The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Two South Holland people have been given a final chance to attend court to answer a charge of uprooting wildlife.
Robert Barnes. 30, and Saskia Jackson, 28, are accused of digging up 8,000 Native English bluebells at woodland in Thursford, Norfolk, on March 23, 2021.
The species is protected by law and intentionally uprooting it is against the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Barnes, of Park Lane, Long Sutton, and Jackson, of Lowgate, Lutton, have twice failed to appear before King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court as scheduled.
On Thursday the cases against them were adjourned to November 4. The court heard that arrest warrants were likely to be issued if they do not attend on that date.
Two co-defendants – James Cross, 30, and Katie Bingham, 20, of the same address in Anfield Road, Long Sutton – were dealt with on October 14.
They pleaded guilty to the same charge and each was fined £200 and ordered to pay £156.25 compensation, £105 costs and £34 victim surcharge.
The court was told that the bulbs were recovered and it took five men eight hours to replant them at a cost of £625.
