Phillip Cullen ordered to carry
out 250 hours of unpaid work after illegally capturing and killing specimens of
the large blue
Friday 7 April 2017 12.41 BST
Last modified on Friday 7 April 2017 22.00 BST
An insect enthusiast who illegally
captured and killed specimens of Britain’s rarest butterfly, the large
blue, has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence.
The amateur entomologist and
former body builder Phillip Cullen, 57, was caught after being spotted by
volunteers and wardens acting suspiciously at two nature reserves in the west
of England.
When challenged by volunteers at
one of the reserves, he claimed he was interested in parasitic wasps and
orchids.
Police later raided his terraced
home in Cadbury Heath, near Bristol, and found a large number of mounted
butterflies, including two large blues.
Cullen’s sentence was suspended
for two years and he was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work for
capturing the globally endangered butterflies at two protected sites.
He was also given a five-year
criminal behaviour order banning him from three nature reserves where the large
blue is found.
Prosecutor Ian Jackson told the
court: “These charges are not brought on the grounds of cruelty, they are
brought on the grounds of endangering a species – a rare and beautiful
butterfly that has once been found extinct and is struggling to establish a
foothold.”
Michael Hartnell, defending,
said: “He accepts the enormity of what he has done. He only had one from each
site, but he accepts that if everybody did that they would die out.
“He is extremely remorseful. His
interest in the countryside and wildlife is one he has had for a long, long
time.”
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