CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder and serial animal abuser Evan David Bevan, born October 1979, of Pyllau Crynion, Cwmann, Lampeter SA48 8EX – kicked a pony, hit one dog repeatedly with a stick and failed to treat a second dog’s ear injury.
In videos provided anonymously to the RSPCA Bevan, director of Electech Electrics Limited trading as Electech Installations, was shown inflicting physical abuse on a pony known as Tony by kicking him, and beating a mastiff called Lily with a stick. He also failed to provide veterinary care for an ear injury suffered during a fight by German Shepherd Rosie.
Bevan, who was once a landlord for notorious breeders Andrew Bateman and Kelly Busby during the period they were churning out sick and dying puppies and selling them to unsuspecting buyers, pleaded not guilty to the cruelty charges but was convicted after a trial.
All of the offences took place at Bevan’s home address in Cwmann.
RSPCA deputy chief inspector (DCI) Gemma Cooper told the court she had attended the location seen in the videos with police officers and an animal health officer from Carmarthenshire Council. She recognised Evan Bevan as the male in the footage.
DCI Cooper said: “We asked if we could look at his dogs and he let out of a barn approximately 10 to 15 dogs who almost straight away started to fight amongst each other, one being bitten on her face and causing her to bleed,” she said.
“Evan Bevan stated it was all too much for him and he wasn’t going to breed anymore.
“I asked if he would like help with rehoming the dogs and he said that he only had two he wanted to rehome; a female bull mastiff called Lily and a female chocolate Labrador called Maggie.”
Bevan was asked where a German Shepherd dog called Rosie was and he said he had rehomed her with a rescue centre a couple of days earlier.
DCI Cooper later spoke with the rescue centre who confirmed that he had brought Rosie to them. She was suffering with an old injury to her right ear.
An independent expert veterinary report into the welfare of a group of dogs and a horse was provided to the court in which both videos were examined.
According to the vet, Bevan “kicks the pony with force to the left shoulder” in the first video clip.
The vet added: “The kick was forceful and clearly made contact with the pony that reacted adversely to the kick, indicating that the kick caused pain and hence suffering.” .
In relation to Rosie, who lost a significant portion of her right ear, it was said that “the injury will have caused the dog pain and suffering”.
She sustained the injury during the incident caught on the second video where Bevan was seen in a yard with a large group of dogs all off the lead and running freely around. He is seen swinging a stick in an attempt to hit the Jack Russell and ends up hitting another dog. A fight also erupts between the dogs.
The vet report states: “When Mr Bevan identifies what is going on he walks back across the yard and repeatedly hits the bull mastiff with his stick in an attempt to get the dog to loosen its hold of the German Shepherd dog.
“Mr Bevan persistently hits the dog before eventually getting hold of the mastiff and attempting to pull it free of the German Shepherd dog although he continues hitting at the dog with the stick.”
Bevan confirmed that Rosie’s ear injury occurred during the incident. He admitted that he did not seek veterinary attention but instead sprayed the ear with Engemycin spray.
Lily and Maggie, who were placed into RSPCA care, are now in loving new homes.
Rosie, who was in the care of another rescue, has also been rehomed.
Magistrates said they “did not find it necessary to make an order” to disqualify Bevan from keeping pets “after a long and careful consideration” because “the offences date back to 2022” and the number of animals in Bevan’s care “has significantly reduced” because he “is no longer breeding dogs or ponies.”
Magistrates ruled that “the risk to the future welfare of animals in the defendant’s care had significantly reduced.”
Sentencing | 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months; 25-day rehabilitation requirement order; 200 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 in costs and a victim surcharge. No ban on keeping animals was imposed.
