were given full legal protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, improving their numbers after their population plummeted from fierce hunting and the use of pesticides.
It is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take a peregrine, which are now believed to number around 1,500 pairs in the UK.
Their nests are usually found in villages, towns and cities, with church towers being a popular spot for the birds to protect their unborn young.
