Man jailed and banned from keeping or owning animals following wildlife crime spree in Fife
A 28-year-old man has been jailed for wildlife crimes following a series of incidents in Fife where he used his dogs to hunt, injure and kill a variety of wild animals and a pet cat.
Brandon Robb appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Friday, 11 July, 2025, and was given a 12 month jail sentence and banned from owning or keeping animals indefinitely after pleading guilty to 22 charges at the same court in March.
The offences, carried out in the Leslie area between August and November 2022, also involved deer, rabbits, hares, a fox cub and four different species of wild birds.
Robb filmed the attacks and then posted one of them online. In the case of the pet cat, he held its bloodied body to the camera.
Constable Ben Pacholek, wildlife crime officer, said these crimes were some of the worst he had ever seen.
“Immense suffering was caused by Robb to these animals. During our enquiries, evidence was obtained from his mobile phone showing how he instructed his dogs to chase the animals and then encouraged them to keep attacking, resulting in horrific injuries and death. He also caused suffering to his own dogs.
“In one video, a dog is ordered to attack a cat in a tree. A fight breaks out which results in both animals suffering. Sadly the cat died.
“In another video a heron is shot with a catapult and a dog ordered to attack it.
“Two dogs are seen in another incident chasing a roe deer and killing it. One dog is also seen with a hare in its mouth.
“In other videos, the dogs can be seen with blood on their muzzles and Robb praising them for their actions.
“This was a complex investigation made harder by the fact that the majority of these offences were filmed on his phone and carried out at night on farmland and wooded areas, making it difficult to identify precise locations.
“Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Robb was responsible for his dogs causing unprecedented suffering over several weeks.
“He boasted about the prowess of his dogs and gloried in the suffering of the animals he ordered them to harm. His actions were despicable.
“I would like to thank the public who alerted us to the existence of these cruel and unacceptable videos and I would encourage anyone with information about wildlife crime to report it to police via 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
