Two Ceredigion men who shot a badger dead before dragging its lifeless body down a hill and throwing it into a nearby bog have been handed suspended jail sentences.

Sion Davis, of Cwm Bach, Talgarreg and Gwynli Edwards, of Lletemddu, Stags Head, Tregaron, both appeared for sentencing before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on 16 April.

Davis, 37, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of using a firearm to kill badgers, and wilfully killing badgers on land near to Caemawr, Esgairdawe, Llandeilo on 6 January 2024.

Edwards, 51, also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to interfering with a badger sett and being in possession of a dead badger on the same day.

A joint investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team and the RSCPA was launched after the RSPCA was alerted to a concern about suspicious activity taking place on a grassy hillside in the Esgairdawe area on 6 January.

A member of the rural community, and key witness in the case, told the RSCPA how they had seen a group of individuals acting suspiciously around an active badger sett near to their home.

Taking a closer look using their camera, the witness observed the group digging into badger sett before seeing a man dragging a heavy animal down the hill and throwing it over a fence into a bog.

The witness also reported seeing another man carrying a terrier with blood on its legs in one arm, and a shotgun in the other.

The same day, RSCPA Inspector Keith Hogben attended to examine the site and was shown the photos taken by the witness.

Inspector Hogben gathered evidence from the scene, including the dead body of a badger which was freshly wounded.

Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team was notified of the incident, and further examination of the deceased badger confirmed that the animal had been shot dead.

Using the photographs taken by the initial witness, the two main suspects were identified, and plans were put into place to carry out simultaneous arrests during a day of action on 9 April 2024.

During the pre-planned operation led by Pc Ashleigh Jones and the RSPCA, Davis and Edwards were arrested at their homes.

Further property searches found a total of nine firearms, including a shotgun believed to have been used in the illegal killing of the badger. The quadbike seen by the witness was also located at one of the properties, along with items related to terrier hunting, including dog radio collars, T-bars, nets, and shovels.

Davis’s firearms were seized, his license revoked, and the pair were released under investigation.

Both men were handed 16 month suspended sentences, and Sion Davis was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work.

The pair were ordered to pay prosecution costs totalling £4,960 as well as victim fund surcharges.

Pc Ashleigh Jones of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team said the sentences “show that vicious and cruel behaviour against innocent and defenceless animals will simply not be tolerated.”