A judge in Missouri has sentenced a deer poacher to watch the Disney movie 'Bambi' once a month while serving out his yearlong jail sentence.
It was one of the American state's biggest cases ever in deer poaching.
The defendant, David Berry Jr., was one of four members of a southwest Missouri family caught in a multi-year poaching case. According to authorities, they killed hundreds of deer illegally over three years.
Berry’s father, David Berry Sr. and his brother, Kyle Berry, were arrested in August. The arrests followed a a nearly nine-month investigation that also involved cases in Kansas, Nebraska and Canada.
The men were guilty of violating numerous hunting laws, including hunting out of season and using prohibited weapons, such as lights that temporarily blind the deer. They were also guilty of killing deer while cruising from inside a moving vehicle.
The Berrys took the deer - trophy bucks - illegally for their heads. They abandoned the bodies to waste.
Berry's hunting privileges had already been revoked for past wildlife infractions and he was on probation.
Judge Robert George sent Berry to Lawrence County Jail for one year. His first viewing of 'Bambi', conducted by the sheriff, will be or before December 23rd, 2018. Berry will have to view the film at least once a month thereafter during his incarceration.
The 1942 movie tells the story of a young deer growing up in the forest. The tragic scene in which hunters shoot Bambi's mother is the standout for the majority.
