St Andrews student who ripped pigeon’s head off told friends he would eat it

Jonathon Leslie was later found with the decapitated bird in the footwell of his car with some of its feathers plucked after police caught him drink driving.

The geoscience and French student had been watching the Last Night of the Proms on television with friends after drinking wine with dinner.

The group – all students at St Andrews University – then decided to take candles and explore the derelict Abbey Park House mansion in the centre of the Fife town, claiming to be “interested in the architecture”.

Fiscal depute Brian Robertson told Cupar Sheriff Court: “Without warning the accused was seen to seize hold of a pigeon that had taken flight as a result of being disturbed.

“He then pulled the head from the bird, causing its instant death.

“He claimed to the witnesses there that he intended to eat the pigeon.

“Police were contacted after security staff noticed the accused and others on CCTV.

“Police arrived and made the grim discovery of the decapitated pigeon in the rear passenger footwell. It had been partially plucked.

“The accused admitted responsibility for it and appeared to believe he had done nothing wrong.

“He smelled strongly of alcohol and had been driving. He gave a breath test and it was positive.

“He later had a blood test which gave a reading of 113 millilitres of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – the limit is 80.”

Leslie, 23, of Morningside Grove, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly killing a wild bird by removing its head with his hands on 10 September, 2011 at Abbey Park, St Andrews. He further admitted a drink-driving charge on the same date.

Gregor Kelly, defending, said Leslie’s father had flown in from Azerbaijan, where he works as an oil industry executive, to support him at the hearing.

He added: “He had taken a leave of absence from university last year due to certain mental health difficulties.

“On this night he was visiting friends for a social visit. The assembled company had some dinner and during the course of it he had three or four glasses of wine. He admits he was exceptionally nervous at going to meet these friends given his difficulties and because his graduation was not a formality, while his friends had graduated.

“He wanted to impress upon them that he was doing well.”

Mr Kelly added: “He’s a man of his own tastes – somewhat eccentric in his dress sense. He’s a one-off.

“They went to this house and one or two of them took candles. One of them directly in front of Mr Leslie dropped his candle.

“He was petrified of birds and they took flight and Mr Leslie caught one. It was an impulsive act.”

Sheriff Mungo Bovey QC fined Leslie £750 – £350 for drink-driving and £400 for killing the bird – and banned him from driving for a year.