A “brutal” gamekeeper who bludgeoned a protected bird of prey to death and illegally stored ammunition has been sentenced. Russell Mason, 49, killed a goshawk by repeatedly striking it with a cosh while it was stuck in a trap set for crows on Cochrage Moor, Perthshire, in February 2024. Mason then placed the raptor in a car and drove away. He admitted killing the bird at a previous hearing and was sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday. He also admitted a charge of illegally storing ammunition at his home address, which breached the terms of his firearms licence. Mason received a 200-hour community payback order for killing the bird, and was fined £890 for the ammunition offence. Prosecutor Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “It is highly important to preserve Scotland’s natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. “Russell Mason’s brutal and wholly unnecessary actions resulted in the suffering …