CONVICTED (2023) | former head gamekeeper David John Scott, born c. 1989, of Bridgehaugh, Dufftown, Keith AB55 4DS – kept 14 dogs in appalling conditions at the home he shared with wife Gillian Elizabeth Scott.
David Scott, a former gamekeeper, admitted neglecting 14 dogs with additional charges relating to dog fighting and setting a dog on a snared fox were dropped. Photo credit: Press & Journal
Scott admitted a catalogue of animal welfare offences in relation to 14 neglected dogs.
The Crown accepted a not guilty plea from his wife, Gillian Scott.
The court heard Scott had been head gamekeeper at Cabrach and Glenfiddich Estates until the raid on his home in September 2022.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said the Scottish SPCA’s special investigation unit had received a tip-off about the welfare of animals being kept by the Scotts during August 2022 and attended the scene with police.
Wife Gillian Scott escaped punishment after her not guilty plea was accepted by the court
There they found three “wet, extremely dirty” and “totally unacceptable” kennel blocks, each without any sleeping areas for the dogs.
Ms Poke said: “There was a strong smell of faeces and urine abundant throughout the kennels,
“There were no dry areas for the dogs to lie down and no evidence of any dog food.”
The officers found a barrel full of rotten meat and fish it was suggested this is what the dogs were being fed.
All 14 dogs were removed to the care of the SSPCA and were said to have been “suffering and in distress”.
Scott admitted causing unnecessary suffering and pain to dogs by not seeking veterinary treatment or providing them with essential care.
Photo credit: Press & Journal
As part of a plea bargain, a not guilty plea to a charge that Scott trained a male black and tan dog called Boysie to fight and supplied videos of his brawls was accepted by the Crown.
The dog-fights were said to have taken place at the home address.
Another offence, whilst at Cabrach and Glenfiddich Estate on July 13 2022, of snaring a fox and letting his dog attack it, was also dropped.
The 14 neglected dogs included:
Ellie, a female harrier-type dog, who suffered an ear mite infection for weeks without getting treatment.
Babatoots, a female spaniel who also had infected ears and gums for weeks without medical help.
Toots, another female spaniel who suffered from infections of the ears and gums.
Sadie, a female spaniel who had chronic ear infections and conjunctivitis.
Defence counsel Callum Anderson said the couple had been going through a “difficult period” in their lives at the time of the police raid. He said Scott had accepted the conditions were “awful” and said the kennels had become so wet due to a “torrential storm” the night before.
Mr Anderson said Mrs Scott still owns two dogs as family pets and said the lapse was due to “dramatic circumstances”, including the death of her father and a medical issue around the date of the offences.
“They accept they were not dealing with matters at that time. That is the reason why veterinary treatment was neglected,” he said.
Scott had lost his position as head gamekeeper after the raid and had been “demoted sideways”, whilst still earning a salary of £40,000 plus accommodation worth £15,000 per annum.
“He recognises it was not acceptable and lessons have been learned,” Mr Anderson said.
On sentencing, Sheriff Robert McDonald said Scott had “failed to keep a grip” on his animals, adding: “No matter how bad your life is, your animals still need looking after.
“The dogs don’t care. If things are tough, you should make arrangements for them.
“I am conscious of your employment and that you may be around dogs when out on a shoot. I have the power to impose a custodial sentence or a £20,000 fine.
“However, I have taken this into account and take a serious view and will impose a fine.”
Sentencing | fined £1,275. Banned from owning more than two dogs for just three years (expires September 2026).
CONVICTED (2023) | Natalia Piszczyk, born 14 September 2002, of Carnie Place, Buckie AB56 1EN – starved a dog to death.
Piszczyk was banned from keeping any type of animal for the next five years following the death of black-and-tan German Shepherd, Berlin, who was just nine months old.
On November 15, 2021, Piszczyk rang a veterinary surgery to say her dog had died, and asked for him to be picked up and cremated.
Two people went round the next day to Piszczyk’s home at Carnie Place, Buckie. She opened the door and they saw that Berlin had been placed on a duvet in the front porch.
The court was told that the property was strewn with rubbish, with some items of litter, including a cigarette packet, next to and underneath the dog.
The dog was described as being emaciated with sunken eye sockets.
The vet practice alerted the Scottish SPCA and senior inspector, Lesley Crockett, attended the surgery.
She said: “On 16 November 2021 I received a call via our animal helpline regarding a dead dog found in an emaciated condition that had been brought into a veterinary surgery in Buckie. I attended the surgery that same day and was shown the dog, a German Shepherd dog called Berlin.
“The dog was in an emaciated condition and I could feel all his ribs and pelvic bones – he was one of the thinnest dogs I have seen. His eyes were sunken into his head and there was reddish staining on his paws.
“On 17 November 2021 I visited Berlin’s owner’s address but there was no reply so I left a card asking the owner, Natalia Piszczyk, to get in touch. I contacted her by email on 29 November 2021 to arrange an interview under caution about Berlin due to concerns over his poor condition. Arrangements were made by email to meet on 14 December 2021 at the premises.
“I received the final post-mortem report on 29 November 2021 showing that the cause of death was inhalational pneumonia. It concluded that the respiratory disease that the dog was suffering from would have been obvious to the person caring for him and that veterinary advice should have been sought. The pneumonia is likely to have been present for at least 48 hours and possibly several days. It is severe enough that the dog would have shown clinical signs of respiratory compromise.”
The post-mortem also revealed Berlin weighed only 18kg (2st 11 lbs). The usual weight for a male Alsatian is between 30 and 40kg.
Inspector Crockett continued: “On 14 December 2021 we met Natalia Piszczyk at her property. The property smelt strongly of dog urine and faeces and the carpet in the living room was visibly badly stained.
“The accused stated that sometimes Berlin didn’t eat his food so she soaked it with water but she did not see anything wrong with him.
“Berlin was subjected to unnecessary suffering and his subsequent respiratory failure caused him pain and distress that ultimately led to his death.”
Defence solicitor Martin O’Neill said his client had been homeless before she and Berlin came to live at Carnie Place.
He added: “At the time she wasn’t really capable of looking after herself, let alone anybody or anything else.
“She did have some concerns for the dog, but as he was still taking water, going for walks and playing, she thought he was just experiencing some temporary difficulties.
“Her regret had been quite clear. She’s also not someone who’s going to be coming before the court for some other matter.
“This is something that will stay with her for the rest of her days.”
Piszczyk pleaded guilty to a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Talking directly to her, Sheriff Robert McDonald said: “Despite your inexperience it should have been obvious that your dog needed to go to a vet long before it died.
“Although you’re a first time offender I have to take into account the serious of the offence, as well as the seriousness with which society regards it.”
Sentencing | 90 hours of unpaid work; six month supervision order. Five-year ban on owning any animal (expires July 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Katie Margaret Lynch, born 28 July 1991, previously of Bogroy Crescent, Cornhill, Banff and now 1 Wood Place, Portknockie, Buckie AB56 4NJ – refused to feed her ex’s dog after they broke up, leaving the dog to become skeletal.
Katie Lynch left a dog to become skeletal after a bad break-up
Lynch admitted to Scottish SPCA inspectors that she had nothing to do with the dog – a lurcher called Dexter – after the split and just assumed her eight-year-old daughter was taking care of him.
When a vet examined the starving dog, he had a body weight of 15kg against a normal body weight for his breed of 25kg-28kg.
He was was given a body score of 0 out of 9 – a rating rarely used as it describes “skeletal cases”.
Dexter was only saved from certain death after Lynch’s mother intervened and rang the SSPCA, albeit lying that the dog was a stray.
The SSPCA collected Dexter and took him to a vet where it was concluded that he had suffered months of malnutrition.
The animal welfare charity issued a public photo appeal in a bid to trace Dexter’s owner. Multiple tip-offs named Katie Lynch as having the dog in her home.
They paid Lynch a visit and found she had two other dogs, a Staffordshire bull terrier and a schnauzer, running around her garden in good condition and enjoying a large run and kennel.
Charity inspectors interviewed Lynch and she denied ownership of Dexter, indicating he had belonged to her ex-partner.
When asked if she’d fed the dog herself, Lynch replied: “I think my daughter did. She kept sneaking out with food”, adding that she was “too busy with the break-up” to check.
She signed Dexter over to the SSPCA, who spent two months caring for him. After being nursed back to health and fed a proper diet, he was happily rehomed.
In court Lynch pleaded guilty to causing an animal unnecessary suffering.
Her defence agent Stephen Carty said she had been suffering from mental health issues at the time.
‘She was somewhat aware the dog was there’
“The break-up had a massive effect on her mental health,” he said. “The end of the relationship has probably been a positive thing for Miss Lynch.
“It appears at the end of the relationship her former partner has left the dog at the house.
“She has been somewhat aware that the dog was there but in her view, the responsibility for the care of the animal fell to her ex-partner, not her.
“It’s a matter of regret to her. If she had phoned the SSPCA I am sure they would have come out and helped.”
Referencing background and psychiatrist reports he added his client’s mental health was poor and “she had suffered a great deal herself”.
He added the first offender had acted “out of character” but had recently moved back in with her mother who was providing a “great source of support”.
Sheriff Robert McDonald, who was shown photos of Dexter at his thinnest, said the images and the body score were “shocking”.
He said he took into account Lynch’s personal circumstances at the time but that “doesn’t excuse the offence”.
He said he ordinarily “wouldn’t hesitate in imposing a disqualification order” in a case like this, but said he trusted the SSPCA would have acted if they had any concerns over the care of Lynch’s other two dogs.
SSPCA senior inspector Lesley Crocket said she would have liked to have seen Lynch banned from keeping animals.
She added: “Lynch claimed the dog belonged to her ex-partner, who she had last seen two or three months prior and that she was unaware if Dexter had been left behind in her garden.
“She claimed never to have heard the dog barking and thought her ex-partner had taken him away or sold him.
“We’re pleased that Lynch has received a sentence for the suffering she caused to Dexter. However, it’s disappointing that she has not received a ban on keeping animals in this case.
Sentencing | 90 hours of unpaid work; six-month supervision order. No ban or deprivation order.
CONVICTED (2023) | Janusz Artur Wadzinski, born c. 1993, of Dykeside Cottages, Birnie, Elgin IV30 8SU – repeatedly ran over a pig with a quad bike before beating her with a four-foot stick.
Farmworker Janusz Wadzinski rode a quad bike over a screaming sow around six times during his employment with Karro Foods. Image source: Press & Journal
Farm worker Janusz Wadzinski was found guilty of causing an animal unnecessary suffering after witnesses saw him repeatedly run over a screaming sow with a quad bike before thrashing her with a long stick.
The court heard how Polish national Wadzinski had been working for Karro Food Group at Clackmarras Farm, Longmorn, Elgin for six years.
On March 20 2020, he was seen chasing a single pig on his quad, striking her hind legs with the bike until she fell and then running the quad up onto her her back before rolling off of her.
A mother and daughter out walking their dogs saw him do this at least six times and the elder of the women went on to watch in horror as he then “whacked” the pig repeatedly with a long stick.
Witness Claire Hendry told the court: “He was driving up behind her, knocked her back legs to knock her down and as she fell he was rolling up on her back and rolling off again.
“He repeated this more than six times. He was shouting but we didn’t understand as it was in Polish.
“There was a lot of shouting and swearing. We are animal lovers so it was horrific, absolutely horrific the way he was coming for her. I was a state.”
As Mrs Hendry ran down the field towards Wadzinski she saw the pig being herded into a hay bale enclosure where she was further abused.
“I will never forget that white stick,” she said. “It was three-four feet long. He picked it up and he was beating and beating her. Every time you heard a whack there was a squeal.
“This is a man who is meant to be in charge of these animals’ welfare and this is what he was doing to her.
“The pig was traumatised and squealing. I was screaming and shouting ‘oi’ at him and he eventually stopped and came over.
“He folded his arms and just said ‘what’.”
When the woman told Wadzinski he shouldn’t be chasing and striking the animal, he replied: “She not do as she’s told”.
When she said that was no excuse for his behaviour, he replied: “I go now and I kill her. I can because I work here.”
Lauren Hendry also witnessed the quad bike incident and told the court it left her in tears.
After briefly returning home she was so “shocked and disgusted” that she went back to the farm and spoke to a farm manager, who told her: “I will have a word with him”.
“I felt like I wasn’t being believed,” she added.
Wadzinski was also seen repeatedly striking the animal with a four-foot stick. Image source: Press & Journal
Taking to the stand himself, Wadzinksi told his defence lawyer Iain Maltman he continues to be employed at the farm but for the last six months has worked as a maintenance man rather than with the pigs.
He denied being on the quad behind the pig, denied hitting her with a stick and suggested he and his colleague worked side-by-side permanently to move the pigs from one paddock to another.
When the sow wouldn’t go, he claimed he was told to get a trailer to move her and that the incidents of abuse simply never happened.
He told Mr Maltman: “I didn’t say I would kill the pig. I said she was causing problems and most likely she would have to be shot.”
He claimed he said that in response to racist remarks being made towards him by Mrs Hendry and retaliated because he was “upset and tired”.
Karro’s breeding herd manager Cameron Fordyce, 53, assured the court Wadzinksi had no authority or means of killing any pigs and said having inspected the animal himself he saw no signs of injury.
However, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood delivered his verdict immediately, rejecting the evidence of defence witnesses.
“In relation to charge one, I have no doubts you are guilty as libelled,” he told Wadzinksi.
He fined Wadzinksi, who lives in work-provided accommodation at Dykeside Cottages, Birnie, Elgin, £500 and banned him from keeping or working with animals for just one year.
A spokesman for the company Karro Food Limited (formerly Grampian Country Pork) told the Press and Journal that “appropriate action will be taken” following the verdict.
He said: “As a responsible employer, Karro Food Limited ensures high welfare standards of pigs on our own farms and throughout our supply chain.
“We do not condone or tolerate animal cruelty in any form.
“We note the court’s guilty verdict in relation to Janusz Wadzinski’s treatment of the animal in question and appropriate action will be taken.”
Mr Maltman said this ban could mean the end of Wadzinski’s employment.
Sentencing | fined £500. One-year ban on keeping or working with animals.
Following Janusz Wadzinski’s conviction for pig cruelty, several local people took to Facebook to contradict Karo Food’s claims that they take animal welfare seriously and won’t “tolerate animal cruelty in any form”.
One stated: “Karro’s farms all over are terribly kept .. I used to work with a contractor that went in to clean all the bedding from under where the huts was and I constantly found dead piglets just left … to rot”.
CONVICTED (2023) | Gary Ross, born c. 1988, of Balvenie Street, Dufftown, Keith AB55 – neglected his bearded dragon so badly that a vet had to put him down.
Ross, a convicted drug dealer previously of Elgin, has been handed a year-long animal ban after bearded dragon Coco was discovered in a terrible state.
His eyes were stuck shut, he was extremely thin and dehydrated, had suffered muscle loss and was struggling to eat.
A vet, who thought Coco was already dead when he was brought in, put the dates of his neglect between December 22, 2021 and January 22, 2022.
Coco was put to sleep after enduring appalling neglect for at least a month
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver told the court Ross’s mum contacted the SSPCA after she went to check on the pet at the Balvenie Street address. “She advised them that the bearded dragon needed veterinary care as it couldn’t open its eyes and wouldn’t eat unless food was placed directly into its mouth.”
The charity’s chief inspector Alison Simpson contacted a veterinary surgeon about Coco and was told to try placing him in warm water to help bring his body temperature up.
“It was identified he was in extremely poor condition and extremely thin,” Ms Silver added.
“Initially, on being presented with it, the surgeon thought it was dead. It was later euthanised on welfare grounds.”
Ross pictured during his 2019 trial for drug dealing
Ross admitted causing a protected animal unnecessary suffering and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards SSPCA staff.
Defence agent Iain Maltman said both background reports and a psychiatric report had been carried out on his client and highlighted a mental disorder and issues caused by head trauma.
“It appears he is living a quieter life than previously and keeps himself to himself,” the solicitor said.
“It’s a sad end to his involvement with the animal. He does look after another animal at home which his mum bought him last summer.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood told the solicitor: “Your client puts all the blame on the fact he was in custody for a couple of days but it’s quite clear from Crown and the SSPCA he was responsible for the animal when it came into this state.
“From the terms of the report, it would appear his new animal is not being cared for particularly well either.”
Speaking after the sentencing, SSPCA chief inspector Alison Simpson said: “We’re pleased that Gary Ross received a ban but we’re disappointed that it wasn’t for a longer period of time given the neglect Coco suffered.
“We hope that Ross seriously considers his ability to care for any animal in future.”
Sentencing | 90 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping animals for one year (expires March 2024).
CONVICTED (2022) |Jay McIntosh, born c. 2020, of Wallace Avenue, Buckie AB56 1NJ – stamped baby seagulls to death.
Drug and alcohol issues are said to play a part in Jay McIntosh’s gratuitous violence.
McIntosh, who went on to be jailed for beating up his girlfriend in May 2023, was left splattered in blood after carrying out the “reprehensible” attack on the three-day-old chicks in Buckie.
He appeared in court in connection with that violent outburst as well as another, which prompted an armed police response and a six-hour stand-off.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard how McIntosh was spotted shouting and swearing on Wallace Avenue in Buckie at about 8pm on June 17, 2022.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver said: “He was angry and frantically searching for his front teeth.”
A short time later a neighbour witnessed the attack on the defenceless birds.
“At this point she watched him stamp three times onto seagull chicks that were about three days old and lying on the ground,” the fiscal said.
“She ran out and confronted him and he stated ‘I don’t give a fuck”
When police arrived they found two dead seagull chicks on the road. McIntosh, who was nearby, had blood on his white trainers and hands.
Ms Silver said: “He told police ‘I don’t give a damn… fuck those birds’ and ‘I stomped on those birds ha ha ha. I don’t give a fuck’.”
McIntosh appeared from prison at HMP Inverness via video link.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of threatening or abusive behaviour, two of theft, one assault to injury, one assault, a failure to comply with a breath test and one charge of killing the seagulls.
McIntosh was handed a 12-month jail sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court the previous week after he admitted to spitting at police officers and threatening to slash the throats of an officer’s family.
He was handed a further 15 months for the latest offending.
Defence agent Stephen Carty said all of McIntosh’s offending had involved the use of alcohol or drugs and that he’d initially failed to understand the “gravity of the situation” with regards to the siege.
“In the cold light of day, of course, he perceives the gravity of that,” he said. “At the time he didn’t realise how many officers were involved or the scale of the operation.
“It’s a matter of great regret to him.”
He added that with regards to the deaths of the birds, it was “reprehensible behaviour”.
“Again, alcohol and drugs were the significant issues here. In the cold light of day he realises his actions were entirely unacceptable,” the solicitor said.
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 (2019) | Barry Simpson, born c. 1971, of Innes Court, Lhanbryde, Elgin, Moray – caught in possession of numerous videos of extreme bestiality pornography
Pervert Barry Simpson from Elgin was found to have dozens of videos on his computer showing extreme bestiality
Oddball Barry Simpson pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images depicting adults engaging in sexual activity with animals.
Police applied for a search warrant at his home after receiving reports about an indecent Category A video being uploaded to the internet from his address.
When officers executed that warrant on June 4, 2018, they seized various devices and a hard drive from the house which contained numerous videos of bestiality.
When Simpson was interviewed by police, he admitted having videos on the computer, which was in the living room.
Sentencing was deferred for a month and Simpson was placed on the sex offenders list in the meantime.
Sentencing: due to follow in April 2019 but outcome not reported.
CONVICTED (2017) | Caasi I McCrindle, born c. 1991, of Masonic Close, Elgin IV30 1EJ – left a cat inside an empty property with no access to food or water
The abandoned cat, Albus, was found by the Scottish SPCA after the animal charity was alerted by a member of the public who had heard the cat’s distressed meowing.
Senior inspector Alison Simpson said the cat had begun destroying furniture in a search for food and had to be fed through a letterbox.
When officers got inside, they discovered the flat was strewn with faeces, urine and household debris.
Albus was “absolutely ravenous” when rescued and continued to be obsessed with food after finding a new home.
McCrindle admitted abandoning the animal between April 16 and 18, 2016.
Fiscal Kevin Corrins said that when the Scottish SPCA and council officers went into her flat, there was a mountain of unopened mail dating back to April 7.
Mr Corrins added: “When the cat was with the vet it consumed a substantial amount of food – as much as it was allowed at the time.
“In the 10 days the cat was with the SSPCA it put on about 1kg in weight.”
McCrindle eventually contacted her landlord, Moray Council, on April 25 to get keys for the new locks at her home.
Defence solicitor Brent Lockie said his client had been suffering from mental health difficulties at the time due to her parents’ divorce.
He said: “She simply was not well at the time but is a lot better now. She wouldn’t have acted in this manner if it were not for the underlying issues.
“She took over the cat from someone who could not cope with it and got herself in this position.”
Scottish SPCA inspector Alison Simpson said: “We hope this sends out a significant message that it is totally unacceptable to leave animals unattended without consequences.
“This cat was lucky that a concerned member of the public alerted us to the situation.”
Sentencing: £320 fine. Banned from owning animals for two years (expired 2019).
CONVICTED (2015) | Sammii Little, born 08/02/1993, of Leuchars Drive, Elgin IV30 4AU – starved a lurcher-collie to death
Sammii Little let crossbreed Hamish (pictured) starve to death
Little kept crossbreed Hamish in such pitiful condition that his body was found among piles of droppings after he had eaten poisonous painkillers.
A worker from the Scottish SPCA went to Little’s then home and found Hamish’s remains “in a particularly emaciated condition, with faeces lying around the body. No food or water was available for the dog, and dry bowls were found in the kitchen area”.
The court heard empty and chewed ibuprofen packets were also found in the kitchen.
When the animal’s remains were sent for post mortem the vet found rigor mortis had disappeared and decomposition was beginning to set in.
The cause of death was confirmed as starvation combined with ibuprofen toxicity.
Analysis showed Hamish had suffered severe muscle loss in his limbs and trunk and his eyes were milky white in colour and “completely sunken in”.
The vet found no dental abnormalities to explain why he might have stopped eating, and said ulcerations in the dog’s stomach were consistent with him having consumed ibuprofen.
Little admitted the charges to police when she was questioned in April 2014.
In court, her solicitor Stephen Carty said she and her former partner had looked after the dog together until they split up.
Mr Carty said: “Her family situation at the time was very difficult, but she accepts she did not care for the animal.
“She did make efforts to rectify the situation by calling her support worker but that was all rather late in the day.”
Sentence: 100 hours of community service. Banned from owning any animal for 10 years (expires February 2025).
