Bird egg smuggler who compares himself to the Yorkshire Ripper and Mexican drug lord Pablo Escobar is jailed for three years
Jeffrey Lendrum was caught at Heathrow with up to £100,000 worth of rare eggs strapped to his body
A SMUGGLER of birds’ eggs who compares himself to the Yorkshire Ripper and Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar has been jailed for 37 months.
Jeffrey Lendrum, 57, was caught at Heathrow with 17 rare eggs worth £100,00 strapped to his body.
The Irish-Zimbabwe passport holder has similar convictions around the world dating from 1984.
He once claimed he was portrayed as the “Escobar of the egg trade” and told the court “there are more hits on my name than the Yorkshire Ripper”.
He admitted flouting bans but said the hawk, eagle and vulture eggs were given to him after woodland was felled.
One egg hatched while strapped to Lendrum's chest and a second bird died three days after hatching.
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An expert told Snaresbrook crown court most hatched safely and the chicks, from various habitats, were in a sanctuary.
But jailing Lendrum for three years and one month, Judge Neil Sanders told him: "Restrictions on the trade of protected species are there for good reason, to protect the species in the wild.
"In this case the chicks had to be hand-reared, making it impossible to return them to their habitat."
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