As the owner of a respected bird sanctuary, William MacKenzie displayed his snowy owls and hawks at country shows and appeared on the BBC to discuss his devotion to his birds.
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Sentenced: William MacKenzie punched and kicked protected birds of prey and scared them with a petrol-powered lawnmower
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But when out of public view – or at least when he thought he was – the 68-year-old used a brutal method to rule his roost.After being filmed by neighbours kicking and punching birds he kept in his garden, MacKenzie was this week banned from keeping animals for life.And despite claiming that his birds were ‘like my children’, he was told by a magistrate that he had caused them fear and distress.
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Cruel: The bird is visibly distressed as it is slapped in this scene filmed by William MacKenzie's neighbours
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MacKenzie kept 26 birds including a snowy owl, African spotted eagle owl and a Harris hawk, at his home in Shrewsbury.Over a two-year period, horrified neighbours filmed him abusing and tormenting the birds which he kept on perches and in cramped cages in his back garden.He was once seen slapping a barn owl in the face before kicking it into a corner of the garden.He was also filmed hitting and kicking an eagle owl and holding a barn owl by its wing before hurling it to the ground.In another clip, MacKenzie can be seen using his lawnmower to scare the birds by revving it close to a stack of cages.Two distressed barn owls desperately flap their wings as the blades of the mower come within inches of their perches.
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| Controlling: William MacKenzie takes hold of a snowy owl in the garden of his Shrewsbury home and tethers it to a post
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At Shrewsbury magistrates’ court on Wednesday, MacKenzie was convicted of nine animal welfare charges and sentenced to 16 weeks in jail, suspended for two years.He was also found guilty of five offences of causing fear and distress to the birds while using the lawnmower and was banned from keeping any animals for life, ordered to wear an electronic tag for six months and charged £500 in costs.
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| MacKenzie kicking the bird with the back of his foot into the corner of the garden |
Chairman of the bench Maxine Taplin said: ‘There is clear evidence of suffering. It was bad practice to use a lawnmower in close proximity to the birds. 'We accept the prosecution’s assertion that the birds would have been caused fear and distress by these actions. 'This abuse occurred over a period of time and involved several birds.’ Mac- Kenzie denied mistreating the birds. He told magistrates: ‘These owls were like my family. They were like my children. I would never punch or kick these birds, I would rather punch or kick a human being to any animal.’
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In another scene, MacKenzie appears to hold a bird close to his lawnmower
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| MacKenzie steps up to the bird
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Torment: In another scene, William MacKenzie pushes the lawnmower towards the cramped cages where his birds are kept
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Moments later, the bird is seen flapping its wings near the lawnmower
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Neighbours filmed as MacKenzie pushes his petrol-powered lawnmower near the owl
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Fear: The bird flew away from the lawnmower in a distressed state - a film which shocked animal welfare experts
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But Neil Forbes, a veterinary surgeon and expert in avian medicine, said he had never seen a falconer behave in this manner to birds of prey. He told the court: ‘In my opinion they are not just suffering physically but also suffering distress and anxiety.’After the verdict, RSPCA inspector Dave McCartney said of MacKenzie: ‘His behaviour is exaggerated by the fact that he was running a rescue centre supposedly caring for sick and injured birds. For some birds there was no escape. They were tethered when they were hit.’
The RSPCA has seized the birds which include 19 owls, five hawks, one peregrine falcon and one American kestrel.
MacKenzie cared for birds for 30 years and ran a rescue charity called Mac’s Owls. He said it was his hobby to rescue birds which had been abandoned or involved in road accidents.In 2009, he spoke to the BBC about caring for the birds of prey. He said: ‘I’m the sort of person, unfortunately, who can’t say no. That’s why I’ve got so many.’
