CONVICTED | huntsman Oliver Thompson, 32, of 4 Old Berks Hunt Kennels, Little Coxwell, Faringdon SN7 8ES – baited a petrified fox cub with a dog while his wife Felicity Thompson, aka Felicity Hook, filmed events.
Huntsman Oliver Thompson was filmed training a terrier to attack a fox
Thompson, formerly of the Old Berkshire Hunt, was filmed removing a young fox from a trap and repeatedly putting her in close proximity to a terrier named Nelly in July 2020.
The video – filmed near Melksham, Wiltshire – was leaked and the RSPCA successfully prosecuted the defendant Oliver Thompson for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Thompson pleaded guilty to the offence at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, and appeared for sentencing on Monday 11 December.
He also admitted second charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal – which involved throwing a fox to a pack of hounds on Christmas Eve 2020.
Magistrates described his offending as “sadistic behaviour” in which he had a “leading role”.
Thompson’s wife Felicity Thompson aka Felicity Hook had the case against her dismissed after the prosecution offered no evidence.
Felicity Thompson, whose voice is heard on the video, was also charged. However, prosecutors offered no evidence and the case against her was dismissed.
After the footage was leaked, the British Hound Sports Association said it had suspended Oliver Thompson pending further investigation. but he subsequently resigned from the Old Berkshire Hunt.
A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said that it was “no surprise for us to learn about the latest incident of animal cruelty”.
They added: “These two new offences pre-date, but are in addition to the recent court case of Stuart Radbourne and whipper-in Aaron Fookes who were also sentenced Hunting Act and Animal Welfare Act offences, when they also threw a fox to the hounds in Brokerswood in December 2022.
“Hunt Saboteurs are out in the fields, week in week out and witness the cruelty at every hunt we attend. The next government must act and close down the smokescreen of trail hunting for good.”
Sentencing | 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years; 300 hours of unpaid work; costs of £2,500. No dog ban was imposed but the court ordered Thompson to hand Nelly the terrier over to the RSPCA. It’s not known if she will be re-homed or put to sleep.
CONVICTED (2023) | Patrick-Michael McCluskey, born 1 June 2004, of 9 Selkirk Way, Coatbridge ML5 4TN – kept dogs and cats in a home full of household waste, clutter and animal faeces.
Teenage animal abuser Patrick-Michael McCluskey who goes by the name PM McCluskey ignored repeated warnings from the Scottish SPCA over the atrocious conditions in which he kept dogs and cats. Despite living at the same address, Sylvia McCluskey, aka Sylvia McNicoll had her not guilty plea accepted by the court.
McCluskey pleaded guilty to failing to provide a clean and safe environment for two dogs in his care, but walked free from court with an admonishment. He wasn’t even banned from owning animals.
A not guilty plea was accepted for the teenager’s mother, Sylvia Claire McCluskey, born 25 November 1963, and of the same address..
Scottish SPCA inspector, Jack Marshall, said, “We had attended the address on Selkirk Way on several occasions between October 2017 and May 2022.
“We provided Patrick-Michael McCluskey with advice and support on how to care for his animals but unfortunately the conditions at the property continued to deteriorate. We removed several dogs and cats from his care during this period.
“A previous report to the fiscal in May 2021 resulted in a fiscal’s warning being issued about the conditions animals were being kept in on the premises.
“In September 2022 we received a call from Police Scotland who had attended Selkirk Way on an unrelated matter and become extremely concerned due to conditions at the property.
“We gained a warrant to enter the address and this was conducted on 14 September 2022.
“On entering the property we found it was full of household waste, clutter and animal faeces.
“There were two one-year-old dogs at the property, a poodle-type dog named Lady and a husky named Lola.
“Due to concerns for their welfare they were immediately removed from the address and taken for veterinary examination.
“It’s disappointing that this case has only resulted in an admonishment as any responsible owner would have been able to see that the conditions within the property were far from suitable for any person, let alone an animal, to have to endure.”
*An admonition is where an accused person found guilty of a crime is warned not to offend again. It is recorded as a conviction and appears on their criminal record. No other penalty is given.
PROSECUTED BUT ACQUITTED (2023) | backyard breeder of XL bullies Aaron Harding-Beanland, born c. 1984, of Red Bank Road, Bispham. Blackpool FY2 9HX – for cruelty to two dogs kept at his home.
A court accepted that Aaron Harding-Beanland wasn’t to blame for cruelty to two XL Bullies as he was in prison at the time
Harding-Beanland pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two American XL bulldogs at his former home on School Road, Marton, Blackpool.
Oliver Savington prosecuting for the RSPCA said one female dog, Marnie, suffered from hypothermia and dehydration and another, Sparkles, had a low body weight.
The dogs were seized by the RSPCA following a raid under a warrant.
Defending himself Harding -Beanland produced evidence to show he was living elsewhere at the time of the alleged offences.
He said: “I was in prison seeing six years and nine months for firearms offences.
“I was then released to approved accommodation under probation.”
He admitted he had bought Marnie for £4,500 from a breeder in Preston before he was jailed.
Acquitting Harding- Beanland the judge told him: “Certain aspects of this case disturb me.
“You were clearly not living at the property at the time and the case has not been proved to the required criminal standard.”
‘Not Guilty’ (2023) | huntsman Myles O’Connor, born c 1993, of 3 Greenwells Cottages, Melrose TD6 9HE – cleared of illegally hunting a fox with dogs.
Myles O’Connor, formerly a whipper-in with the Buccleuch Hunt, is now believed to be working for the Old Berkshire Hunt in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Image credit: Scottish Borders Hunt Sabs
O’Connor, of the Buccleuch Hunt based in the Scottish Borders, was found not guilty of hunting a fox with dogs at Hume, near Kelso, on 22 December 2021.
It was claimed that a hound started chasing a fox after picking up a scent and nothing was done to stop the pursuit.
Myles O’Connor gets friendly with fellow wildlife killer Tim Allen, also of the Buccleuch Hunt. Source: Scottish Borders Hunt Sabs
However, Mark Moir KC said in his closing statement: “Mr O’Connor did not see the single hound chasing the fox and therefore was not deliberately involved in encouraging the hunting.”
After considering the evidence, Sheriff Peter Paterson agreed and delivered a not guilty verdict.
He said: “It is well known that cases of this nature involve highly emotive issues with a clear polar divide.
“That is not a matter for the court. It is for the court to apply the law.
“In this case, thankfully and possibly for the last time, this does not need the complexities of the 2002 Act.
“It boils down to whether the accused witnessed the single hound pursuing the fox and under the law I need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt.”
Sheriff Paterson said he agreed with Mr Moir’s position that O’Connor did not see the hound pursuing the fox and, if he had, he would have taken steps to recall that hound.
He added he had no difficulty in returning a not guilty verdict in this case.
O’Connor, who gave an address in Melrose, is no longer with the Buccleuch Hunt and is understood to be working for the Old Berkshire Hunt, which is based in Faringdon, Oxfordshire.
Robbie Marsland, director of the LACS, said it was disappointed with “yet another not guilty verdict”.
He said it showed the need for a “new, stronger law” to replace the 2002 act, which the group said had led to only one successful prosecution for mounted fox hunting.
‘NOT GUILTY’ (2023) | Sarah Kate Moulds, née Stimson, born June 1984, of 2 Oakham Road, Somerby, Melton Mowbray LE14 2QF – acquitted by a jury despite being filmed kicking a pony to the chest and slapping him across the head four times.
‘Not guilty’ | Sarah Moulds, a former primary school teacher, was filmed kicking and striking a pony during a fox hunt.
After a three-day trial at Lincoln crown court Sarah Moulds was cleared of animal cruelty by a jury. She and several friends and family also in court, wept as the verdict was delivered.
The vile incident, which took place in Gunby, Lincolnshire, on 6 November 2021, was caught on camera by the Hertfordshire Hunt Saboteurs when Moulds was out with the Cottesmore Hunt.
The RSPCA, which brought the prosecution, argued that Moulds’ actions would have caused the 12-year-old horse, called Bruce, ‘fear, distress and psychological suffering’.
An equine vet who gave evidence in court said Bruce demonstrated fear in the video, which the Crown said constituted suffering at Moulds’ hands.
But Moulds claimed she had acted because Bruce had broken free from a child and needed to be disciplined. She also insisted she had not hurt him.
Bruce was taken to a vet 10 days after the incident and was found to be ‘in very good health’.
Following her acquittal, Moulds claimed the RSPCA’s decision to prosecute her was “political”
The court heard that Moulds and her family had been bombarded with death threats and “messages of hate” after the footage went viral on social media.
Moulds was suspended, then sacked from her job as a primary school teacher. The Pony Club, where she volunteered as a team leader, also dismissed her.
Following the ‘not guilty’ verdict, the RSPCA defended its decision to prosecute Moulds, citing a 95% success rate in animal welfare cases that it brings to court.
It led the prosecution case alone, with no input from the police or the Crown Prosecution Service.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We do not take the decision to bring prosecution lightly.
‘We apply the same tests as the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to prosecute someone for animal welfare offences.
‘This requires there to be sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and for it to be in the public interest to prosecute.
‘This case was reviewed by a prosecution case manager, an independent solicitor and a barrister who all agreed that the evidential test was met and with the support of two expert vets.
‘We accept the court’s decision today and thank the jury for their careful consideration, but the public can be assured the RSPCA will always look into concerns that are raised to us about animal neglect and cruelty.
‘We believe that treating all animals with kindness will lead to a more compassionate society and we need everyone to help us do that.
‘Animals do not learn well when they are scared or stressed so physically punishing them is not effective, as a wealth of science shows.
‘That’s why we advocate the use of positive reward training instead of force and fear.’
CONVICTED (2023) | Dean Callum Parkes, born July 1995, of Orwell Close, Malmesbury SN16 9UB – for cruelty to a critically injured dachshund owned by girlfriend Fae Brittany Prangle, born c. 1995, of Easton Square, Sherston SN16 0LX.
Dean Parkes and Fae Prangle were prosecuted by the RSPCA after miniature dachshund Mable suffered critical injuries
Four-year-old miniature dachshund Mable suffered chest injuries consistent with blunt force trauma while in the care of Dean Parkes. Her owner Fae Prangle, who had recently started a relationship with Parkes, took Mable to a vet who found signs of a high heart rate and abdominal pain. The vet told Prangle that Mable could go home but advised her to monitor her.
After Mable’s condition deteriorated, Prangle returned to the vet practice and a more thorough veterinary examination found that she had suffered fractures to three ribs and numerous pelvic fractures.
The vet likened Mable’s injuries to those resulting from a road traffic accident.
Prangle could provide no explanation for Mable’s injuries and the RSPCA was alerted.
Parkes was found not guilty of inflicting the injuries on Mable but was convicted of failing to protect her from pain, suffering and injury. Prangle was found not guilty and will now have Mable and another dog with similar injuries returned to her.
The RSPCA attended Prangle’s home in Sherston, near Malmesbury, on 6 January 2022 and seized Mable, an 18-month-old miniature dachshund puppy called Matilda and Duke, a red Labrador belonging to Parkes.
Matilda was examined by vets and found to have sustained numerous pelvic fractures, similar to those suffered by Mable.
It transpired that Prangle had sought treatment for Matilda on 3 December, eight days after she said the dog had jumped off an embankment during a walk and started limping. But she claimed Matilda’sr limp and lameness were intermittent and said the pet didn’t show any signs of pain or serious injury.
Finding no evidence of serious injury, the vet released Matlida back to Prangle with seven days’ worth of anti-inflammatory medication.
Both Parkes and Prangle faced charges of causing unnecessary suffering to Mable and Matilda by failing to seek prompt vet care and failing to protect them from pain, suffering and injury.
Parkes and Prangle gave similar accounts of the circumstances surrounding Mable’s injuries and the timeline of events, but these were contradicted by Prangle’s sister, Heather Prangle.
After hearing expert evidence District Judge Joanna Dickens found Parkes not guilty of inflicting the injuries on Mable, stating: “He clearly had the opportunity to do it. I didn’t find his explanation very convincing.
“Whilst he could have done it, and certainly on the balance of probabilities did do it, I am not sure, and therefore I find you not guilty.”
Parkes with red Lab Duke
However, he was found guilty of failing to protect Mable from pain, suffering and injury.
She added: “Mr Parkes was responsible for that animal when that injury happened. Something happened to Mable, I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure Mr Parkes knows.
“Whether he did it or someone else did it, either way, he didn’t take reasonable steps to prevent this happening.”
Prangle was found not guilty on both charges. Judge Dickens said that she “obviously loves the dogs” and took them to the vet when she had concerns about them.
Parkes, co-director of Empire Construction & Carpentry Limited, has a police caution for harassing an ex-girlfriend.
He will be sentenced in June 2023 and faces a ban from owning animals.
Mable and Matilda were released from Bath Cats and Dogs Home back to Prangle – who remains in a relationship with Parkes and now lives with him.
CONVICTED (2023) | Raki Islam, born 7 November 1978, of 195 High Street, Prestonpans EH32 9AY – for the mistreatment of multiple dogs kept at the home she shared with co-accused (but acquitted) Kevin John Martin born 16 November 1971.
Raki Islam and husband Kevin Martin had faced charges in relation to seven dogs suffering from a number of health conditions including demodectic mange, deep bacterial pyoderma, malassezia, pachy dermatitis, giardiasis, verminosis, a parasite burden, and severe bilateral conjunctivitis.
The pair were already well-known to the Scottish SPCA. Inspector Fiona Thorburn said the charity had “received multiple reports to our animal helpline dating back many years, with concerns about living conditions and animal cruelty and neglect at both the locus in Prestonpans and other properties in East and West Lothian.
Regarding the investigation and prosecution, Inspector Thorburn said: “In June 2021 a report was made to our helpline and videos sent to us of 13 dogs being kept in the rear garden of the property on High Street [Prestonpans] which was covered in faeces and had no adequate shelter.
“The videos were extremely concerning with seven of the dogs appearing to be underweight and virtually bald with very thickened skin.
“With sufficient evidence a warrant was granted by the procurator fiscal, the property was attended along with Police Scotland and the local authority.
“Entry to the property was forced and the 13 dogs were found in the garden which was heavily soiled with diarrhoea, faeces and urine. There was not enough shelter provided for the number of dogs and the smell was overwhelming.
“Several of the dogs were bald and suffering from very severe skin conditions. Their eyes and ears were also painful and infected with copious discharge, and some were underweight.
“All 13 of the dogs were removed and taken for immediate veterinary examination and treatment.
“Seven puppies were found to have a heavy mange burden, which is usually only evident in animals with compromised immune systems. They had chronic secondary infections because of this which affected their skin, ears, eyes, feet and genitals, causing pain and irritation.
“The puppies also had giardia, meaning they were both infected by, and actively shedding, the parasite causing severe diarrhoea. If left untreated this disease can be deadly.”
Islam and Martin were charged with failing to provide adequate care and allowing dogs to suffer. They were also said to have failed to provide adequate shelter and bedding and exposed the animals to faeces and urine between July 1, 2019, and June 14, 2021.
Martin faced additional allegations of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at his home on February 23, 2021.
Martin, who is no stranger to the courts with previous convictions for offences such as assault and failure to adhere to a dog control notice pleaded not guilty to all charges against him and these were accepted by the crown.
Islam pleaded guilty to a single charge but, quite unbelievably, dodged punishment altogether.
Instead she was admonished by the court and will still be allowed to keep animals.
SSPCA inspector Thorburn expressed her disappointment over the latest shocking injustice by the Scottish courts.
She said: “We feel saddened that despite the time and effort we have taken putting together a case where Islam has been charged, she has only been admonished. We believe this decision will likely result in more dogs suffering unnecessarily in the future.
“The dogs removed from Islam’s property took several months to fully recover in the care of the Scottish SPCA and thankfully have now found loving homes where their welfare needs will be met.”
In February 2015 the Daily Record published an article on Kevin Martin’s dispute with neighbours over a herd of 24 pigs kept in inadequate conditions at his Magic Farm business in Willow Rise, Haddington, which he ran with brother-in-law Shafiqul Islam.
The pigs were seized in February 2014 under animal welfare laws.
Martin appealed against the seizure but his case was thrown out at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Martin complained to the Record that he had been discriminated against by “the poshest people in Scotland” who “bombarded the council with ridiculous complaints about me”.
The Record also reported that Martin, who “has a conviction for violence and had criminal associates”, was targeted by gangland enforcer Frank Doris in 2008 when a £30,000 contract was put on his head. Doris was hired by a property developer named Martin Black, who claimed he was living in fear of Martin after a soured business deal.
Martin said he moved to East Lothian to put his past behind him.
He said he kept the pigs for a planned social inclusion project he wanted to set up to help inner city kids learn countryside skills.
Martin, who describes himself as an “ethical entrepreneur”, claimed police raided the Magic Far business after receiving a tip-off he was running a cannabis farm.
He has a colourful business history, including interests in diamond mines in Sierra Leone and importing coconuts from Bangladesh and admitted tax evasion during a trial.
In March 2020 Kevin Martin was given a three-year ban on owning dogs after allowing a large-breed dog to roam and attack two of his neighbours’ pets.
The dog – a Turkish Kangal – savaged a retriever and a terrier in the grounds of the Whittingehame Estate, east of Haddington, East Lothian.
The Kangal – originally bred to protect livestock from wolves, bears and jackals – attacked both dogs by pinning them to the ground and biting them to the neck while out on walks with their owners.
Martin had been served with a dog control notice following a series of complaints from several worried residents of the exclusive £1.5million apartments in 2018.
But he continued to allow the guard dog, named Mia, out on her own to patrol the grounds before the out-of-control animal then went on to carry out the attacks on his neighbours’ pets.
Martin, who runs a social enterprise for disadvantaged children called the Earthy School Project, denied being the owner of the dog and breaching the control notice, and stood trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on several dates in 2019.
The court was told that Martin had been served with the dog notice on September 5, 2018 after numerous complaints from Whittingehame residents about the Kangal being allowed out on her own.
Martin claimed he had bought the 30kg guard dog as “a livestock guardian” as foxes had attacked his geese and hens, but denied being the actual owner of the animal.
Martin was also facing a separate allegation of assaulting sheriff officer Alex Horne, who had attended at his property in July 2018.
Mr Horne told the court that he was climbing a gate when Martin nudged it with his vehicle during a visit to the estate to serve him a notice. He also said Martin had attempted to punch him during the confrontation.
Following the evidence, Martin was found guilty of failing to adhere to a dog control notice and allowed his animal to attack other dogs, causing injury, at Whittingehame Estate on four occasions on September 14 and 29, October 3 and 28, 2018.
Martin was also found guilty of assaulting sheriff officer Alexander Horne by driving a vehicle at and colliding with a fence Mr Horne was surmounting and attempting to punch him on July 16, 2018.
The sheriff fined Martin £200 and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.
CONVICTED (2022) | Kathleen Townley, born 12 March 1969, of Wellington House, Glebe Road, Downham Market PE38 9QN – failed to seek veterinary care for her injured cat.
Kathleen Townley was only convicted of failing to take her injured cat to the vet, but was initially charged with attempting to kill him.
Townley was charged alongside co-accused Mark Baylis of the same address, although he was cleared following a trial. Townley’s son Zach Townley, born 17 March 1999, of 14 Silver Green, Fairstead, King’s Lynn PE30 4SG, was charged with inflicting the injuries on the male tabby cat, Ozzy, but pleaded not guilty and the case against him was discontinued .
Townley with Mark Baylis, who was cleared of cruelty to Ozzy after a trial.
Townley pleaded guilty to failing to ensure Ozzy’s welfare. She pleaded not guilty to a second charge of attempting to kill the cat but this charge was also discontinued.
The court heard that RSPCA officers, acting on a tip-off about the cat, went to Townley and Baylis’s home on the morning of January 19, 2022.
Prosecutor Hugh Rowland said there were four other cats, two dogs and two corn snakes, all in apparent good condition.
After seeing Ozzy’s condition, the officers agreed with Townley that he would be signed over to the RSPCA.
Mr Rowland said: “When Inspector Kirby lifted Ozzy to place him in the cat basket, he tried to get away but couldn’t use his back legs properly.
“He was falling to one side and standing on his hocks and it was Inspector Kirby’s view that he needed to see a vet.”
The court heard that Ozzy’s apparent injury or disease was “readily observable”.
During Baylis’ trial, he admitted being jointly responsible for Ozzy but said he had denied the charge because his partner was the cat’s owner.
Baylis said he had noticed Ozzy limping “a day or two” before the RSPCA came and he intended to take him to the vet when he got paid that week.
Magistrates found Baylis not guilty, saying there was doubt over whether Ozzy needed urgent attention as the RSPCA had not examined him until the day after he was signed over to the charity.
During her sentencing hearing, Townley said she would have taken Ozzy to the vet’s but did not have enough money.
Her solicitor Ruth Johnson said: “I must stress that from the outset she has vehemently denied there was any mistreatment of the cat.”
The court heard that Townley had since rehomed all of her pets apart from two Chihuahuas.
Zach Townley was accused of inflicting the injuries on Ozzy but the RSPCA were unable to prove this.
Earlier in 2022 Zach Townley pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, which related to inflicting a blunt force trauma and physical violence to Ozzy between January 1 and January 20, 2022.
The RSPCA also discontinued that case this week after offering no evidence.
The court heard that Ozzy’s condition improved with anti-inflammatory medicine and he has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | Townley was fined £80 and ordered to pay £100 costs and £34 victim surcharge.
CONVICTED (2022) | Samuel Ronald Hessin, born c. 1976, and son Samuel Arthur Hessin, born c. 2000, of Balnamoon Farm, Crossroads, Keith AB55 6ND – ran an illegal puppy farm where dozens of disease-ridden dogs were neglected and forced to live in squalor; one dog bred to death.
Puppy farmers Samuel Hessin Jr and Sr, who are pictured during their court appearance, were only given a 10-year ban on owning dogs.
The Hessins, who are originally from Magherafelt in Northern Ireland, were given community sentences and a 10-year ban on owning dogs after running a squalid puppy farm.
The pair posed as legitimate breeders but sold animals who were suffering the effects of mental and physical neglect.
Dozens of dogs were found living in atrocious conditions at the farm when it was raided in a joint operation involving the Scottish SPCA, Moray Council trading standards and Police Scotland.
The raid followed two separate complaints from members of the public. One report came from a woman and her daughter who had gone to view a puppy sold by the pair. The women declined to buy the dog as he looked and smelled “filthy” but alerted the authorities.
Almost 60 dogs were seized in the multi-agency operation but with two of them pregnant, the SSPCA ended up caring for 78 dogs in total. The animal charity was forced to appeal for donations to help cover the costs of caring for the sheer number of rescued dogs.
Puppies were forced to live in filth-infested cages without proper hydration or heat and had e-coli infections, rancid skin conditions and infected sores
Samuel Hessin Sr, who told an SSPCA investigator he believed he had met the animals’ needs by providing them with food water and shelter, averted his eyes as distressing footage was played to the court. This showed litters of Labrador and Staffordshire bull terrier puppies, as well as adult springer spaniels, kept within sparse cages, as well as a number of terrier-type dogs running around a house strewn with litter and with brown streaks on the floor.
Twenty-eight of the dogs were later found to have diarrhoea, including all but one of the youngest puppies.
A two-year-old Staffie was described as having a “grossly swollen” neck and a “large gaping wound” behind her left ear.
Three more dogs were to said to have painful skin conditions, while a further 11 were infected with ear mites.
The dogs were said to be at various locations including Huntly and Buckie as well as Keith.
Bred to death: one dog (bottom right) was pregnant with her third litter of the year and tragically died while giving birth.
The Hessins used fake names and multiple email addresses to advertise the dogs on websites like Gumtree and Freeads.
They pretended they were family pets or their offspring but were actually imported from Northern Ireland.
SSPCA inspectors said that no regard was shown for the animals’ welfare, with many being found with eye, skin and respiratory diseases caused by faecal matter and urine covering the living space. The dogs were also said to be left with little food or ventilation.
One dog was pregnant with her third litter of the year – one more than is allowed in a dog’s lifetime – and died during birth in what was thought to be caused by overbreeding.
All of the remaining dogs were rehomed with loving families
Hessin Sr told investigators he was “only required to provide food, water and shelter” to the dogs in his care, but ultimately admitted cruelty charges.
That cruelty included exposing puppies to faeces, diarrhoea, urine and generally unhygienic conditions. The pups also weren’t given proper ventilation, hydration and warmth and were starved of stimulus, exercise and adequate separation.
Meanwhile, other dogs and puppies were subjected to inadequate birthing conditions and not allowed to “exhibit normal behaviour patterns” – a failure on their owner’s part to protect them from disease, injury and mental and physical suffering.
One puppy in Hessin Snr’s care was found underweight and with bloody diarrhoea. Another was infected with e-coli and a third “smelled filthy” and had private parts encrusted with pus.
He also admitted selling or advertising for sale more than 100 dogs without a licence to do so between December 3 2018 and September 9 2019 and being in possession of 56 dogs for the purpose of sale on the latter date.
Samuel Hessin junior admitted two different charges of misleading trading practices and causing the animals unnecessary suffering.
Balnamoon puppy farm near Keith in Moray
Between June 12 2019 and September 19 2019 he failed to provide proper care and veterinary treatment to 56 dogs and 12 puppies, who were found to be suffering from gastrointestinal, dental, respiratory, skin and parasitic diseases.
Three puppies – named Tiree, Danna and Calla – suffered chronic skin conditions including demodectic mange and bacterial and fungal infections causing hair loss and scaly, reddened and pustulated skin.
Danna needed surgery for her eye condition while another pup named Scarba had fractured teeth, an infected cut on her neck and an ear mite infestation.
The younger Hessin also admitted trading offences whereby he pretended to be selling family-bred dogs which were actually imported animals from Northern Ireland.
Between December 2 2018 and September 9 2019 he listed more than 100 dogs for sale on Gumtree and Freeads websites using 18 different names, 11 different email addresses and 18 different mobile numbers.
He also made misleading statements in the adverts giving the false impression that the dogs were family pets or offspring of family pets, the charge states.
The adverts also misleadingly claimed the animals were in good health and being sold through a legitimate business.
Charges were originally brought against other family members, namely Donna Hessin, born c. 1976, and Rachel Hessin, born c. 1998, but their not guilty pleas were accepted by the court
Many of the dogs have now been rehomed with loving families.
An SSPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said: “These dogs were kept in horrendous conditions which were ripe for causing horrific disease and suffering. After we seized them, vets found many were suffering from a host of skin, eye and respiratory diseases.
“Many dogs were carrying wounds consistent with kennel fights and we are in no doubt this was due to the stress caused by the conditions these poor animals were kept in. The stench of urine, lack of proper bedding and the amount of faeces on the floors and even in amongst what small amount of food was out, clearly showed there was no regard for the welfare of these dogs.
“All of this, combined with the lack of ventilation, meant disease spread with ease among these poor animals. This site was clearly a low-welfare puppy farm.
“Two of the female dogs were pregnant when they came in to our care. Sadly, the birth was just too much for one of them and she passed away during labour. We believe she had been badly overbred and it was her third litter in just one year.”
The charity expressed concern about the sentence, stating that they believe that those running puppy farms should be banned from keeping animals for life.
SSPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “Securing a conviction is a great result, but we believe anyone convicted of running a puppy farm should get a life ban on owning animals. Individuals prepared to put profit before welfare to an extent that dogs get seriously ill should not be allowed to keep animals.”
Sentencing | 300 hours of unpaid work; 18-month supervision order. 10-year bans on keeping dogs.
The Hessin family moved from Ireland to the north-east of Scotland in 2018 for a “better life” and bought the 105-hectare Balnamoon Farm, along with its five-bedroom 1880s farmhouse, for more than £1,050.000.
But with failing finances Samuel Hessin Jnr had taken up a Northern Irish friend’s offer of some dogs to sell on.
The animals were imported to Scotland but the Hessins pretended to buyers that they were family pets or their offspring.
By using fake names and multiple email addresses, the rogue dealers were able to advertise the dogs on websites like Gumtree and Freeads.
The crackdown into their illegal business was codenamed Operation Delphin and involved teams from the SSPCA, Moray Council trading standards and Police Scotland.
Hessin Snr and Hessin Jnr, along with Donna and Rachel Hessin, were charged with posing as legitimate breeders and selling animals who were suffering the effects of mental and physical neglect.
Once charges against the two women were dropped, the father and son accepted responsibility and changed their plea ahead of a trial at Elgin Sheriff Court.
· Samuel Hessin Snr admitted failing to meet the suitable environmental needs of dogs and puppies at Balnamoon between May 31 2019 and September 9 2019.
· Samuel Hessin Jnr admitted two different charges of misleading trading practices and causing the animals unnecessary suffering.
Phones and paperwork seized by Moray Trading Standards showed that between December 3, 2018 and September, 19, 2019 Samuel Hessin Jnr had placed multiple adverts on Gumtree and Freeads under various email addresses and contact names.
He used 18 different names and mobile numbers, 11 email addresses and three separate locations to mislead buyers into thinking they were buying family pets from a family home.
It’s estimated that they had made around £10,000 from the puppy farm operation.
Hessin Snr averted his eyes in the dock as footage of the squalid conditions was played during their sentencing.
His son’s solicitor said the pair’s illegal bidding was an attempt to shore up the “horrific figures” in the account books of the family farm.
The younger man was described as a “bit of a daft lad, not a criminal mastermind” who “just let it get out of hand”.
A potential puppy buyer who reported them thought that was a “pretty pitiful” punishment, given what she saw during her traumatic visit to Balnamoon Farm.
“It’s awful. Of course, they should be in jail,” she said. “From what I saw alone they should have been in jail, never mind what I didn’t see, which was worse.
“It doesn’t seem right that they have only got a ban for 10 years and community service.
“How these poor dogs must have felt and how scared they must have felt … it really breaks my heart.
CONVICTED (2022) | Brodie Alexander Burns, aka Brodie Geddes, born c. 1996, of Willowbank Road, Peterhead AB42- caught on camera punching his dog.
Brodie Burns and the Staffy he attacked.
Footage of Brodie Burns attacking the unnamed Staffordshire bull terrier in Berryden Road, Peterhead while Stewart looked on went viral and the pair tracked down by police.
Burns later admitted repeatedly kicking and punching the pet on April 24, 2021.
Still from the horrific video footage shows Burns laying into the dog while Stewart watched.
He and his partner Lesleyann Stewart were initially both charged after the video was widely shared on social media platforms. They both denied the offence during an earlier court appearance.
Unbelievably Lesleyann Stewart had her not guilty plea accepted by the court.
Burns changed his plea in March 2022 while Stewart, despite being present during the attack and doing nothing to intervene, had her not guilty pleas accepted.
Burns was given a supervision order and curfew. As he was not banned from keeping animals, he will be allowed to keep the dog he attacked.
He also admitted a charge of assault to injury and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
After pleading guilty, he told Sheriff Christine McCrossan: “I love my dog. I love it … it was just a stupid mistake.”
After calling for background reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment, she handed Burns a period of 12 months under social work supervision and a three-month curfew. He was not banned from owning animals.
