CONVICTED (2015) | Ayshea A Marshall, aka AysheaTebbett, born 29 December 1974, of St Catherines Mews, Scunthorpe DN16 2NE – left her flea-infested pet dog with a tight rubber band around his muzzle for as long as two weeks
Ayshea Marshall
Mother-of-five Ayshea Marshall admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal after she failed to notice the rubber band around her grey crossbreed dog’s nose for 10 to 14 days.
RSPCA prosecutor Rachel Taylor told the court that Marshall took the dog, called Haribo, to the vets in May 2014 because she was “concerned about the smell coming from him and could see a chronic deep wound around his mouth”.
Haribo had to be sedated while the vet cut the fur from around his nose.
Miss Taylor said: “The band had been wrapped around his muzzle twice. It cut through the flesh and had been there for 10 to 14 days.
“Whoever placed the band over his muzzle had caused him unnecessary suffering and stress.”
Haribo was also infested with fleas, the court heard.
Miss Taylor said the vet contacted the RSPCA who interviewed Marshall. Marshall said she took him to the vet when she noticed the smell, but she believed it would clear up and did not notice the injury.
Marshall denied knowing who had put the band on Haribo’s muzzle and said it must have happened when he “got out a month ago”.
Asking the magistrates to look at the photos of Haribo’s muzzle, Miss Taylor said: “It’s an unreasonable claim that she failed to notice the band on his nose.”
Marshall refused to sign Haribo over to the RSPCA before the first hearing, but did at a later date.
Marshall’s ex husband Luke Marshall was prosecuted separately for Haribo’s suffering. He too was given a community service and banned from keeping animals for five years.
Sentence: ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a total of £1,393 towards court and RSPCA costs. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expired 2020).
CONVICTED (2015) | Sean Luke Wilkinson, born 01/02/1984, formerly of Silver Street, Barrow upon Humber, and as of December 2017 living at Radford Meadow, Castle Donington DE74 2NZ – laughed after throwing his pet cat out of 24ft high window, breaking her pelvis and five of her ribs.
Wilkinson pictured during his 2015 court appearance
Wilkinson laughed after throwing his cat out of a third-floor window in a fit of rage after she weed on him. He opened the window of his top-floor flat and flung the one-year-old cat nearly 24 feet to the ground below.
Luna was badly injured after being thrown from a third floor window by her owner, Sean Wilkinson
A neighbour saw him walk out of the block of flats laughing and later pick up the pet, called Luna, and suggest the neighbour let his dog out to have a go at her. The witness raised the alarm and RSPCA inspectors took Luna to a vets’ practice where she was diagnosed with five broken ribs and double fracture of the pelvis as a result of the 7.3-metre plunge.
The RSPCA had requested magistrates ban Wilkinson from keeping any pets.
2019 image of cat abuser Sean Wilkinson
But the court heard Wilkinson’s mum, who is a veterinary nurse, keeps a dog and a cat at home in Silver Street, Barrow, where her son lived at the time of sentencing.
She wept in the back of the court as magistrates imposed the ban on keeping cats which meant she had to find a new home for her kitten.
Luna survived the ordeal and has since been rehomed.
Sentence: 300 hours of unpaid work, vets’ fees and costs totalling around £2,500, which Wilkinson was allowed to pay off at £20 per week. Banned from keeping cats for 10 years (expires January 2025).
CONVICTED (2015) | pet hoarders Simon Franoux, born February 1958, and Lisa Clark, born December 1970, previously of Boston, Lincolnshire, then Melksham in Wiltshire and as of August 2020 at Saffron Meadow, Calne SN11 0RR – for severe neglect of 31 cats and a puppy
Simon Franoux
The RSPCA was called in October 2014, following a tip-off from a member of the public regarding concerns about a number of animals living at the pair’s former address in Boston.
RSPCA inspectors removed 31 cats and one black labrador puppy from the property as they were suffering from cat flu and respiratory illnesses along with flea and ear mite infestations.
The court found that all the animals were suffering as a result of the conditions in which they were confined to.
Two of the cats had to be put down by a vet due to their health conditions – but the RSPCA says the rest, including the dog, have all now been re-homed.
Sentence: 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; £280 costs each. Disqualified from keeping all animals for six years (expired January 2021).
CONVICTED (2015) | Robert McElhill, born 06/06/1987, former co-owner of the Notting Hill Guest House, Holland Park Avenue, London W11 3QZ and more recently (2018) of Millcroft Road, Cumbernauld, Glasgow* – kept 33 dogs and puppies starving, neglected and living in squalor
Robert McElhill kept 33 starving dogs in filthy conditions at his Holland Park guest house
McElhill, who operated a rescue called Canine99 , kept dozens of starving dogs in filthy, squalid conditions at the property.
Officers found 33 dogs of all shapes and sizes including a Great Dane ‘mix’, a Chihuahua, a Rottweiler and a Saluki, also known as an Arabian Greyhound.
Most of the dogs were covered in scars and were found shut inside rooms in the private living quarters.
The floors were covered in faeces and urine; the windows were boarded up or blacked out.
There was no bedding for the animals who were locked in rooms in groups of two to six.
There was even an 18 inch tall chihuahua that was found locked in a cage just 19 inches high. Two other dogs were barricaded in the stairs and there was no clean water.
In the basement police found a sandy coloured lurcher and seven puppies.
The lurcher was extremely underweight; her skin was stretched tightly over her bones.
The puppies were in poor physical condition with faeces matted in their coats and showed poor physical care.
Canine99 purportedly took in dogs that were in danger of being put to sleep or were hard to handle. In reality, it was said that McElhill was putting dogs to sleep himself and doing autopsies on dogs that had died while in his care.
Several dog rescues unwittingly sent dogs to McElhill although he disclosed the location of his kennels to very few.
McElhill had a network of female ‘fans’ – women who called themselves ‘Rob’s Angels’ on Facebook. The group, which had its own logo, continued to defend McElhill even after shocking evidence of his animal abuse came to light. Two of the women – Jo Weeks and Jo Phillips – allegedly made jokes about McElhill raping and torturing dogs. Others have also alleged that McElhill sexually abused dogs.
Jo Philips, who’s now calling herself Romani Scott, was romantically involved with McElhill, but it’s unknown if they’re still together.
McElhill was found guilty of six counts of animal neglect and four counts of ‘failing to prevent the causing of unnecessary suffering’ to animals.
Sentencing: 200 hours community service; £2000 costs. Banned from owning dogs for 10 years (expires January 2025).
We have heard that McElhill his now living in Sligo in Ireland and has dogs again.
August 2020 update
We’ve received an allegation that McElhill “continues to sexually abuse his animals where he resides now in Ireland and even trades access to his animals for sex for money”. This information, while extremely disturbing, is unconfirmed.
CONVICTED (2015) | puppy farmer Margaret Helen Davies, born 21 August 1948, of Hagloe House, Awre Road, Blakeney GL15 4AA, but as of 2022 believed to be in Barry, South Wales, – continued to breed dogs after her licence was refused.
In January 2015 Davies pleaded guilty to operating a breeding establishment without a licence.
Magistrates heard Davies’s puppy farm had been licensed by Forest of Dean District Council since 2007. In March 2014 the Licensing Committee refused her application for a new licence, which would have allowed her to continue breeding pugs, chihuahuas, poodles and Boston terriers, with around 100 breeding bitches and their puppies being kept in sub-standard wooden kennels.
A separate breeding licence application by Davies’s daughter Helen Pike and her husband Richard Pike was also refused during the same hearing.
Despite no longer having a licence to advertise and sell puppies, Davies continued to breed in excess of 78 puppies.
Sentencing: fined £300 and ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £1,000 costs. Disqualified from operating a breeding establishment for a period of three years (expired 2018).
It was reported that an order under the Animal Welfare Act had been made against Margaret Davies and husband William Robert Davies (born August 1945). This came after council inspectors found two dead puppies amongst many dogs being kept in dark, filthy, overheated and pest-infested conditions at their home.
Faeces had piled up in the pens at the alleged puppy farm run by the pair, and some dogs had little daylight and limited drinking water.
Barrister Greg Gordon, representing Forest of Dean District Council, said that twelve dogs and two litters of puppies had been removed by council inspectors and others had since been signed over to the council’s care.
The Davies were not present in court and were not legally represented. An interim order depriving them of the puppy farming operation was made by the magistrates pending a full hearing in January 2022.
Mr Gordon said the dogs had been seized from Hagloe House, Blakeney, because they were suffering from signs of neglect and had been certified as such by inspectors and a vet.
“On July 1 this year [2021] the Forest of Dean District Council executed a search warrant on the property and found dogs in four different locations in the grounds of the property.”
“A farm shed had been converted into kennels and was home to two Corgis, three terriers and a Samoyed. There was an overpowering and acrid smell of urine and faeces, which got worse the further in the inspectors entered the building.
“The central walkway was surrounded by separate pens and was covered in used bedding which was covered in faeces. The concrete floor had a very thin layer of shredded paper. There was no clean or comfortable bedding provided and there was no access to water.
“These pens hadn’t been cleaned for some time and it appeared that the dogs were rotated from one pen to another.
“In a second barn, which was much worse than the first, with poor natural light, there were 12 dogs, four French bulldogs, four Schnauzers and four terriers. The bulldogs were in enclosed pens which had even less natural lighting.
“These dogs were penned in to what would be classed as overcrowding. There was a build-up of flies due to the amount of faeces in the barn. Only one bowl of water was visible, which was also contaminated by faeces.
“The whole site raised health concerns and was suffering from a lack of pest control.
“One of the bulldogs had visible problems with its eyes. The inspectors told Margaret Davies that no dogs were to be housed in the second barn and seized the 12 dogs there, which were signed over to the district council.”
Mr Gordon said the Davies were told that criminal proceedings were likely to take place in due course.
Mr Gordon told the magistrates that despite improvement notices issued by the district council the Davies’ had done little to comply.
Mr Gordon added: “The dogs should be re-homed as it is in the best interests of the animals’ welfare.”
“Two Scotties and two corgis were kept in metal grilled pens which offered no shelter from heat or rain and lived among a growing pile of faeces.
“In the main house there were five dogs, two of which were seized during the first visit. A Corgi was penned in with her litter of eight puppies, one of which was unresponsive and lifeless.
“One of the inspectors picked this puppy up and shows it to Margaret Davies, who appeared to be wholly uncaring over its welfare.
“The Corgi and her puppies were in front of an Aga in the month of July. It was hot.
“There was a cage in a back room, which was poorly lit and had poor ventilation. Two Schnauzers were housed inside, each with their litter of puppies. A heat lamp was resting on top of the cage making the metalwork too hot to touch.
“One of these puppies, belonging to a Schnauzer, was also lifeless.”
Mr Gordon alleged that the court heard that the following day the Davies were served with an improvement notice, but they made little effort to comply with the order. They had provided fire extinguishers and made some attempt at pest control, but little else – in fact things had got worse with even less drinking water available.
Some effort had been made to remove the faeces as this had been scooped up by a digger and left in the trough.
Mr Gordon said: “The Davies have shown complete disregard for housing the dogs properly, as there was enough space to do so.
“The cost to the council in dealing with this has been in the region of £17,000, which is mainly made up of vets fees as the animals have been placed in foster homes until this case is resolved.”
The magistrates granted the interim deprivation order, which will be formalised at a hearing on January 26, 2022.
On 26 January 2022 Margaret and William Davies were ordered to pay legal costs of £19,762.50 plus the expenses of caring for twenty neglected dogs and puppies that were seized from their home by animal welfare officers.
Barrister Greg Gordon, representing Forest of Dean Council, explained that twelve dogs and two litters of puppies had been removed by council inspectors on July 1 and 8, 2021 and others had since been signed over to the council’s care.
Mr Gordon said: “Today’s hearing is only about money. The order to remove the animals was dealt with at a previous hearing. The only issues that could not be dealt with on that occasion were the monetary issues.
“There are two claims against the Davies’. These are the expenses in keeping the dogs – keeping them kennelled and healthy, vets bills and the like, which amounts to £17,820.
“The animals were kept by the local authority from the beginning of July 2021, until the end of September. This was 10 adult dogs and 10 puppies. Two had already been fostered out.
“All the dogs are now in foster homes so there are no ongoing costs.
“The legal costs for this prosecution come to £1,942.50. The issue for the court is effectively the Davies’ ability to pay these costs.
“There are three sets of assets: the farm itself which is valued at £1.3million, but legal enforcements against the farm all but wipe out any equity in this property.
“The Davies’ also have a retirement bungalow, which has some equity in it and there is also some farm equipment on site, which is valued at approximately £60,000.
“This we believe is enough to pay the costs being requested. However, in the circumstances, we suggest that the Davies’ have a year in which to pay these costs.”
Mr Gordon added that the dogs had been seized because they were suffering from signs of neglect and had been certified as such by inspectors and a vet.
Margaret and William Davies, both pensioners, were not present in court but were represented by Aled Owen, who told the magistrates: “This hearing is effectively a preamble to other litigation due in March.
“This elderly couple are in a difficult situation and are embarrassed that they have got themselves into such a poor financial position. They were rather naive in their outlook.
“There are proceedings ongoing at the county court in respect of a bridging loan taken out 10 years ago. This small sum has escalated over the years.
“There is concern among the farming community about the growing number of asset rich but cash poor farmers still operating today who have been targeted by specialist companies.
“If the farm is retained by the Davies’ they have control in how much they get for it when it is sold. A ‘fire sale’ would also raise valuable funds.
“But a court may instruct others to sell the farm on the Davies’ behalf, which in all likelihood place the couple in negative equity.
“However, the retirement bungalow has some equity in it, as does the farming machinery. The couple are currently living off the state pension. “Aside from the court hearing in March, there is more litigation still in the pipeline. There is no income from the farm as it ceased being used as an agricultural farm some years ago due to Mr Davies’ illness.”
Presiding Justice Dr Rennie Thompson said: “We have given the matter due consideration and we find that the prosecution costs are proportional and reasonable.
“There has been a considerable effort to mitigate the costs of looking after these animals by fostering and other methods to keep the costs down.
“We appreciate the financial situation this couple find themselves in, but we understand that there is equity in other assets other than the main farm itself.
“We therefore award the full costs, including legal fees, of £19,762.50 to Forest of Dean District Council and that is to be paid in full in 12 months.”
Margaret Davies, who now reportedly lives in Amhurst Crescent, Barry, South Wales, was banned from keeping dogs for life after she admitted causing unnecessary suffering to pets in her care at a suspected puppy farm.
She pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a 14-month-old French bulldog called Winston by failing to get veterinary treatment for a variety of conditions, and a similar charge involving another French bulldog, Amelia, by failing to get treatment for tumours and blindness in one eye.
Davies also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a seven-year-old Schnauzer, ‘Nathalie,’ by failing to provide veterinary treatment for severe and painful periodontitis which led to 20 teeth having to be extracted.
She also admitted to meet the needs of 27 dogs and puppies in her care by failing to provide adequate drinking water, clean bedding, a suitable diet and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease on July 1, 2021.
Three charges against Mrs Davies’ husband William Davies were withdrawn after the prosecution offered no evidence.
Heath Thomas, defending, said that his client would benefit from a pre-sentence report before she is sentenced.
District Judge Nicholas Wattam imposed an immediate ban on Davies owning dogs for the rest of her life.
He also ordered for pre-sentence reports to be prepared on her. Davies was released on unconditional bail to return to the court on February 6, 2023, for sentencing.
On Monday 27 March 2023 Margaret Davies was given a 36-week jail term suspended for 18 months after admitting five animal welfare charges. She was also ordered to pay court costs of £9,104.11.
She was banned from keeping dogs for life.
Davies, who now lives in Barry, South Wales, admitted three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to three dogs by failing to seek veterinary treatment for them.
She also admitted failing to meet the needs of 27 dogs and puppies in her care by failing to provide adequate drinking water, clean bedding, a suitable diet and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
A compensation order of £17,820 imposed last year to cover the cost of kennelling and veterinary treatment for the dogs has still not been paid, the court heard.
Aled Owen, defending, said Davies began dog breeding to help the dairy farm’s finances.
He said the venture had initially “thrived” but she had struggled when new legislation was introduced.
Mr Owen said: “Davies increasingly found the paperwork side of the business more and more difficult, which coincided with her husband becoming ill at around the time of the visit of the inspectors and the loss of a younger family member.
“Davies admits that there were issues that needed to be attended too, but she was juggling so much in her private life that something had to give.”
Judge Nicholas Wattam told Davies said the conditions on the farm had caused serious injury to a number of dogs.
“This is a case where there was prolonged ill-treatment with the animals in your care and this continued, despite being given advice from animal welfare officers,” he added.
CONVICTED (2015) | wildlife killer Lewis Carpenter, born 25 July 1995, of Winchester Road, Dunscroft, Doncaster DN7 4NB – deliberately set his ‘hunting’ dog on a pet cat.
Lewis Carpenter, a cat killer and wildlife persecutor from Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Carpenter, who was with another youth whose identity he refused to disclose, led the dog to fatally attack the pet cat, named R2.
Helpless victim R2 suffered fatal injuries after animal baiter Neil Carpenter and his equally twisted accomplice set a dog on him
The horrific incident was captured on a neighbour’s CCTV camera and Carpenter was arrested when he was identified after the footage was shared on Facebook.
Matt Gelder, the cat’s owner, found R2 lying in his kitchen, covered in blood the next morning, the court heard.
Vets operated on R2, but he died several days later – leaving Mr Helder with a £2,400 bill for treatment.
Carpenter was told by the chairman of the bench: “This was a deliberate act of cruelty. You showed the dog to the cat and led it to him. The results were horrific. You are very lucky you are not going to prison.”
After the hearing Mr Gelder said he was glad Carpenter had been caught but appealed for anyone with information about the other man’s identity to contact the police.
Remorseless Carpenter jokes with his sick friends about killing helpless cats
Sentencing 12-week sentence suspended for a year; 200 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay cat’s owner £305.76 in compensation. Five-year ban on keeping an animal (expired January 2020).
Source: Doncaster Free Press (article removed)
In a Facebook message posted by Lewis Carpenter’s father, Neil Carpenter, he (Neil) expressed his anger that people were sharing the story of his son’s despicable act of deliberate animal cruelty.
Shockingly a friend of Mr Carpenter’s named Cathi Askin said that “every dog man around has killed a cat in there time just unlucky he got caught” [sic].
CONVICTED (2015) | Jodi Russell, aka Jodi Palmer, born 1986, previously of Hillwood Road, Halesowen, Dudley B62 – failed to care for her two starving dogs – with one dying as a result of her neglect.
Jodi Russell is banned from having anything to do with animals for life
Mother-of-four Jodi Russell callously starved the two Staffies inside a cage while gorging on takeaways in front of them.
Horrified RSPCA inspectors found the lifeless dogs inside urine-soaked cages in the living room of Russell’s home while her children played around them.
One of Russell’s dogs miraculously recovered despite being in this state when rescued. The unnamed dog was later rehomed.
Disturbing photographs of the emaciated animals showed their ribs and other bones protruding through their coats.
One of the dogs, called Storm, was described as the thinnest a vet had ever seen and he tragically died within 24 hours of being rescued.
The other starving dog – a female who was given the lowest possible condition rating by vets – miraculously survived and was later re-homed.
Storm was so emaciated that he died within 24 hours of being rescued by the RSPCA
Russell was convicted in August 2013 of causing unnecessary suffering to the animals and failing in her duty as owner.
The single mum, who boasted on social media of being a fan of Channel 4 series Shameless, failed to turn up to court for her trial and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
She was eventually tracked down and hauled to court.
Russell gorged on takeaways and junk food while her starving dogs looked on.
During her trial, magistrates were told RSPCA officials went to Russell’s home in October 2012 following a tip-off that the dogs were being mistreated.
When questioned by inspectors, she claimed one of the animals was dead – and said they could not come into her home because she hadn’t broken the news to her children.
Nick Sutton, prosecuting, said: “The inspector pressed and was invited in. Inside the property he saw the dogs in the living room in cages with the children running around them.
“She pointed out the dark male dog and said he was dead. The inspector noticed it was still alive and barely breathing.
“It was like a skeleton. The other dog was in a similar curled-up way and was lifeless.”
When interviewed, Russell claimed she had taken one dog to the PDSA – but without benefit paperwork she was unable to get him looked at.
Disgusted neighbours said that Jodi had never worked and spent her days eating junk food.
One man said: “I think it’s disgusting. She should have got 20 years for what she did, never mind five. If it was up to me she would have been horse-whipped.
“She was always eating junk food and that type of stuff.”
One woman added: “I always thought she was a jovial woman and okay to speak to. But this has really shocked me when I saw the photos of those poor dogs.
“To just leave a dog in a cage to not eat is disgusting. I definitely won’t speak to her again when she’s out of prison.
“She’s quite a big girl. They are always having takeaways delivered and there’s junk food rubbish in their garden.
“It’s ironic that she’s a big one and stuffs herself but couldn’t even feed the poor dogs. There’s always takeaway food going in the house.”
Sentence: 20 weeks in jail. Lifetime ban on looking after animals or being associated with them in any way.
#MostEvil | William Michael Leggatt, born 15 March 1995, originally from Gravesend, Kent, and more recently Badger Road, Thornbury, Bristol BS35 1AD – battered, kicked and stamped on to huskies, causing serious injuries.
William Leggatt was jailed for 17 weeks after torturing two husky dogs
Leggatt, aged 19 at date of the offence, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
Husky puppy Nala suffered a broken hip, jaw, cheek and a fractured skull following multiple attacks by Bristol teenager William LeggattBalue was tied to a banister,. before Leggatt punched, kicked and stamped on her.. Miraculously, she escaped serious injury
Leggatt was caught on CCTV at his previous home in Gravesend tying adult dog Balue to a banister before punching, kicking and stamping on her. He then turned on his puppy Nala, who he beat and threatened with a knife.
The older dog escaped serious injury but Nala suffered a broken hip, jaw, cheek and a fractured skull.
District judge Lynn Matthews said Leggatt’s treatment of his animals amounted to “torture” adding that she wouldn’t trust him with a goldfish.
Judge Matthews said she was “staggered” by what she had read in the veterinary reports, noting that. “With the puppy it wasn’t a slight fracture but the bone has broken away.”
Horrific CCTV footage captured Leggatt torturing his two dogs
One of the videos showed Leggatt kicked one of the dogs 29 times.
Police uncovered the abuse when they were investigating another crime in Leggatt’s block of flats and examined CCTV.
When he was arrested Leggatt told police the dogs had been ‘naughty’ and said his only fault was not knowing when to ‘stop telling them off.’
In court, he admitted three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two counts of failing to protect it from pain, suffering and injury.
John Stokes, defending, said his client had both emotional and behavioural problems but had a partner and a young child to look after.
Sentence: jailed for 17 weeks. Banned from keeping animals for life.
In April 2016 Leggatt was jailed for 2 years for stealing £32,000 from his grandparents, Andrea and John Scott of Gravesend. His accomplice was his brother Oliver Leggatt of Paignton, Devon, who is currently serving nine years for armed robbery.
Update July 2018
Leggatt was jailed yet again after attacking a woman and breaking a rabbit’s leg by throwing him on the floor. For the animal cruelty he was given a 21-week jail sentence and a four-week consecutive sentence for the assault.
CONVICTED (2015) | Samuel Paul Healey, born 12 August 1987, of Graham House, Timperley Gardens, Redhill RH1 2BQ – subjected a young mastiff to repeated beatings, resulting in her death from extensive injuries
Healey punched and kicked the two-and-a-half year old female tan mastiff, called Puppy leaving her suffering from blunt force trauma. Her injuries were so bad that vets had no choice but to put her down.
Following the sentencing, RSPCA Inspector Robert Jackson said: “This was a hugely distressing case. A post-mortem showed Puppy suffered extensive injuries caused by blunt trauma used with considerable force.
“The vet said this caused extensive suffering. Puppy did not die quickly.
“The defendant has anger issues and said he was in a rage and very frustrated. He was very penitent afterwards and is seeking treatment for his anger management issues.”
Sentence: 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years; 100 hours of unpaid work; £500 costs. Banned from keeping animals for ten years (expires January 2025).
CONVICTED (2015) | Rosalind Cormack, born 28/03/1956 of Wellgarth Walk, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2TA – left 16 pets including cats, rabbits and a dog to starve to death inside her abandoned home
Rosalind Cormack from Bristol
RSPCA inspectors found eight dead pets in Rosalind Cormack’s filthy home – and a further seven had to be put down.
Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Lindi Meyer said RSPCA inspector Kimily Walters went to the property on August 14, 2014.
“She noticed there were flies on the window and a strange smell,” Ms Meyer said.
“The inspector attended again the next day and there was no reply. She returned the following day, on August 16.
“A tortoiseshell cat was at the kitchen window trying to get out. Another cat was at the letterbox, clawing to get out of the property.
“She looked in a black bin outside the property and saw the head of a black cat. Police were called.”
One police officer said: “The stench was unbearable, making it impossible to breathe through my nose.”
Disgusting conditions inside Rosalind Cormack’s home
There were several bowls of food and water around the cluttered home, which was strewn with animal faeces and corpses.
The tortoiseshell female cat, named Mimi, was trapped in the kitchen as a dead tan collie dog was wedged in the door.
A white kitten was found dead on the stairs, covered in fleas. A white cat was discovered dead in Cormack’s bedroom, and officers also found a dead tan hamster in a filthy cage in a front bedroom and two rabbits dead in their hutch in the garden.
A further dead kitten was discovered in Cormack’s lounge.
In interview, Cormack said the dog had been dead for up to a month, while the rabbits and hamster had died up to four months earlier.
She claimed three of the dead cats had been alive when she left, though admitted they were thin and had fleas.
Tests on the dead animals could not establish a cause of death due to the degree of decomposition, Ms Meyer said.
Inspectors took the eight live cats for treatment and found all were suffering from cat flu, fleas and had behavioural problems.
“All but one had to be euthanised,” Ms Meyer added.
Cormack pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to Mimi, not providing a suitable environment for a further eight cats, all of whom were alive on discovery, or for three cats which had died.
Sentencing: 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. Costs and charges totalling £1,080. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
