Two fined $2,400 for ill-treating birds

Yesterday, the birds — Peco Plats and Goldfinches — were taken into the Couva Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar. Appearing before her were Steve May, 29, of Whiteland, and Jolson Seepersad, 27, of Claxton Bay.

Both appeared charged with two counts of ill-treating birds and two counts of keeping birds in an under-sized cage. May and Seepersad pleaded guilty to the charges.

The court’s police prosecutor, Sgt Corbett, informed the magistrate that Ministry of Agriculture game wardens Seepersad and Ramdeen were on patrol on Southern Main Road, California, at 12.30 pm on Tuesday. They searched a vehicle and discovered two cages containing about 300 Peco Plats and Gold Finch birds.

May and Seepersad were both arrested and taken to the Couva CID where they were charged with the offences. Ayres-Caesar heard that the size of the cages in which the 300 birds were being kept, were 24 x 16 x 9 inches. Some of the birds were dead.

Ayers-Caesar fined both men $400 on each count of ill-treating birds and $200 on each count of keeping them in under-sized cages.