The second recorded hunting illegality in as many days occurred yesterday when a lapwing was shot in Bengħajsa, Birżebbuġa, leading to the hunter being sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and his shotgun confiscated.

Shaun Demicoli, 37, of Birżebbuġa was arraigned in court yesterday afternoon charged with shooting and injuring a lapwing, breaching bail conditions imposed in 2011 and last year, and relap-sing. His pending cases include a charge of attempted murder of a Tunisian man.

Shaun Demicoli, who was jailed for three months.Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Mr Demicoli also had his hunter’s licence suspended for three years and was fined €200 for breaching his bail conditions. The court recommended he should not lose the bus driver job he was given only recently.

He said he did not know that this species could not be hunted in spring. Lapwings can be hunted during the autumn season but only two species – turtle dove and quail – can be legally hunted in limited numbers in the spring season.

Mr Demicoli, whose lawyer was Jason Grima, appealed the judgment. In a statement, the hunters federation praised the immediate and effective action taken by the police.

The FKNK also said that “based on its research” Mr Demicoli was not one of its members. It appealed to the association that had Mr Demicoli as its member to immediately suspend his license upon conviction. The federation pointed out it was a hunter who had reported him. This was not confirmed by the police.

St Hubert Hunters said Mr Demicoli was not one of its members and “could never be eligible for membership in view of his character”. It commended the quick action taken to apprehend him but said the incident highlighted an ambiguity in the gun licensing system: a person with a criminal record and a pending case of attempted murder was allowed a licence.

If they can’t identify the birds they are killing or know what they are allowed to shoot, they should not have been granted a licence

KSU called on the authorities to rescind gun and hunting licences held by such persons.

Birdlife Malta urged the public to remain vigilant and report hunting illegalities.

“This is the second incident of illegal hunting in just two days, and both were described as mistakes – one as a case of mistaken identity and the other in which the hunter claimed not to know the law. If they can’t identify the birds they are killing or know what they are allowed to shoot, they should not have been granted a hunting licence in the first place,” the organisation said.

The incident yesterday followed another on Wednesday when Stefan Micallef, 43, of Naxxar, shot a protected cuckoo in Manikata. He was filmed by Birdlife volunteers hiding the bird under a bush after shooting it.

Mr Micallef claimed he mistook the cuckoo for a turtle dove, but he was fined €2,500 and had his licence suspended for three and a half years. His shotgun and ammunition were also confiscated.

Following the referendum, won by those in favour of the spring hunting season, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stressed on Sunday that illegal hunting would not be tolerated. The referendum was won by 2,200 votes.

With reporting by Matthew Xuereb