CONVICTED (2023) | disgraced ex police officer Amy Louise Byrne, born November 1992, and partner Harry Angell, born c. 1991, of Downbank Avenue, Barnehurst, Bexleyheath DA7 6RT – sold sick and dying kittens in £280k scam.
Former British Transport Police officer Amy Byrne and boyfriend Harry Angell pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and breaches of the Animal Welfare Act.
The couple bought and bred kittens for sale but when customers received their new pets many found that they were malnourished, ill and covered in their own urine or faeces.
Sales and complaints stretch back as far as 2015 and in court RSPCA prosecutor Hazel Stevens gave six examples where kittens died soon after being purchased.
The couple used at least 33 different fake names in their adverts, including claiming to be from Cat Cuddles Rehoming which is a genuine charity. On another occasion they used the ID of someone who had purchased a cat off them to advertise other kittens.
Byrne lied to buyers that she was a vet and that the kittens had been wormed and microchipped, but health certificates provided turned out to be fake.
One victim told the court that she arranged to buy a male kitten off Byrne and Angell as a surprise for her autistic son who had recently lost his cat.
Her son made a thank you card for Bryne which she accepted as she dropped off the kitten.
After Byrne left the mum realised the kitten was female, emaciated and had diarrhoea stuck in her fur. The kitten died a short time later.
Ms Stevens told the court: “There were human and animal victims in this. Humans were risk of getting these illnesses from the cat. Children who were excited about a new member of the family including one child who made a card to thank Amy Byrne, only to see them die days later.
Another victim of their scam said: “Having recently lost a cat to the road, we were so looking forward to giving a home to a new kitten. We instantly fell in love with Elsa who was so sleepy and cuddly when we got her. For the two precious weeks we had her in our lives, she became part of our family.
“We were just devastated to watch her slowly go downhill, monitoring her eating so little, trying to rid her of the worms she arrived with and taking her to the vet for numerous checks/tests. She spent her last two days in the animal hospital with them trying everything to make her better but she gave up the fight and we began our grieving for little Elsa.”
When owners got back in contact with Byrne and Angell after the sale they were often ignored, Ms Stevens said.
The court heard that on one occasion a distraught buyer and her boyfriend turned up at their house to ask for their money back. Byrne told them to wait outside until Angell arrived on the scene and shouted:
“You bought the kitten from me not Amy, but I am not giving you a f***ing penny.”
As a result of the volume of complaints that Trading Standards, the RSPCA and the police were receiving, a search was carried out at Byrne and Angell’s home on Downbank Avenue in Barnehurst, Bexleyheath on August 26, 2021.
A total of 17 kittens were found on the premises on the day of the search, with a vet assessing that six of them were suffering. Those six cats were confiscated and one died a short time later.
During the search Byrne and Angell tried to dispose of their mobile phones. Angell jumped out of the window and threw his phone in the front garden and while police were chasing him Byrne carried out a factory reset of hers.
Angell’s phone was recovered and revealed hundreds of images of kittens, enquiries about adverts and complaints from people reporting that their kittens were sick.
Messages also revealed that the couple found adverts for cheap kittens online, gave the cats flea treatments and then sold them on.
On one occasion Angell bragged about how he bought two kittens for £75 then sold them on for £600 each the next week.
Analysis carried out by the RSPCA showed that the couple intended to make a gain of £278,870.
During an interview Angell confirmed that the kittens seized had not seen a vet as he does not agree with veterinary practices.
Byrne admitted they breed cats and sell them but said they were not making a profit.
Byrne was a British Transport Police (BTP) officer when these crimes were carried out but was the subject of a misconduct investigation relating to serious drug offences which eventually led to her being fired in January 2023.
A BTP misconduct hearing report said a hydroponics tent, two cannabis plants, bag of cannabis, half smoked joint and pack of cannabis seeds were found at her address.
Sentencing | Angell was jailed for three years and four months, while Byrne was jailed for three years and eight months. The couple were also disqualified from owning pets indefinitely and cannot appeal for at least 10 years.
Nasty sick pair of scum, I’ve read this why I’m nursing my sick elderly cat, who I had to take the vets today and you have scum like that. Who use animals as a source of income. Should be a thing where you can search people throughly, its so heart breaking. I had brought a puppy who died after 6 days from parvo.
I hope you 2 get what you deserve.
She did the same to us, poor baby died after 2 weeks from disease. We knew it was probably a scam but still tried to save the poor thing, unfortunately too late. Sick because she acts like she’s doing charity work to her friends and family. Sick sick people, hope they get what’s coming to them. Rot in hell. Justice well served.
She used to work in Bexleyheath shopping centre. Telling everyone her mum was dying but lied
She used to work at a vet hospital in sidcup as a kennel assistant. Didnt last long as was bad at her job and told lies trying to get others fired in hopes of applying for their job. Got caught out in her lies then. 10 years later reading what horrible things she has done. Glad she is finally getting what she deserves
Don’t buy a pet in this way.People are baffling to me as they seem to need telling over and over again, that you cannot automatically trust people selling pets on the internet. If you do contact a breeder through the net go and collect it yourself and see what the home is like. Check the little animal’s health. I have never bought or rescued a pet without going to see the pet in the home or rescue.
Always be cautious and if they are bono fide sellers they will be happy to give you time,check you out and talk about your new pet.
we were devastated after our little one died, she plonked it in my autistic sons arms knowing full well the kitten was for him, and knowing he’d lost his beloved deaf cat of 10yrs, she stood over me whilst i made the bank transfer. he gave her a thank you card. After I got hands on the kitten and realised he was a she, had a messy bum and was very skinny I realised id been scammed and just as they were leaving i got a photo of there car and number plate. vet body scored the poor little thing at 1, they couldn’t put a line in as little veins were so small and she was just to ill. I did phone the rspca who said they probably wouldn’t be able to investigate but months down the line after so many complaints and ill dying kittens they made contact with me. I had also phoned the bank to report I’d been scammed but they wouldn’t help by refunding.
What a fantastic news on the beginning of the week!!!
I was one of the people they scammed. The kitten I bought was immature and only by miracle survived. My kids were devastated because their dream were to have a pure breed. I know I wasn’t careful enough and didn’t take precautions but I don’t regret. We have now the most affectionate pet we could imagine:) It was a good lesson for the future.
When I tried to contact them for a refund they didn’t replay. I realized I was scammed. But I managed to find them on my own (social media is a bliss) and reported Trading Standards and Police. I am so glad this sick people got what they deserved.