CONVICTED (2012) | Brett Paul Simms, born 09/01/1975, of 36F Gelli Road, Burry Port, Llanelli SA14 9AT – punched and stamped on a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, killing him
Simms punched and stamped on two-year-old spaniel Zac after, he said, the dog broke into his partner’s garden and killed a number of his chickens.
After killing Zac, Simms threw his body over the garden fence where a group of children were playing.
Sentencing Simms, magistrates described the incident as a serious crime which merited a custodial sentence.
Apart from the cruelty he had inflicted on the dog, they added he had also caused great distress to the children and others who had witnessed the dog being thrown over the fence.
After the hearing RSPCA inspector Neill Manley said: “This was a monstrous crime, one of the worst animal welfare offences I have ever come across and the defendant fully deserves this sentence.”
Simms previously served four months of imprisonment for assault in 2010.
Sentence: 18-week jail sentence,banned from owning or keeping any dog for five years (expired 2017).
CONVICTED (2012) | Shane Maurice Pott aka Shane Barton, born 27 July 1983, previously of Chinley, High Peak, Derbyshire, but as of 2022 believed to be in St Day, Redruth, Cornwall – abandoned his two Jack Russell dogs when he moved house, leaving them so hungry that one ate the other
Shane Pott allowed one of his Jack Russells to starve to death with another forced to eat her remains after leaving the pair without food for a month.
RSPCA Inspector Lorna Campbell told the court how she had been called to the house in Furness Vale, Derbyshire, by a concerned member of the public in February 2012.
She described the moment she found the two Jack Russells – Nala, a female and Simba, a male – as “horrific”.
“When I saw Simba at the window it was obvious he was emaciated and when I looked in, I saw what I thought was a toy he’d chewed up.
“It took a moment before I realised the full horror of what it actually was, the remains of Nala. It was devastating,” she said.
The dogs’ owner, Shane Pott, had been offered advice by the RSPCA in July 2011. He was also given neutering vouchers and had had a third dog rehomed.
Ms Campbell added Simba’s survival was a “miracle”.
“The conditions in the house were terrible. The place was covered in faeces and the floor was slippery with urine.
“There was a shredded dog food bag on the floor, an empty tub of gravy granules, chewed towels and what was left of his companion.
“Tragically there was a bag of dog biscuits on the worktop which looked as though the dogs had been trying to reach it, but it was just too high,” she said.
Pott’s solicitor told the court his client had been finding it difficult to manage his responsibilities and moved with his children to stay at his mother’s home in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire.
In court Pott, who was apparently a social worker, admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering.
Simba recovered and was rehomed by the RSPCA.
Sentencing | 18-week custodial term; £500 in costs. 10-year ban, which expired August 2022.
CONVICTED (2012) | farmworkers James Dove, born c. 1985, of Arundel Road, Wymondham NR18 0JE and Geoffrey Towell, born c. 1958, of White Elm Cottage, Eccles Road, Norwich NR16 2JE – for repeated acts of cruelty towards sows and piglets.
Sadistic pig abusers Geoff Towell (left) and James Dove
Geoffrey Twell pleaded guilty to five counts of cruelty to pigs and piglets by hitting five sows with a plastic pipe – one 35 times – unlawfully killing three pigs by hitting them on the head with a metal bar and using unnecessary force to handle piglets.
He also pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to protect pigs from pain and suffering by lifting pigs by the ears and dropping them from waist height.
James Dove pleaded guilty to two charges of cruelty by hitting sows with a plastic pipe and throwing pigs over a barrier and two charges of failing to protect pigs from suffering by lifting them with excessive force, lifting pigs by the ear and leg, dropping them to the ground and kicking them while moving them.
One pig farm worker was jailed and another given a suspended prison after undercover footage showed shocking cruelty at the East Harling farm
Undercover footage taken between July and September 2011 by an undercover activist from Animal Equality showed the men beating pigs on Harling Farm in Thetford.
Sentencing the defendants, District Judge Peter Veits said Towell had acted with “no care” and although Dove had played a “lesser” role, his behaviour was “abysmal”.
“These are amongst the worst cases of cruelty I’ve seen,” he added.
Speaking in mitigation of Towell, Jamieson Plummer told the court his client was under pressure while working at the farm.
“There were 300 pigs there and he asked the owner [Stephen Brown who committed suicide in February 2012 after the animal cruelty came to light] for help and the help that came was the activist who had a different agenda and so he was still single-handed trying to look after the pigs,” he said.
Mitigating on behalf of Dove, Ian Fisher, said the likelihood of the defendant re-offending was “microscopic”.
“Public shaming brings with it its own very unusual punishment,” he added. “He wasn’t in any sort of position of control and was drawn into the situation that he had no training for and was only involved in this because of the shortcomings in the system.”
Animal welfare protesters demonstrated outside Norwich Magistrates’ Court as the men walked in, shouting “shame, shame on you” as Dove entered the court building and “scum” as Towell arrived.
A spokesman from Essex Animal Defenders said: “We think the custodial sentence for animal abuses needs to be increased.
“At the end of the day they only end up serving three or four weeks.
“When it’s farm animals the public don’t seem care as much as when it’s cats or dogs.”
“This is local so it’s caught our attention and we’re hoping for a custodial sentence because it would give out a strong message.”
Sentencing: Geoffrey Towell was imprisoned for 18 weeks and banned from working with animals for ten years (expired August 2022).
James Dove was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for one year, ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and pay prosecution costs of £300. Dove was banned from working with farm animals for five years (expired August 2017).
CONVICTED (2012) | Tracy Jane Scougall, aka Tracy Penny, born 26/02/1980, address at March 2020 13 Bonnyton Road, Pitmedden, Ellon AB41 7QA – starved her pet dog to death
Single mother Tracy Scougall aka Tracy Penny is banned from keeping animals for life
Scougall admitted failing to give enough food or water to Buffy the Staffordshire bull terrier.
The eight-year-old pet had been dead for three days when Scottish SPCA officers found the dog’s body in a garden shed in Pitmedden in 2011.
Scougall was also accused of keeping a Labrador dog named Shadow in a hallway cupboard without adequate food, water or access but was not convicted of this offence.
Sheriff Philip Hammond, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, told her the images of her pet’s emaciated body were “distressing and appalling” to look at.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector John Carle said after the case: “We are delighted Scougall has received a life ban on keeping dogs.
“However, we believe that this was a case of gross neglect and therefore we would have welcomed an outright ban on keeping animals.
“In our opinion, Scougall has demonstrated that she is unfit to provide any animal with even the most basic level of care.”
Sentencing | 150 hours of unpaid work. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2012) | Meynell and South Staffordshire hunt master John Edward Greenall, born July 1960 of Wootton Hall Estate, Wootton, Ellastone, Ashbourne DE6 2GW, and hunt field member Glen Morris, born c. 1969, of Ludgate Street, Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9NG – illegally hunted fox cubs with hounds.
Johnny Greenall (right) and Glen Morris pictured outside court
Greenall, son of the Baron of Daresbury, and hunt employee Morris were secretly filmed by anti-hunt protesters trying to kill foxes near Hilton in Staffordshire.
Both men denied breaching the Hunting Act but were both convicted.
Footage played in court showed members of the Meynell and South Staffordshire Hunt surrounding a wood at Suffield Farm in Sutton on the Hill in October 2011.
The hounds entered the wood to hunt young foxes in a sport known as ‘cubbing’.
One fleeing fox was scared back into the wood by the surrounding huntsmen who were clapping their hands.
Hunting foxes with dogs was made illegal in the 2004 Hunting Act.
Summing up, the judge said: “The evidence that Greenall was the hunt master is not in dispute nor is the fact that he was there that day.
“Greenall gave an innocent explanation as to why he was there in his police interview. But he has chosen not to give evidence in front of me.
“This is because the evidence would not stand up to any scrutiny.”
Tim Bonner, from the Countryside Alliance, was disappointed with the ruling. He said: “I am surprised at the verdict when there is no evidence in which foxes are shown to be pursued, let alone being caught by the hounds.”
Steve Harris, head of enforcement at The League Against Cruel Sports, said: “We are very pleased that Derbyshire Police thoroughly investigated this case and that the Crown Prosecution Service were willing to allow a court to decide on who was telling the truth.”
Sentencing | Greenall was fined £3,515 and Morris was ordered to pay £515.
The not so honourable Johnny Greenall stepped down from his role as chairman of The Meynell & South Staffordshire Hunt, citing the court case as his reason.
CONVICTED (2012) | Jake Adderley, born 9 September 1989, and Rebecca Perkins, born 9 January 1993, at the time of Belmont Road, Brierley Hill, but with a most recent known address (2017) of Barne Close, Stourbridge DY9 7PA – for cruelty to a dog beaten so badly she had a hole in her head.
Dog killers Rebecca Perkins and Jake Adderley
The unnamed Jack Russell had to be put down due to the severity of her injuries. Vets treating the animal said they believed she had suffered a blow to the head on two occasions.
Owners Jake Adderley and Rebecca Perkins both denied causing the pet’s injuries but admitted failing to provide veterinary treatment.
The court heard the dog was taken to Water Front Veterinary Centre with a hole in her head and a fractured skull on October 28, 2011. She was struggling to stand due to brain damage.
Mr Nick Sutton, prosecuting, said: “Someone has assaulted this animal and beaten it to death.”
Perkins had taken the dog to vets on two previous occasions.
On September 27, 2011, the dog was taken to Water Front Veterinary Centre with swollen eyes and on October 14 she was taken to the PDSA with bruised eyes, swelling under the jaw and a fractured rib.
Mr Michael Davies, defending Perkins, said the couple bought the dog through the internet. He said: “On October 28 she returned from shopping trip to find that the dog was in a very poor state, the injuries were apparent.”
He added: “She accepts that she should have known that between October 19 and 28 it was quite clear there was something wrong and she should have done something about it.”
Mr John Harmshaw, defending Adderley, said: “He noticed things, but did not take action. I must add there were quite a number of other people who entered the home.”
The pair were due to be sentenced in September 2012 but the outcome was not publicly reported.
