'Make stag killers pay deerly for beheading'

Council appeal to help catch cruel hunters who slew iconic animal

- BY OLIVIA BEESON

DOE REMORSE A herd of deer, top, at Newbridge Demesne, Co Dublin where grisly crime took place

FINGAL County Council has issued an appeal for information to catch the heartless trophy hunters who killed an iconic stag and took its head.

The stag was killed at Newbridge Demesne, Donabate, north Co Dublin, with trespassers breaking into the park where it lived to commit the heartless crime.

The “cruel killing” has been condemned after the decapitated body of the stag, which was part of the deer herd, was discovered on Thursday morning, as reported by Fingal County Council.

The stag had been killed by intruders overnight, who had trespassed into the park and committed the illegal act, according to a council statement.

The death is likely to upset many as the stag was a public favourite for visitors, boasting beautiful antlers and being a popular family attraction in north County Dublin.