CONVICTED (2015) | backyard breeder Jamie Sykes Newburn, born c. 1973, previously of High Street, Queensbury, Bradford BD13 and as at November 2018 believed to be in Carlisle, Cumbria – failed to seek help when two bulldog-type puppies received mystery burns at his flat
Newburn admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the puppies between July and August 2015.
Bradford magistrates heard that Newburn had treated the puppies himself with ointment given to him by a friend, an unauthorised breeder who had previously been prosecuted by the RSPCA.
The alarm was raised by a would-be buyer of one of the puppies who was about to hand over £100 when she noticed wounds to one of the pups, Tasha, and a second, unnamed pup.
The woman asked Newburn about the injuries and then burst into tears. She described Newburn as “unconcerned, laughing and smiling,” prosecutor Andrew Davidson told the court.
Newburn told the woman that the injuries may have been caused by a radiator or by a larger dog.
A vet who examined the puppies described the injuries as burns or scalds that would have caused a great deal of pain.
One of the injuries was eighteen centimetres long and about two centimetres wide. The unnamed puppy also had a burn under its left ear.
Mr Davidson said an aggravating feature of the case was the “quite severe” suffering caused to the animals and the “fairly sinister” nature of the injuries.
He said injuries to one puppy might be understandable but “two such injuries is clearly a serious case of neglect, however these injuries have arisen.”
Mr Davidson said the puppies had been denied treatment for two weeks and it had been suggested that it was a case of “commercial breeding of puppies for financial gain.”
Upkar Bahia, for Newburn, said his client accepted he had been responsible for the welfare of the puppies.
Newburn accepted the ointment treatment was inadequate and that he ought to have taken the pups to see a vet.
Mr Bahia told magistrates that Newburn did not have any previous convictions of a similar nature and he hadn’t intended to cause any unnecessary suffering.
Magistrates decided to ask the Probation Service to provide a pre-sentence report after hearing that Newburn has previous convictions involving violence.
The defendant was warned by magistrates that they were keeping open all sentencing options, including imprisonment.
The case was adjourned for sentencing on December 18, 2015. Newburn was granted unconditional bail.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Sophie John said: “The injuries to these two puppies were terrible, and no doubt caused a great deal of suffering.
“One of the burns was 18 centimetres long and two centimetres wide, running almost the whole way down the puppy’s side. It was shocking to see. It would have been clear to anyone that it needed urgent treatment.
“We still don’t know how the injuries came to happen, but what we do know is that Newburn failed to seek appropriate veterinary care to treat them as was his responsibility.”
Sentencing:
Unconfirmed but believed to be probation and a 12-year ban on keeping animals.
