Student Admits to Ripping Off Pigeon’s Head

St Andrews fourth year admits to ripping off a pigeon’s head while exploring a ruined mansion last year.

jonathan leslie pigeon st andrews student

A drunken student who brutally decapitated a pigeon has been hit with a £750 fine after he was caught on CCTV.

St Andrews fourth year Jonathan Leslie admitted to ripping the bird's head off while exploring a ruined mansion with friends last year.

The court heard Leslie "admitted responsibility for it and appeared to believe he had done nothing wrong. He smelled strongly of alcohol and had been driving.”

One student told The Stand, the Scottish university's newspaper, Leslie's behaviour was "disgusting".

She said: “I find it unbelievable that a human being would inflict this kind of torture on a living animal and attribute it to drunken antics. Disgusting.”

Another third year said: “I know that there’s not much to the St Andrews night life, but really?”

Leslie was fined £750 and given a one year driving ban after he was found to be drunk behind the wheel.

Defence lawyer Gregor Kelly spoke on behalf of Leslie by saying, “He deeply regrets the suffering he caused to the bird and hopes the events of this sorry evening don’t impinge on his future career.”