A dad-of-four who was caught with stolen showbirds in his aviary is to be tagged himself.

Leonard Devall, 36, claimed he bought them to start an aviary for his young son.

Now a judge has ordered him to wear an electronic tag for four months – keeping him cooped up at his home between 7pm and 7 am.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how police had gone to his home in Kent Road after his van had been spotted near a burglary.

Devall had gone to the house offering to buy two cars parked in a drive way in Aylesford.

While they were talking, officers heard bird sounds from a shed in his garden and checked the identity tags.

The birds, Siberian Goldfinches, Linnets, Canaries and Common Redpolls, had been stolen in burglaries in Deal, Aylesford, Chatham and Pembury.

“There was an element of planning, professionalism and sophistication..." Judge Favid Griffith-Jones QC

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC heard that they were part of nearly £8,500 worth of showbirds which were stolen during break-ins.

But there was no evidence that Devall, who has never had a full-time job and lives on benefits, was responsible for the burglaries, the court was told.

The judge said: “There was an element of planning, professionalism and sophistication and there is a suspicion these birds were taken to order!”

The court heard the missing birds were traced to raids in Bellfield Road, Pembury (seven birds stolen), Teapot Lane, Aylesford (40 birds, worth £3000), Wayfield Road, Chatham (eight goldfinches and eight canaries, worth £1800) and Orchard Avenue, Deal (50 birds) between January and March last year.

The court heard that in Devall’s aviary were 29 of the stolen birds, which were later returned to their owners and included one victim whose husband had died shortly before the break-in.

Christopher Surtees-Jones, defending, said Devall, who was once convicted of poaching, had never held down a full-time job after suffering from depression.

He said: “He purchased the birds because he wanted to start up an aviary for his son as a hobby.”

Devall, who admitted four charges of receiving stolen goods, avoided becoming a jailbird when the judge suspended his 12 and a half month jail sentence for two years.

But he ordered him to remain indoors for four months and wear an electronic security tag.

He also admitted breaching the Wildlife and Countryside Act by having nine Goldfinches at his home in Kent Road, Snodland.

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