The incident occurred on October 21 last year. Municipal police officers were asked by a resident of Jelenia Góra to check the situation on one of the plots. From his apartment, the man noticed a hanging animal struggling.
The officers who arrived at the scene determined that the plot owner had installed a metal trap, known as an iron trap, into which a pine marten had fallen. The animal hung for several hours by one paw. The veterinarian who arrived at the scene was forced to euthanize the predator.
The officers notified the Jelenia Góra police about the plot owner's suspected offense.
During the proceedings, officers established that the property belonged to a 63-year-old resident of Jelenia Góra. The man stated that he raised pigeons on the plot. Most likely, the pine marten had been strangling them, and he decided to catch the “pest.”
The man was charged with three offenses, including one under the Animal Abuse Act and two under the Hunting Law.
The 63-year-old, who pleaded guilty, could have faced up to three years in prison, but the following sentence was agreed: nine months suspended for two years, a payment toward nature conservation, and PLN 1,000 payable to the State Treasury.