Prosecutors have dropped charges of illegally trapping a deer and a fox against a gamekeeper at an Angus estate.
William Curr appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and denied neglecting snares which harmed wild animals on the Glenogil Estate between Forfar and Brechin in 2014.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) dropped proceedings ahead of his trial, due on May 9.
The 22-year-old originally faced a charge that he failed to check a snare was free running between August 26 and 29, whereby a deer became trapped in it for more than 24 hours; or alternatively found the deer and failed to remove it between August 26 and September 26.
He also faced charges that he failed to keep a record of finding the deer in a snare with his identification number F439.
It was alleged Mr Curr failed to check another snare for more than 24 hours at Glen Trusta between September 24 and 26 2014, during which time a fox became trapped and died of dehydration.
The charges were brought under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which prohibits certain methods of killing or taking wild animals and requires inspection of snares every 24 hours, with removal of any live or dead animals that are found.
A spokesman for the COPFS said: “After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including all admissible evidence, Crown Counsel decided that there should be no further proceedings taken.”
Animal welfare charity OneKind said it obtained footage of two trapped foxes during a visit to the estate on September 26 2014.
It supplied this to the COPFS ahead of proceedings being brought.
One had died in the snare and the other was put down by the Scottish SPCA due to the severity of its injuries.
Libby Anderson of the charity said she was “appalled” by the case not proceeding.
She added: “OneKind has long called for an outright ban on all snares and sadly we feel these calls have been justified by this case.”
Glenogil Estate declined to comment.
riwatt@thecourier.co.uk