CONVICTED (2017) | Nathan Lee Fisher, born 06/02/1993, previously of Kinmel Bay, Conwy County Borough, north-east Wales, with a last-known address of Wesley Street, Amlwch LL68 9EY – banned from keeping animals after a dog was found dead under a trampoline while another was severely emaciated
Nathan Fisher was banned for keeping animals for a decade after starving two Akitas
Nathan Fisher admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dead Akita named Kuma and the puppy’s mother Layla who was described as a ‘bag of bones’
Puppy Kuma was found dead underneath a child’s trampoline in the garden of Nathan Fisher’s house
RSPCA Cymru got involved after North Wales Police attended Fisher’s address where they found Kuma dead in the back garden underneath a trampoline.
Layla was also found at the house and was described as “so skinny that bones were clearly visible through her coat”.
Fisher’s other dog was so thin her bones were clearly visible through her coat.
The RSPCA said the dogs suffered unnecessarily due to a failure to adequately explore and address their weight loss.
RSPCA inspector Phil Lewis said: “These poor Akita dogs were subject to outright neglect and ill-treatment, which cost one of the dogs their life.
“Fortunately, the other has been happily re-homed from an RSPCA animal centre.
“When she was found at the Kinmel Bay property, she looked an absolute bag of bones but thankfully her suffering is over.”
Sentence: 12-week prison sentences for the two charges, to run concurrently, suspended for 18 months; 12-month community order, 180 hours of community work; nine-month alcohol treatment order; fined £750 and ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires March 2027).
CONVICTED (2017) | Jason Smart, born 15 February 1969, of Manchester Road, Castleton, Rochdale OL11 3AW – battered his pet dog in the street
Former professional footballer Jason Smart was captured on CCTV beating his four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, Frank.
The footage filmed by shop owner Paula O’Connor showed Smart ‘punishing’ the animal after he ran out into the road.
Ms O’Connor, spotted Frank outside her pet shop on Manchester Road in Castleton, Rochdale, in October 2016, and initially thought he was a stray as there was no one with him, RSPCA prosecutors said.
However she then heard a man shouting and Smart emerged and hit him twice.
She told him: “Don’t hit the dog like that.”
Smart replied: “Shut up you stupid f***, it’s my dog, I can do what I want.”
Smart pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The court heard that he was “utterly devoted” to Frank, who was taken from him and rehomed. Smart has since gone on to get another dog.
Sentencing: 150 hours of unpaid work; a total of £645 costs and charges. Deprivation order for Frank. SEVEN MONTH ban on keeping animals (expired).
CONVICTED (2017) | Samantha Bevan, born c. 1985, of Fleet Lane, St Helens WA9 – allowed her pet rabbit to starve to death
Single mother-of-five Samantha Bevan pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering after failing to provide a “nutritionally balanced diet” to the rabbit, named Rocco. The family pet died of malnutrition in October 2016.
Peter Mitchell, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said inspectors knocked at Bevan’s door after receiving information that a rabbit had died at the premises.
He told the court: “The defendant readily admitted that it had died and said she had given it to a friend to bury in her garden, as she was unable to bury it herself.
“That individual gave permission to exhume the body, and the inspector noticed the animal looked very thin. A post mortem gave the cause of death as malnutrition, and the vet put the length of suffering at four weeks.”
Mr Mitchell said Bevan was interviewed and initially denied the offence, claiming she had been feeding Rocco broccoli because he had stopped eating rabbit food.
However she later admitted she “didn’t know what she was doing” in terms of looking after a rabbit.
District judge Wendy Lloyd, suggested to Mr Mitchell: “What we are talking about here is a case of ignorance rather than deliberate cruelty.”
Laurence Lee, defending Bevan, said his client was a single parent of five children who worked part-time in a local cafe.
He said: “It’s quite clear that she didn’t know what she was doing as far as this animal is concerned. She tells me (Rocco) would reject rabbit food and seemed to prefer – not that he could specify in a way she could understand – green vegetables.
“She had no idea it was suffering, and it is clear she cared for the animal; she tells me she would take it inside when it was raining.”
However Judge Lloyd interjected and said: “Her animal did suffer. Let’s be honest with one another, it starved to death. You don’t need to be an expert to notice the animal is extremely thin.”
The court heard Bevan, who has no previous convictions, was deeply upset by the death of the rabbit as were her children.
Judge Lloyd, passing sentence, said: “You should have recognised the animal was ill and it needed to be seen by a vet.
“You should have taken it to a vet or called the PDSA, there was no need at all for it to suffer.”
Sentencing: ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and to pay £385 in costs and charges. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expired March 2022).
CONVICTED (2017) | Clare Louise Parkinson, born 24 June 1982, and Mark Neville Henry, born 11 January 1979, of Doncaster Crescent, Stockton-on-Tees TS19 0LF – neglected an English bull terrier found blind and with bleeding sores all over his body.
Clare Parkinson and Mark Henry are both banned from having animals for life.
In December 2016 Parkinson pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal in relation to the dog, known as Spitz. Her partner, Mark Henry, had gone on the run but appeared in court one week later to deny cruelty to Spitz. He later changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced in late March 2017.
Spitz was found by an RSPCA inspector in a “dreadful condition”, blind with sores on his body.
The pair failed to care for Skitz who had severe skin and eye conditions. The dog, who had suffered for around two years, was found by the RSPCA in August 2016 to be “so distressed” he had to be put down.
John Ellwood, prosecuting, said: “What is particularly sad about this case is that the defendants had been warned about proper care for Skitz by the RSPCA previously.”
Mark Henry eventually showed up for court to deny the charges against him, but later changed his plea.
Mr Ellwood went on to describe how Skitz’ spine was visible, his stomach inflamed, his eyes red with yellow discharge, his feet were swollen with sores and there were open and bleeding scab sores all over his body.
He said: “The tragic nature of this case is that Skitz by this time was blind. His blindness was caused by the defendant’s failure to obtain treatment for his eyes. Blood vessels had grown into his eyes because they were constantly inflamed.
“So distressed was he that the only course open was to carry out euthanasia.
“Sadly, therefore, this is a case of prolonged neglect eventually causing the ultimate death of an animal committed in the presence of children and aggravated by a failure to heed advice.”
Parkinson’s other dog, Polly, was ordered to be taken and re-homed by the RSPCA
Sentencing: Parkinson – eight-week prison sentence. Banned from keeping animals for life. Henry (20/03/2017) – nine-week prison sentence suspended for two years; 200 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2017) | Connor Taylor, born c. 1993, of Ridley Street, Stanley DH9 0PD – failed to seek medical help for a dog suffering from swellings in his ears
Connor Taylor and his Staffy pup Diesel who had to be put to sleep
Father-of-two Connor Taylor eventually sought veterinary attention for the Staffordshire bull terrier pup called Diesel when the haematomas affecting both of his ears burst.
The dog had to be put down as a result of the swellings.
Taylor pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Bill Davison, mitigating, said there was no pre-meditation or wickedness involved in the matter. He added the defendant did not intend to keep or own more animals.
Sentencing: £100 prosecution costs. Five-year animal banning order (expired March 2022).
CONVICTED (2017) | Zara Hicks, born 20/09/1979, and husband David James Hicks, born 02/09/1975, of Hemsby Road, Chessington KT9 2DY – left their pets to starve at home while they went on a luxury holiday
Zara and David Hicks from Chessington abandoned their pets to go on a luxury holiday
The Hicks both pleaded guilty to three charges under the animal welfare act after they left their pets to fend for themselves.
David Hicks, a lab technician with Specsavers Opticians, and Zara Hicks, a payroll manager with Macmillan Cancer Support, were banned from keeping animals and given suspended prison sentences after one of their cats was found dead, and another cat and dog found neglected in a dirty kitchen.
When the couple returned from the continent, Mr Hicks tried to blame his mother-in-law, saying they had arranged for her to check on the animals. She, however, denied this
The RSPCA visited the couple’s home in September 2016 after concern was raised to them about the brown female poodle cross called Honey, and a tortoiseshell male called Twitch and a tabby male called Dribble.
Inspectors arrived to discover Dribble already dead. He had been suffering from a tumour and associated illness which he had not received veterinary treatment for.
Twitch and Honey were neglected and distressed, but alive, living in a kitchen covered in faeces.
Honey and Twitch were taken by police and placed into RSPCA care,
Sentencing:
David Hicks was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and to pay £400 costs.
Zara Hicks was given a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and pay £400 costs.
Both were banned from keeping animals for 12 years (expires March 2029) .
CONVICTED (2017) | breeder Margaret (Maggie) Ann Mary Peacock, born 26 January 1953, of Cove Road, Farnborough GU14 0HQ – killed eight newborn puppies after stuffing them into a freezer
Maggie Peacock callously killed 8 newborn puppies by stuffing them in a freezer
Maggie Peacock, a Crufts-winning dog breeder and former director of Maggie Peacock Working Dogs Limited, stuffed the blue merle border collie puppies in a freezer and beat another to death with a tin opener.
Peacock feared the puppies might have genetic mutations because their parents had been sister and brother.
She made two phone calls to vets threatening to kill the pups herself if they would not help her.
In a third call the breeder informed the receptionist that the puppies were now in the freezer because they had refused to put them down.
The following day, Peacock, who spent 14 years in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, arrived at the surgery and handed over a bag containing eight puppies. One was still alive but had to be put down.
Prosecuting, Andrew Austin told the court none of the pups showed any signs of having genetic defects, despite being inbred, and this was why vets had refused to put them down.
RSPCA officers performed an inspection at Peacock’s home where they found a ninth puppy, which was part of the same litter, lying on its side in a kennel. An examination revealed it had suffered a blow to the head – which officers later found was from a tin opener.
Fiona Taylor, defending, told the court Peacock had been distressed during the birth and after the vet refused to put the puppies down she felt the only solution was to take matters into her own hands to prevent the mum becoming emotionally attached to her pups.
In court, magistrate Dr Susan Dadlani said Peacock’s previous good record of keeping animals meant they would not be disqualifying her from continuing to do so, despite what she had done.
The Kennel Club, which operates the national register of pedigree dogs in the UK and acts as a lobby group on issues involving dogs, subsequently struck Peacock from its register for 10 years.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This was clearly a very upsetting case and one in which we are pleased that the court convicted the defendant of animal cruelty offences following the prosecution case brought by the RSPCA.
“The sentence imposed was a matter for the court to decide and we respect that decision.”
Sentencing: two concurrent 12 week jail terms, suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay £830.
Margaret Peacock was jailed for two years and six months for failing to control her pet Belgian Malinois. The dog, named Mako, mauled a visitor causing her “significant” injuries and distress.
Peacock was convicted by a jury at Salisbury Crown Court of being in charge of Mako, who was dangerously out of control, causing severe injury to Natasha Turner.
Judge Richard Parkes KC also banned Peacock from owning dogs.
He told her: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever for what happened, indeed you continue to protest even today that Miss Turner turned up at your door having already been attacked by some savage stray.
“The only real mitigation in this very serious case is the fact that you are elderly and suffering from multiple sclerosis, a condition which plainly requires long-term treatment.”
The judge also ordered that Peacock’s two collie dogs and another Belgian Malinois – which is in the same herding group as the German shepherd – be seized by police.
Dr Candy d’Sa, animal behaviour consultant, told the court that she inspected Peacock’s home and found it unsuitable for keeping dogs.
She said: “The environment is absolutely unsuitable for animals, especially intelligent and active dogs. It was dangerous, barren and it was filthy.”
Sian Beaven, prosecuting, told the trial that Miss Turner had visited the home of the defendant in Farnborough, Hampshire, to do some DIY, and to visit her own dog, Bobo, which was staying there, when the attack happened.
Giving evidence, Miss Turner said she had visited Peacock, who is registered disabled with multiple sclerosis, on February 1, 2021, to move her bed to another room so it would be nearer to a woodburner because of the cold.
Miss Turner said that Peacock helped her to get the dog off but was bitten herself in the process, before the defendant managed to put the dog back behind the gate where it was normally kept.
She said that Peacock asked her afterwards not to contact the police because she was worried the dog would be put down, and also bought her gifts in an attempt to stop her from reporting the incident.
The defendant had denied that Mako carried out the attack and told the court that Ms Turner arrived injured at her front door having been attacked by a stray dog elsewhere.
The contract required Mako to be kept under control when visitors were at the property.
Ms Beaven added that Mako, which had been subject to a dog behaviour contract because of two previous incidents, had since been euthanised because of health problems.
CONVICTED (2017) | horse dealer Jacquelyn Johnson, Lower Stadmoreslow Farm, Stadmoreslow Lane, Harriseahead, Stoke-on-Trent ST7 4SH – allowed horses and donkeys to be kept in squalid conditions
Several horses had to be put down due to horse dealer Jackie Johnson’s neglect
Jackie Johnson, who is the mother of another convicted horse abuser Claire Machin, was charged under Section 9 and Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for animal cruelty and failing to provide a duty of care to the animals under her control.
The case was investigated by Staffordshire County Council’s Animal Health team following the execution of a warrant at the dealer’s yard, along with officers from Staffordshire Police, World Horse Welfare, the Donkey Sanctuary and the RSPCA.
Visits to the farm by officers revealed horses kept in poor condition, in dirty stables with no dry lying area. Horses outside the stables had no shelter and were wet and dirty.
One pony was found collapsed in a field, covered with rugs and tarpaulin. After being examined by a vet, it was put to sleep. A second pony was found on the site with injuries and also had to be euthanized.
Further visits were made to Stadmoreslow Farm, where another four horses were taken away and several put to sleep due to their condition.
Sentencing: 12 week sentence for each offence, suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay nearly £3,500 plus an £80 victim surcharge. Disqualified from having anything further to do with horses, donkeys and ponies indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2017) | Jordan Steel, born 17 February 1993, of West Clyde Street, Larkhall ML9 2PW – mistreated eight dogs kept in outdoor kennels at his home
Barbaric wildlife persecutor Jordan Steel failed to provide adequate care and treatment for his ‘working’ dogs – which included lurchers, Patterdale terrier-type dogs and spaniels – between March 7 and April 22, 2016.
A lurcher cross called Blitz , Saluki cross called Cindy and a Spaniel called Levi were all rescued from evil Jordan Steel by the Scottish SPCA.
The dogs suffered from weight loss, flea infestation, mite infection, ear wax, hair loss and skin conditions.
Steel admitted a charge contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
It stated that Steel had failed to take steps to ensure that the needs of the animals were met and that he had failed to provide the animals with a suitable diet.
An undercover Scottish SPCA inspector, who had attended at Steel’s home, this week spoke about what was discovered at his home, saying: “When we visited the property it was clear that all eight dogs were underweight, with a number of them scoring a one – the lowest score – on a body conditioning scoring system.
“The dogs required treatment for chronic skin conditions and flea infestation, which they weren’t receiving.
“Steel has been banned from owning dogs for the next five years.
“However the court has allowed that he will at times be required to provide exercise for his mother’s dog that still resides at the property.
“We’re pleased the courts have handed down this sentence and hope that Steel seriously considers his suitability to own and care for animals in the future.”
The charge had originally stated that Steel had also failed to provide the dogs with appropriate and adequate nutrition whereby the dogs lost body weight and became emaciated. However, mention of this was deleted from the charge.
Sentencing: 100 hours’ unpaid work (reduced from 15 hours due to his guilty pleas) within six months as an alternative to custody. Five year ban on keeping dogs (expired March 2022).
CONVICTED (2017) | Brendan Joseph McCabe, born 14 January 1967, of Moss Row, Darkley BT60 3BG – left an elderly dog behind when he moved out of a property
Brendan McCabe abandoned his elderly dog
In June 2015 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council received a complaint about a dog who had allegedly been left on his own for five days at Lir Gardens in Keady.
A council animal welfare officer attended and found an elderly male Rottweiler-type dog in the yard of the property.
McCabe’s dog
McCabe was no longer living at the property and he had not made any arrangements for care of the dog at this location nor had he made any arrangements to take the dog with him to his new address at Moss Row, Darkley.
The unnamed dog was examined by a veterinary surgeon, and taken into possession by the council. His fate is unknown.
McCabe was fined just £200. He was not banned from keeping animals.
