A teenage serial animal killer facing jail for slaughtering a deer is part of a wider problem of wildlife slaying in Fife, according to police.
Brandon Robb, 17, of Leslie, used a lurcher-type dog to hunt and kill a rare piebald deer.
The teenager has plastered his own Facebook page with vile trophy photos of him posing next to illegally slain animals, including rabbits and ducks as well as deer.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Monday he pled guilty to killing a piebald deer at Ballingall Farm, Leslie, on March 16 and 17.
The deer have a distinctive brown-and-white coat, understood to be caused by a genetic defect, which is thought to affect less than 1% of the white-tailed deer population.
It is not known for sure how many of the mammals are in the Lomond Hills, although no other sightings of the species has been reported in Fife.
In the days and hours leading up to his court appearance, Robb was ranting and raving on Facebook, posting “f*** the ban, fight to the death” and “was born a hunter, I’ll die a hunter troops”.
Robb was already facing jail after admitting stealing 30 ducks from Meikle Balquhomrie Farm, Leslie, while acting with friend Benjamin Murray, between July 29 and August 1 last year.
He was caught on film carrying out the robbery after gamekeeper Mark Robson planted an infrared camera to catch the duck thieves.
Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA are working together to snare the group of illegal animal killers who they say are roaming the Fife countryside.
Police Scotland wildlife officer Ian Laing said: “A large group of people are actively involved in hare coursing.
“Through investigating this case we now have a fairly clear idea who members of the group are and the activities they are carrying out. Inquiries could bring them to justice as well.
“Last Friday when we went out to search his house we did it with uniformed Scottish SPCA inspectors who assisted the inquiry.
“The police led the inquiry which the SSPCA uniformed staff supported.”
On Monday, Sheriff Alastair Thornton heard that Robb also admitted hitting a man with a golf club and shouting racist abuse at him. All of the offences were committed while Robb was subject to bail restrictions.
Sheriff Thornton refused his application for bail on the grounds that there was a “substantial risk” of Robb reoffending.
He will be sentenced at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court later this month.