CONVICTED (2017) | Hywel “Howie” Clay, born 14/11/1969, of Radnor Court, Faringdon SN7 7TB – dangled a dog by her lead and kicked her
Roxy was subjected to a violent attack by her drunken owner, Hywel Clay.
Clay had denied causing unnecessary suffering to an animal but was found guilty in his absence.
Prosecutor Pauline Lambert said a couple passed Clay outside Tesco in Ocotal Way on November 5, 2016, and saw him yanking the dog’s lead as he stumbled along the pavement.
As they watched they saw him take the lead in both hands and lift the dog off the floor.
He was also seen kicking her.
Stopping their car they intervened. A tussle followed as one witness grabbed the distressed dog to take the weight from her neck.
Clay grabbed the dog round the neck and tried to take her back as a crowd gathered around them.
The witness let the dog go and put his hands on Clay’s shoulders to prevent him leaving. Clay threw himself backwards, landing on the ground.
The dog tried to get back to the witness and a struggle followed.
She said: “Clay was eventually restrained by Tesco security staff.
“When police arrived they found him struggling to sit and drooling and he was abusive as they questioned him.
Clay was also found guilty of being drunk and disorderly and failing to surrender to Chippenham magistrates. He had denied both allegations.
Alex Daymond, defending, said Clay still disputed the allegations but understood the court had made up its mind. However he did agree that he had a problem with alcohol.
Until the last couple of years he had worked as a panel beater for a classic car restoration business. But his life had spiralled out of control with the death of his brother.
He recognised he had an alcohol problem and had got his GP to refer him to alcohol counselling services.
“He is very keen to sort his life out and get back into work,” said Mr Daymond.
Clay was almost £20,000 in arrears with his mortgage and was facing repossession.
He had owned dogs since he was five years old and until the incident in November there had been no suggestion of him maltreating his pets.
“He loves dogs and is appalled that he has been accused of this,” he said.
“In fact Clay had chosen to be a vegetarian because of his concern for animal welfare.
“Bearing in mind that he has had dogs for so long, this would appear to be a one-off incident in all the circumstances, suggested Mr Daymond. Clay lived alone and relied on his dog for company.
“I would urge the court not to remove that from him.”
Sentence: 12-month community order, £200 prosecution costs and an £85 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping pets for five years (expired April 2022). Deprivation order on Roxy.
CONVICTED (2017) | backyard breeder Robert Lees, born 15 December 1964, of 27 Stepping Stones, Stourbridge DY8 1JZ – for cruelty to five spaniel puppies found at his home with their tails cut off
An animal welfare officer from Dudley Council visited Robert Lees’ home where he found found five spaniel puppies that appeared to have had their tails docked, a court heard
Lees, who was the owner of the puppies, pleaded guilty to five offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 on April 6. The act makes it an offence to dock the tails of dogs unless on veterinary grounds.
Lees told the court the litter of puppies had been unplanned and denied he was a professional dog breeder.
He said he was advised by an associate that docking the tails of the dogs would make them more attractive as working dogs and make it easier to re-home them. The defendant claimed he handed over £10 per puppy for it to be done by someone else.
Nick Powell, head of environmental health and trading standards, said: “The council will not tolerate any actions that cause unnecessary suffering to animals. Where we do find it we will not hesitate to take the appropriate legal action.”
Tail docking has been banned in England and Wales but spaniels, terriers and hunt, point and retriever breeds that are used to work, are exempt.
Puppies of these types of dog can be docked by a vet providing it is done within the first five days of life.
The owner or breeder must be able to prove that the puppies have been bred to work by showing the vet either a gun licence or a letter from a land occupier stating the owner’s dogs work on his land. The puppies must also be microchipped by a vet. The vet must then the vet must sign certificates to say that the puppies were both docked and microchipped in accordance with the law.
Lees, however was unable to produce any paperwork.
Sentencing: 12-month community order involving 100 hours of unpaid work; costs of c. £900. No ban.
CONVICTED (2017) | Mark Hewitt, born c. 1964, of Marsh Road, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 4QR – neglected his lorikeet parrots.
Mark Hewitt admitted four animal welfare charges when he appeared before Reading magistrates.
The charges related to a number of lorikeets and included instances of neglect such as failing to ensure they had adequate water and a sufficient diet.
All four offences were committed in Thatcham between December 1, 2016 and January 3, 2017.
Sentencing: Total of £1130 in fines and costs. Banned from owning or keeping birds as pets for three years (expired March 2020).
CONVICTED (2017) | Bradley Powers, born c. 1965, of Heol Frank, Penlan, Swansea – failed to take his severely underweight and flea-infested dog to the vet
Dog abuser Bradley Powers starved and neglected English Mastiff Hercules to the point where the dog had to be put to sleep.
Bradley Powers, real name Adam Williamson and originally from Southend on Sea, was banned from keeping animals for 10 years after his English Mastiff, known as Hercules, was found to be horribly emaciated and suffering from a flea infestation.
Powers is now banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
The dog was in such a poor state that he had to be destroyed by vets to prevent any further suffering.
Powers admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his pet at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.
RSPCA said inspector Leigh Summers visited Powers’ home in November 2016 to find an “extremely skinny” Hercules with a flea infestation.
Bradley Powers’ English Mastiff Hercules was emaciated, with “nearly every bone visible” .
Insp Summers said it was one of the “worst cases of neglect I have ever seen as an inspector – you could see nearly every bone in his body”.
Insp Summers added: “As well as not treating him for his weight loss, Hercules also had to suffer with a flea infestation, something which is easily preventable.”
She added: “Although his owner has now been convicted and has been banned from keeping animals, his actions meant that Hercules lost his life and was not able to get the second chance he deserved.”
Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires April 2027).
CONVICTED (2017) | Aisha Farooq, aka Aisha Amin, born 17/08/1973, of 20 Maple Close, Stoke-on-Trent – broke a previous ban on keeping animals after being found with two cats, one of whom needed a leg amputating
Aisha Farooq had been banned from keeping animals for life in 2014 after leaving cats and hamsters to starve to death but was found to have breached her ban jut three years later.
The RSPCA was contacted in November 2016 by a local police officer who had seen cats at Aisha Farooq’s home address, despite her being convicted of animal welfare offences in 2014 and receiving a lifetime disqualification order on owning animals.
Farooq pleaded guilty to two offences: being in breach of the disqualification order imposed on her in February 2014, and for failing to meet the needs of one of the cats by failing to investigate the cause of an injury.
Farooq was previously banned from keeping animals for life after letting her cats starve to death in her abandoned flea-infested home. The court heard how she allowed five cats and two hamsters to live in filthy conditions at her then address in Spring Road, Normacot, after becoming too poor to care for them. She left the pets behind after being moved into a B&B in Hanley (original newslink – Stoke Sentinel – removed).
RSPCA inspector Charlotte Melvin said: “There were two cats inside the property – a kitten named Whiskers and an adult cat named JJ, who had a terrible injury and was walking with an abnormal limp.
“After examination by a vet, it emerged that JJ had a fractured hip which should have been examined by a vet much earlier. As a result of this, she had to have a leg amputated.
“This could have all been avoided if the disqualification order had not been breached in the first place. The courts hand out disqualification orders for a reason – to protect animals from suffering and neglect at the hands of people who have been convicted of doing so.
“Thankfully, both cats which were removed from Farooq’s property have been rehomed and are now living lovely new lives.
“It is important to reiterate to the public that we rely on them to tell us if someone has breached a ban. We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and we take breaches of bans very seriously – as do the courts.”
Sentencing: For breaching the ban, magistrates gave Farooq an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Magistrates also imposed on her a 12-week prison sentence, also suspended for 12 months, for failing to meet the needs of the cat with the injury.
Farooq was also ordered to pay £300 in costs.
Her lifetime disqualification order still remains in place.
CONVICTED (2017) | James Connell Loveman, born 2 June 1997, and Amber Richards, born c. 1997, of Seeley Court, Grangecroft Road, Portland DT5 2HR – failed to get veterinary treatment for their kitten’s leg injury
James Connell Loveman and Amber Richards, who have a baby, admitted causing unnecessary suffering by failing to seek veterinary treatment for the kitten’s leg injury, contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The RSPCA said the kitten, named Mylo, had been injured at an address in Fortuneswell and had been “sadly left without veterinary treatment” between 13 August 2016 and 26 August 2016.
RSPCA inspector Ken Snook said: “Pet owners need to realise that they have a responsibility to care for their animals. That includes ensuring any health issues and injuries are dealt with promptly by a vet to avoid distress to animals in their care.
“It is unacceptable cruelty to simply turn a blind eye to an animal who is in pain and suffering and we encourage people to seek the help their animals need as soon as they need it.”
The RSPCA said Myla was rehomed after being signed over by the pair
Sentencing: Loveman, who went on to be convicted of child rape in late 2020, was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to pay a total of £335. He was banned from keeping animals for life.
Richards was ordered to pay £280 and given a two-year disqualification from keeping animals (expired 2019).
CONVICTED (2017) | Joseph Bell, born c. 1962, of Tweed Street, Ashington NE63 9HP – failed to seek veterinary treatment for his dog’s severe skin condition and eye problems
English bull terrier Rocky was suffering from multiple ailments for which his owner Joseph Bell failed to seek vet treatment
Four-year-old English bull terrier, Rocky, was practically blind with green discharge leaking from both eyes. He also had severe fur loss, skin lesions and inflamed skin and extremely overgrown claws.
An RSPCA inspector had warned Rocky’s owner, Joseph Bell, to take the dog to the vet but he failed to do so.
Rocky was immediately seized by the animal charity and taken to a vets, where he needed immediate treatment.
Bell pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court.
Judith Curry, prosecuting on behalf on the RSPCA, said an inspector from the charity had attended Bell’s home on December 9, 2016, as a follow-up call to check if he had got treatment for Rocky after an earlier visit.
She described how the dog had “severe fur loss and its skin was extremely red and inflamed. It was also scabby”, adding that he was “constantly scratching and there was green gunge coming from both of its eyes and its claws were extremely overgrown.”
She concluded: “The defendant admitted he had not been to the vets.”
Rocky was taken to the vets and was given antibiotics for his eye condition, which significantly improved. He will, however, need life-long treatment for his skin problems.
Ms Curry added: “This is a case where the real reason for bringing this matter to court is, as it’s obvious the defendant is not capable of caring for an animal, for a disqualification from keeping animals.”
Graham Crouth, mitigating, said Bell had mental health and cognitive issues after twice suffering a fractured skull when he was a child and a teenager.
Mr Crouth said that Bell had taken Rocky to the PDSA but hadn’t made follow-up appointments, which meant the dog’s health conditions returned or weren’t fully treated.
Sentencing: £300 costs. Lifelong ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2017) | Colin Woodside and Laura McWilliams, both of Clareglen, North Belfast BT14 8LU – neglected three dogs
Colin Woodside and partner Laura McWilliams were found guilty of animal cruelty charges over the treatment of three Staffordshire bull terriers.
The charges were causing the dogs unnecessary suffering and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of said animals, including the need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease, were met. The condition or fate of the animals was not reported.
The cases were brought by Belfast City Council and relate to offences committed in July 2016.
Sentencing: Woodside – 200 hours of community service; £250 costs. Disqualified from owning animals for five years (expired April 2022). McWilliams – 60 hours of community service; ordered to pay £200.No ban.
CONVICTED (2017) | puppy farmers Louise St John Poulton (aka Phoebe Dobbs), born 6 March 1974, most recently of High Grove, St Albans AL3 5SU, and Sean Kerr (aka Bob Hulk …), born 5 December 1964, of Pastures Farm, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, near Solihull B92 0HH – involved in mass-scale breeding of sick and dying puppies.
Sean Kerr and Louise St John Poulton ran a puppy farm where the dogs weren’t allowed to bark
Poulton pleaded guilty to six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and three offences of failing to meet the needs of a number of dogs.
Her partner in crime and cruelty, Sean Kerr, was found guilty of six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and three offences of failing to meet the needs of a number of dogs.
An RSPCA investigation was launched after heartbroken owners reported buying sick and dying dogs including schnauzers, Westies and pugs from Poulton and Kerr.
RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal said: “Many of [the puppies] had fallen ill within just a few hours and, tragically, some of them died within just a few days.
“Not only did the new owners have to cover hefty vet bills but they also had to deal with the trauma and heartbreak of watching their new puppies die in front of their eyes.”
On 22 December 2015, the RSPCA and police executed a warrant and raided a property in Solihull.
Puppy farmer Louise St John Poulton now of St Albans, Hertfordshire
RSPCA inspectors discovered a number of different breeds at the premises, all living in appalling, filthy conditions
A whiteboard on the wall gave a glimpse into the lives of the dogs on this farm. There were instructions to keep the dogs quiet by squirting water at them, cracking a whip or shouting.
“The dogs were being kept in disgusting conditions and were absolutely terrified,” inspector Boal said.
“Some were being kept locked in rooms inside the house, including a frightened pregnant Shih Tzu who was being kept in a cold downstairs loo. And four dogs – three of which were pregnant – had been locked in an outbuilding in total darkness, there was no light or ventilation whatsoever. In fact, we didn’t even realise they were there until a few hours into our search of the property.
“All of the dogs were petrified. The minute you touched them they froze from fear.”
RSPCA inspectors discovered a number of different breeds at the premises, all living in appalling, filthy conditions
Thirty-seven dogs and puppies were removed and 27 further pups were later born in RSPCA care.
Some of the dogs had injuries and health problems and officers also recovered the body of a dead Shih Tzu puppy wrapped in a plastic carrier bag in the footwell of a van, parked at the farm.
On one of the stables, officers found a whiteboard with instructions for the daily care of the dogs, including: ‘Keep puppies quiet, do not let them bark. Squirt them or use whip to crack in yard.’
RSPCA inspectors found the body of a dead Shih Tzu puppy wrapped in a plastic carrier bag in the footwell of a van
Paperwork found at the house tied the couple to the sales of puppies and 17 mobile phones were removed and analysed which revealed texts from some of the buyers who had contacted the RSPCA.
“The health and welfare of these dogs isn’t important to the sellers who see them just as commodities to be brought and sold,” inspector Boal added.
“The breeding stock are kept in inadequate conditions and used to produce litter after litter with little or no regard for their welfare. And puppies are born with deformities or health problems as a result of poor breeding and don’t get the appropriate care in their formative weeks which means they can have serious health problems or behavioural issues.”
Westie puppies Ben and Max had severe parvovirus and had to be put to sleep.
Most of the dogs rescued from the farm were fostered. Two of the puppies born in RSPCA care were fostered by Tom Mather, who lost his two Westies (Ben and Max, pictured above) to severe parvovirus five days after buying them from Poulton.
Sentencing | Poulton was sentenced to 22 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life. She was also ordered to pay £15,000 in costs.
Kerr was given a six-month prison sentence, ordered to pay £30,000 in costs and was disqualified from keeping dogs for life.
Despite her previous conviction, Louise St John Poulton continued to sell puppies illegally. On Monday October 17, 2022, she was sentenced to three years and four months in prison after being found guilty of one offence of conspiracy to commit fraud. She was given a further four months to run consecutively for breaching her previous suspended sentence.
The RSPCA launched an investigation back in 2017 after concerns were raised by families who had bought puppies from her in London and the surrounding area.
Vikki Dawe, from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, said: “Poulton and an accomplice worked together to buy in, advertise and sell on puppies which were considered valuable in the market.
“Over a period of between six months to a year, 59 adverts were placed that we’ve been able to connect to the duo. Each advert included an average of seven puppies – so that’s a total of more than 400 dogs.
“Poulton is believed to have defrauded the public out of £300,000 by selling these puppies to them as if they were family-bred, home-grown dogs of specific breeds when, in fact, they were neither.”
The RSPCA spoke to 38 witnesses in the course of their investigation almost all of whom bought puppies from a house in Wimbledon. Police searched the address in July 2017, finding two adult dogs and six puppies – all of different breeds and ages – inside.
In October that same year, more searches were carried out at Poulton’s home in St Albans and two other addresses in Finchley. Phones seized in the raids showed text messages between Poulton and another woman about what breed to falsely advertise puppies as for maximum profit.
Inspector Dawe continued: “We know that Poulton and her accomplice were deliberately misleading the public in order to capitalise on the popularity – and value – of specific breeds by falsely describing puppies as cockerpoos and cavachons.”
“One witness bought two dogs – both sold as cockerpoos – from the same litter. Now they’re fully grown one is a liver-coloured spaniel and the other is a little, white bichon frise-type.
“Some of the puppies they sold were also very sick and were carrying nasty diseases. One of the pups sadly went on to die.
“Although they were telling prospective buyers that they had been homebred – even using a male dog as a fake mum – many of the dogs had in fact been imported to be sold on.”
The following information, which we received via anonymous email in August 2020, is unverified and the information regarding Kerr’s unwillingness to pay his debts must be treated as an allegation:
They both live in Spain now and sell horses and , I believe dogs.
Their address is: Hipica Rancho Alegre Urb. Vista Alegre Camino de los Molares C41 Utrera, Sevilla 41710, Spain +34 635 479 435 sean55kerr@gmail.com
They also have some dealing with the address: Au Pernet 45B Estepona, 29688 Spain.
He is not above claiming that his partner is in hospital in a diabetic coma, if he is asked to provide a payment.
Louise St John Poulton used the name ‘magshappy‘ on the Pets4Homes website. Another of her aliases was Margaret Hanson. Her and Kerr’s other trading address were Link Farm, Wiggonholt, Pulborough RH20 2EL and New Barn, Lickfold Farm, Wiggonholt, Pulborough, RH20 2EL
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
