Poacher in Valais convicted after bloodbath

A young hobby hunter from the Entremont Valley has been sentenced to one year in prison for illegally killing several wild animals.

12-month custodial sentence

A 25-year-old man from Valais has been sentenced by the District Court of Entremont VS to a custodial sentence of 12 months and a fine of 800 francs for the illegal killing of wild animals.

Without a licence and poorly equipped, he and his accomplices caused a veritable bloodbath among the wild animals.

In December 2019, for example, he fired from his vehicle at several deer crossing the road. He hit a six-pointer, which died twenty minutes later.

One night in February 2020, he killed a chamois while hobby hunting. He filmed the act and sent the footage to a friend. That same month, he slit the throat of a deer that one of his companions had shot.

Psychiatric treatment ordered

The young poacher will be required to undergo institutional treatment in an open setting, as recommended by a psychiatric expert who spoke of developmental disorders and the risk of reoffending.

The harsh sentence handed down by Judge Pierre Gapany against the young man is explained by his criminal record (two convictions in 2018 and 2019) and his behaviour. Despite two arrests in 2020, he continued his activities.

The Valais man was convicted of animal cruelty, malicious killing, violations of federal hunting and weapons legislation, and theft. «It is the actions of people like this that damage the reputation of recreational hunters. He neither attended the necessary courses nor complied with the laws», said prosecutor Jean-Luc Reymond during the trial.

The meat was not even recovered

In most cases, however, the meat is not even retrieved, especially when the animals have been rendered unusable after falling from a cliff. In most cases, the prey was not even killed on the spot, due to the small caliber of the inadequate .22 long rifle.

Sean Larkin, a trainee lawyer, says his client always tried to respect the dignity of the animal and wanted to eat it. «He takes no pleasure in killing animals. Several offenses were pinned on him by the group in retaliation for his cooperation with investigators.»

These arguments were not enough to spare the convicted man from prison.