Drone footage led to the conviction of two men for poaching offences after an officer used a drone to gather evidence.
PCSO Andrew Cusick patrolled Heighington last April. He saw a Subaru parked oddly at a farm gate. It seemed suspicious to him. Cusick trusted his gut feeling.
He launched a police drone into the air. It recorded two men walking on farmland, 1.5km away, with dogs. The men were Jordan Attey and Jordan Jones.
The drone kept a record of their actions. Attey released a dog when Cusick recorded. The dog then chased after a deer and broke away. Other deer were hiding nearby.
The suspects failed to catch the deer. They went back to their car where PCSO Cusick waited. They said they only walked with dogs and he reported them for poaching offences, leading to a summons to court.
Attey, age 27, and Jones, age 24, faced a charge of illegally entering land. They wanted to chase, injure, or kill deer. They pleaded not guilty in court.
Cusick’s drone video was strong evidence. The court found them both guilty after the trial in Newton Aycliffe.
Attey, who lives in Trimdon Grange, was fined £300. He also must pay over £400 in costs. Jones, who lives in Bishop Middleham, received a £120 fine. He must pay over £300 in costs.
PCSO Cusick said poaching does significant harm. It is cruel to the animals and hurts farmers financially. Their livelihoods are in danger.
The police use drones to catch criminals who think they are safe in rural areas. Cusick says drones help them find these criminals.
Joy Allen, the Police and Crime Commissioner, funded two police drones. Her funding came via the Rurali initiative. The investment totaled over £20,000.
PCSO Cusick also commented about protecting rural areas. They will keep doing all they can using Rurali for this work. It targets problems specific to rural residents.