CONVICTED (2008) | Andrea Smiley, born 08/01/1980, of Blackstoun Oval, Paisley PA3 1LR – left her pet German shepherd to starve to death in her abandoned flat.
Heartless Andrea Smiley who abandoned an Alsatian to starve to death
The desperate dog had locked condensation from a window in a desperate attempt for water.
A post mortem showed Snowy had no traces of food in her stomach and had lost two-thirds of her body weight. She had been shut in a room of the ground-floor flat, amid total squalor with the door tied with string and wool to keep it shut. By the time worried neighbours raised the alarm it was too late and Snowy had already died from starvation.
Before sentence was passed, Smiley’s defence agent made a plea for mitigation. He said two psychiatric reports had been submitted showing that his client was emotionally unstable and experiencing bouts of depression which led her to self-harm.
He also said she was living in fear after being threatened following publicity from earlier hearings.
Sentence: 240 hours of community service. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2008) | dog-fighters Anthony Mullen, born 7 September 1957 and Susan Hancock, born 28 December 1956, and their son Patrick (Paddy) Joseph Mullen, born 6 January 1982, all of 8 Tarragon Gardens, Northfield, Birmingham B31 5HU (address still correct April 2021) – kept dogs for organised fights despite previous bans for cruelty
The trio were all convicted of keeping two pit bull type dogs, which have been banned since 1991.
They were among a haul of eight terriers found at the family’s home in Taragon Gardens, Northfield.
Paddy Mullen pictured in April 2021
Returning guilty verdicts, District Judge Jobi Bopa Rai said: “I would go as far as to say that all three are involved with either breeding or keeping dogs that were intended for dog fighting, although I appreciate they were not charged with these offences.”
The trio were arrested at their home in April 2007 during a joint raid between RSPCA officers and police.
Anthony Mullen and Hancock were also found guilty of two counts each of breaching bans on keeping animals from an earlier conviction in 2005 where they were found to have three pit bull terrier-type dogs at their house.
For that offence Mullen, who was already serving a lifetime ban on keeping animals from 2001 for his involvement in a UK-wide dog-fighting ring, was sentenced to three months in jail.
Both he and Hancock had claimed that the dogs found in 2007 belonged to their son Patrick and they had no part in looking after them.
But Miss Bopa-Rai refused to accept their claims and found Patrick Mullen guilty of a further two charges of aiding and abetting his parents in keeping the dogs.
During the raid in 2007 animal medication including steroids and wound treatment powder were found along with superglue, which expert witnesses said could be used to “sew together” wounds from dog fighting.
Miss Bopa-Rai added: “I don’t think the items in the house had an innocent explanation, not when they were together as a kit.”
Ian Briggs, chief inspector of the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, said: “This is the third time that we’ve seen Anthony Mullen in court.”
All three were also convicted of breaking a ban on keeping dogs.
Paddy Mullen posted this image showing clear evidence of dog-fighting activity to his Facebook profile as recently as May 2018
Ian Briggs, chief inspector for the RSPCA, said they were “extremely pleased” with the result.
He added: “But it is a sad fact that we are at court again with yet another case relating to the breeding and possession of pit bull terriers.
“This case, as well as the recent raids we carried out, provides a clear indication of the increased activity nationally of individuals involved in the dog-fighting scene.”
Sentencing: Anthony Mullen was jailed for six months. Hancock and Patrick Mullen received a four-month and three-month suspended jail term respectively.
