A HADDINGTON man has been caught killing a deer without permission and being in possession of a firearm.

John Smedley was found to be in possession of a Texan Air Rifle Lethal Load weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse by police in April.

Smedley was also found to have killed a roe deer without permission by shooting the animal at Morham, southeast of Haddington, and removing its carcass.

The 56-year-old was caught with the carcass of the animal at Blackadder Crescent, North Berwick, on April 23.

Smedley, of Priory Walk, admitted the offences at a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and was due to be sentenced last Friday.

But the court was told that the social work reports previously called for had not yet been prepared and Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss agreed to defer sentence further to next month.

Smedley pleaded guilty to a contravention of the Firearm Act 1968 by being in possession of the rifle without lawful authority at Morham between April 16 and 23. He also admitted to two contraventions of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 by killing the roe deer without permission at Morham and to being in possession of the animal’s carcass at an address in North Berwick, both on April 23 this year.

Smedley had not guilty pleas accepted by the Crown to charges of possessing a hunting knife and two allegations of knife possession.