Kymina man sentenced for beheading pigeon

A 50-year-old man who beheaded a pigeon in Kymina, Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, in 2019 has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for three years, and fined 5,000 euros.

The case found its way to court following a lawsuit filed against the 50-year-old by his cousin, claiming that the pigeon was his.

The 50-year-old said he had been dealing with pigeons for many years and that he in fact owned the pigeon, which he beheaded because it had been hit by a hawk earlier.

“I did so because I did not want it to suffer, I felt sorry for it,” he said after his effort to treat it failed.

However, the 55-year-old plaintiff insisted that he owned the pigeon and that the 50-year-old beheaded it out of spite.

According to the plaintiff, the 50-year-old found the pigeon and asked for money in order to return it.

This, he said, led to a breakdown in their relationship.