The courts have denied the bail of the man accused of shooting down four white storks that were part of a group of eighteen that visited Malta last Friday.

James Magri, aged 41 and a resident of Dingli, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of killing protected birds.

Following the incident, a member of the public wrote on Facebook that as soon as the hunter realised he was being watched he collected two storks and left the rest behind.

Defence lawyer Edward Gatt told the court that the police hurried to arraign Magri due to the frenzy on social media without examining the necessary evidence.

He argued that as the charges were unlikely to result in a prison sentence, Magri should be granted bail. The prosecution disagreed given that there remained a number of witnesses left to testify.

The court, which was presided over by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, agreed with the prosecution and rejected the bail request.