Monthly Archives: February 2014

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Gedling, Nottingham: Hannah Bamford

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CONVICTED (2014) | Hannah Elizabeth Bamford, born 06/07/1988, of County Road, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 4JN – left her family dog of 14 years alone and without food or water.

Single mother Hannah Bamford left 14-year-old family dog, Jake, alone in an empty house until he died of thirst and starvation
Single mother Hannah Bamford left her elderly dog alone in an empty house until he died of thirst and starvation

Collie cross Jake was found dead in Bamford’s council house in Welton Gardens, Bulwell, Nottingham after he was left for weeks.

Neighbours called police when they noticed flies swarming at the windows of the end-terrace house.

Jake was found dead near a toilet, where the seat was down, giving him no access to water.

A vet said he would have suffered greatly, both physically from dehydration and starvation, and mentally, as his drive to find water increased.

Bamford was prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering to Jake, by not meeting his needs for an adequate diet, nutrition, daily care and supervision between June 28 and August 24, 2013.

Abandoned dog Jake's body was found in a filthy toilet.
Heartbreaking: Jake’s emaciated body was found in the property’s toilet.

In February 2014 magistrates sent Bamford to prison for 28 days, and banned her from keeping an animal for 10 years.

They said the offence was so serious custody was the only option, the neglect and agony was prolonged and Jake had suffered greatly.

Prosecutor Andy Cash told them a vet said Jake had been dead for two to three weeks.

Bamford had moved out of the house to live with her mum due to debts. She left Jake behind, because her mum had a cat and the two did not get on, the court had heard.

Bamford returned to her old home to feed Jake, who she had owned since a pup, and let him out and played with him.

Robert Keeble, mitigating, said during the hearing that the tragedy after that was that his client did not go back to check on Jake one day.

“One day led to two days. Three days led to a week and, thereafter, she became scared and frightened of what she would find.

“She told her mum she was still going back. The situation snowballed out of control… where she passed the point of no return.

“She knows her wrongdoing and has to live with it for the rest of her life.”

Bamford had debts of more than £7,500. She was working part-time and suffering from depression.

“The whole world was caving in around her and she moved in with her mum,” Mr Keeble had explained.

A probation officer told the court Bamford had never thought of taking Jake to the PDSA Vet Care services, which helps pet owners on benefit.

Sentencing: 28-day prison sentence. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires February 2024).

Original newslink (Nottingham Post) removed.

Cats, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Mossley, Greater Manchester: Tony Delaney

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CONVICTED (2014) | Anthony Delaney, born c. 1983, of Waterton Lane, Mossley OL5 – savagely kicked a cat lying injured in the road.

Former soldier Delaney, who now describes himself as a boxing coach, had drunk at least 10 pints of lager when he and a gang of fellow revellers spotted a wounded cat on Queen’s Road, Ashton-under-Lyne.

The dad-of-two was caught on CCTV crossing himself as if taking a penalty kick before booting the defenceless animal through the air.

The swaggering thug then took a second swing, kicking her against a wall.

Delaney and his ‘intimidating’ pals also subjected two teenage girls who had stopped their car to help the animal to a torrent of abuse – forcing them to drive away before the RSPCA arrived.

The cat died just minutes after inspectors arrived at the scene at around 5am on Sunday, September 22, 2013.

Delaney was arrested hours later and told police he and friends wanted to put the cat ‘out of its misery’ and that he carried out the act as he had undergone survival training in the armed forces.

The lout, who pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary cruelty to an animal at an earlier hearing, visibly winced as CCTV footage was played to Tameside Magistrates’ Court.

Defending, Christopher Squibbs, said Delaney had intended to try and put the injured cat out of its misery.

He said: “It was a misguided attempt to try and deal with the situation when he was in a state of drink.

“He handled it appallingly badly.”

The court was told driver Charlotte Lewis-Dobson first spotted the injured animal and phoned the RSPCA before moving her car in front of the cat to prevent further injury.

She and passenger Nicole Calvert were later confronted by the gang, and told ‘you better drive away now’ after pleading with them to leave the animal alone.

A statement from Ms Lewis-Dobson said: “I can’t believe somebody could do that particularly when the cat was injured and distressed.

“It was crying out and wanted to be left alone. Its last few minutes were full of fear and pain.”

Sentencing | 18-week jail term. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expired 2019).

Manchester Evening News

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Traveller Animal Crimes

Brierley Hill, West Midlands: Alfie Southall

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CONVICTED (2014) | Alfie Southall, born c. 1971, of 224 Thorns Road, Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill DY5 2LD – failed to protect his horses from ragwort poisoning.

Gypsy traveller Alfie Southall failed to failed to get his dying horse treated for ragwort poisoning
Irresponsible gypsy traveller Alfie Southall failed to get his dying horse treated for ragwort poisoning and neglected others

Alfie Southall, a traveller, pleaded guilty to four cruelty charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

He admitted causing a poisonous substance (ragwort) to be taken by a protected animal and and failing to ensure his horses had access to fresh drinking water.

He also admitted failing to address his piebald mare’s poor condition and failing to investigate the symptoms of ragwort poisoning – which claimed the animal’s life.

Gypsy traveller Alfie Southall failed to get his dying horse treated for ragwort poisoning
Nothing could be done to save the mare and a vet immediately put her to sleep

The court heard the 16-year-old unnamed mare, who had been grazing on a field in Timber Lane, Stourport-on-Severn, along with eight other horses, was spotted staggering around in June 2013 in an extremely poor condition.

A vet was called to the field which was 50 to 60 per cent covered in weeds – largely ragwort which causes irreversible liver damage in horses and livestock – and the animal was diagnosed with severe liver damage.

The severity of the disease meant the mare had to be put to sleep at the scene. A post=mortem later confirmed ragwort had caused the animal’s condition.

Gypsy traveller Alfie Southall failed to get his dying horse treated for ragwort poisoning

Southall was given a notice by the RSPCA advising him to clear the ragwort and to address welfare concerns involving other horses.

A spokesman for the animal charity said the advice was later followed but the horses had already been living among the ragwort for some time.

RSPCA Inspector Suzi Smith said: “Ragwort can result in an extremely painful death for horses. This defendant said he knew of the dangers of ragwort for horses but saw no problem in continuing to let his horses graze on it.

“If there is no other grazing horses will eat ragwort and landowners and horse owners have a legal responsibility to clear the weed from their land.”

Accepting the decade-long ban on keeping horses, Southall told the court he had given the surviving animals away.

Sentencing | 250 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 towards costs. Banned from keeping horses for 10 years (expires February 2024).

Stourbridge News
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