6th October 2025
A man who admitted killing a swan in a County Durham park has been sentenced at court.
Michael Whittle pleaded guilty to killing a wild bird at Riverside Park, in Chester-le-Street, on Wednesday, July 30.
The 20-year-old also admitted using threatening or abusive words of behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress when park visitors tried to intervene.
A psychiatric report was ordered to be completed on the defendant before sentencing in front of District Judge Steven Hood.
The judge sentenced Whittle to a two year community order and made him subject to a six-month electronically monitored tagged curfew.
The County Durham man was also ordered to take part in a nine-month alcohol treatment programme as part of his sentence and to pay £199 towards court costs.
Whittle, of Greenfield Terrace, Stanley, had been remanded in custody until he was sentenced at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25519604.county-durham-man-sentenced-admitted-killing-swan/
SENTENCING NOT ENOUGH, SCUM LIKE THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE THEY ARE PURE EVIL I THOUGHT SWANS WERE A PROTECTED SPECIES???IF SO THEN THIS BASTARD SHOULD HAVE GONE TO PRISON. PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKED IN BY THINKING HE HAS MENTAL ISSUES ARE PLAIN STUPID. WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A CHILD????WOULD HE HAVE GOT THE SAME SENTENCING????????MAY BE NEXT TIME IT WILL BE.????????????????????????????