Caused unnecessary suffering to two rabbits. Failed to ensure the needs of two rabbits were met.
Sentencing: Fine £140, costs £300. Disqualified from keeping rabbits for seven years (expires June 2024).
Failed to ensure a whippet dog called Lola and a puppy whippet called Rosie were protected from pain, suffering, injury or disease.
Sentencing: Fine £95, costs £330. Disqualified from keeping a dog for two years (expired June 2019).
Lee James, a director of his family’s company Imperial Cutting Formes Ltd, was found guilty of letting a number of snakes die by leaving them for weeks without food and water.
The RSPCA was first alerted in January 2017 by the landlord of the unit on Gorsey Mount Street, near Stockport town centre, which James was renting to keep the animals.
They were housed in vivariums, and when inspectors eventually gained access a fortnight later they were greeted by a ‘strong and unpleasant stench’ coming from inside.
Horrified inspectors found 13 dead snakes in various stages of decomposition, some of which were so badly decomposed they were unrecognisable.
Three dead snakes were also found in a bin bag crawling with maggots.
Six live snakes were found, including a venomous viper snake, but they had no food or water and were all in ‘poor body condition,’ Anna McDonald prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA told magistrates.
The viper was seized by Stockport Council licensing officers. The other five, including two royal pythons, an Indian python and a reticulated python – the world’s longest snake – were seized by police and taken to be examined.
Nearly all were found to be suffering from malnutrition and dehydration, and one, a young royal python, died in the vets’ care.
James, who said he was a ‘self-taught’ keeper of snakes, told officers he was in the process of re-homing them.
But he said he was under a lot of stress as his father had been diagnosed with cancer and he had been running his business whilst he was unwell.
He admitted he’d last attended to the snakes before Christmas, probably in mid-December.
James pleaded guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to five snakes and three charges of failing to meet the needs of 10 snakes.
Sentencing: 140 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay £1,484.92. Banned from keeping any reptiles for a period of five years (expired 2022).
Margaret Greaves, a flyball trainer who competed internationally, pleaded guilty to a number of animal welfare offences.
She pleaded guilty to a number of animal welfare offences, which included failing to meet their needs and causing unnecessary suffering by not providing veterinary treatment.
The court heard that RSPCA inspectors visited Greaves’s property on 6 April 2016 after concerns were raised about the dogs’ living conditions.
There, they found dogs living in crates stacked on top of each other, with no food, water, blankets or toys inside them.
In total, there were 30 adult dogs, six puppies, two cats and two parrots.
RSPCA inspector Laura Kirkham said: “They were living in their own little prison cells – it was absolutely horrific and not something you expect to see in this day and age. There was faeces and urine in the crates and, in some, there were two dogs in each. The smell was disgusting – it was so overpowering that it was burning my throat.
“We got the police and a vet out, who was not happy with the conditions of the animals and was very worried about one dog in particular who seemed very lethargic and depressed.”
The dogs were spread across the property inside the house, an outhouse and in a transit van and a run outside. Also inside the house in a crate was a nursing mum and six newborn pups.
“There were seven dogs living in this van, all in crates – six in the back and one in the front,” said Inspector Kirkham.
“What is even sadder is that they were spending an extremely long time in these crates. There was nothing in these crates to stimulate them either, and the smell was strong and the air stuffy. It was just absolutely horrific.
“The squalor in the outhouse was particularly appalling. It had crates stacked on top of one another, and it was dark. At first we couldn’t see one of the dogs in the crate at the bottom because it was so dark.
“The crates were filled with faeces and urine, which meant the dogs were also covered in faeces – it was so bad on one dog that he had dreadlocks of faecal clumps hanging of his coat.”
There were also two cats living in squalid conditions in a run in the garden, plus two parrots inside the house who were also kept in poor conditions.
The court heard that Greaves ran a Nottinghamshire-based dog flyball team and has competed in national and international competitions in the past.
Inspector Kirkham said: “There were so many animals that it would have been impossible to have coped with them all.”
Sentencing: 12-week suspended prison sentence; ordered to pay over £600. A three-year ban on keeping all animals (expires June 2020) but banned from keeping dogs for life.
Mother-of-six Donnelly, who is married to Anthony Donnelly (he faced no charges but there are allegations that he was involved), distressed several horse owners when she sold their animals without permission.
She admitted five offences of fraud and two of theft and was given a three-month suspended jail term.
Donnelly’s victims included Denise Scarrot who asked her to find a new home for her horse Shadow who was suffering an ulcer and needed veterinary treatment.
“Ms Scarrot was adamant Shadow was not to be sold but given a retirement home,” said prosecutor Mary Cowe. “But she later learned from others that the defendant had sold Shadow at auction.
“Ms Scarrot said it was very upsetting to discover this. Shadow was a horse she had bred and hand reared and he was of great sentimental value to her. The fact he had been sold at auction caused her much personal pain.”
Donnelly then told her thieves had taken Shadow and was demanding money for his return.
It later transpired he had been sold at Beeston Auction in Wales. When Ms Scarrot was finally reunited with Shadow two years later his condition was much worse.
The prosecutor had told the court that another woman Donnelly knew asked her to look after her 17-year-old mare, Roxy.
“It was made clear Roxy was not to be ridden and was a ‘companion horse.’ The defendant agreed to take Roxy on. But less than a week later she sold the horse to a lady called Jane Dexter who runs a riding school. Donnelly told her she had ridden the horse herself and so had her daughter,” said Ms Cowe
“Ms Dexter paid £2,000 for three horses including Roxy, who she thought was worth about £500.
The prosecutor said another woman, Janice Cornbloom, agreed to let Donnelly rehome her horse Oasis in Oct 2015.
“The defendant told her she rescued horses and gave them a ‘forever home.’
“But in March 2016 Ms Cornbloom discovered Oasis had been sold to a dealer. She says she was struggling to cope with that.”
The prosecutor also outlined how Donnelly had bought a horse for £350 but did not pay – leaving the seller ‘cheated and out of pocket.’
She also bounced three cheques she gave to suppliers of goods including hay bales and horse rugs.
Defence barrister Robert Morgan-Jones said the probation service recommendation was a suspended sentence.
Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Donnelly: “These were silly, nasty, little offences. You must not offend again in this way or you will find yourself in very serious trouble.”
The judge added: “If you commit another criminal offence such as stealing someone’s hay or selling someone’s horse when you shouldn’t you will go to prison irrespective of how many children you have to look after.”
Sentencing: suspended prison sentence; costs of £150. She was ordered not to ‘purchase, acquire, take or look after any horses that are not presently already in her possession’ for three years (expired June 2020). Donnelly was also banned from acquiring or looking after any horses except those she already has in her care on her land.
Bishop admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a mastiff cross known as General.
The court heard how he stabbed the dog to death “in anger” before leaving his body to rot inside his flat for several days.
The dog was found by police officers in Bishop’s then home in Stalls Farm Road, Droitwich, after neighbours alerted them to the smell coming from the property.
Officers found General lying in a pool of blood and with a stab wound to his chest.
Initially, Bishop told the RSPCA he attacked his dog but claimed it was after the dog had attacked him.
RSPCA inspector Rachel Hayward, said: “It’s horrendous to think that he was stabbed to death in such a brutal attack.
“Bishop had no injuries so we disputed his claims he had been attacked by General.
“He later admitted he stabbed the dog in anger and said at the time General wasn’t attacking him as he had first claimed.”
Sentencing: 18 weeks in prison, suspended for two years; 250 hours of community service; £865 in costs. Lifetime disqualification order on all animals.
Career criminal Thomas Miller, who is known locally by the nickname ‘Skinny’, was jailed after he was filmed beating a defenceless puppy named Gizmo to try and get him to be quiet.
Miller is shown kicking Gizmo in the face in his back garden while shouting ‘Why are you looking at me?’
A neighbour filmed him as he continued kicking Gizmo as the dog cowered up against the wall in the garden.
Father-of-two Miller admitted charges of causing unnecessary suffering by inflicting blunt force trauma, physical violence and intimidating behaviour.
Miller will serve the animal cruelty sentence concurrent to the dangerous driving sentence of two years and five months, which was given on 27 March 2017.
Miller’s two dogs Gizmo and Reco were taken from him by the RSPCA and are set to be rehomed.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Keira Benham said: ‘It’s clear from the footage that Gizmo is petrified of Miller.
‘He knows what is coming as soon as Miller begins to approach him. He’s entirely submissive and crying out before he even kicks him, as if he’s pleading him not to do it, but Miller does it anyway.
‘It’s an utterly disgusting way to treat an animal, let alone a puppy.
‘I want to thank the member of the public who contacted us about this, who was so brave, we’re so grateful to her.
‘And I hope that Gizmo and Rico, Miller’s other dog who he was also deprived of, will now be able to enjoy the amazing new forever homes that are lined up for them, where they’ll be spoilt rotten.’
Sentencing: 18 weeks in jail (concurrent with another sentence for a driving offence). Total of £615 costs and charges. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
Peet admitted causing the dog – named Benji – to suffer unnecessarily, with an RSPCA inspector expressing sadness at her “shocking disregard for a fellow living creature”.
Shocking images show the collapsed terrier dog, with bones visible across his skin. He had starved to death, falling amid a pile of rubbish inside the Deeside property. Dog excrement was all over the floor of the house.
The body of the dog was found at the property by police after the defendant had moved out, with the RSPCA contacted to investigate in November. Benji had not been tended to for a number of weeks.
In all, the defendant pleaded guilty to three Animal Welfare Act offences, including a failure to meet Benji’s needs, and causing him to suffer unnecessarily.
RSPCA inspector Tim Jones said:
“Benji’s death is so tragic, and was caused because his owner showed such shocking disregard for a fellow living creature. The suffering must have been severe.
”Veterinary inspection found this poor dog was malnourished, emaciated and was weighing only 3.3kg.
“Owning a dog like Benji is a privilege, and it is heartbreaking to think what he went through after being left to die.”
Sentencing: three-month tagged curfew; eight month community order with rehabilitation; total of £285 costs and charges. Banned from keeping animals for just 10 years (expires June 2027).
Christopher Cooke and then partner Toni Leigh Bailey pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Prosecuting, Kevin Campbell told magistrates how the pair came onto the RSPCA’s radar in January 2017 when Cooke took collapsed dog Kane to the PDSA in Gateshead.
The RSPCA were contacted and found Kane to be extremely emaciated, skeletal and unable to move or stand.
A second dog, Roxy, was standing but in a similar physical condition with her rib cage, spine and hips showing.
The following day inspectors visited Cooke and Bailey at their home address on Church Street, Seaham, and found a third dog, Boss, who was “clearly emaciated” with his bones protruding and a fourth dog, Suki, in better condition than the other pets.
Mr Campbell said inspectors, who took the animals away, found mouldy faeces in the house, items lying around which could harm the dogs, as well as a tank with dead fish in it.
Vets who assessed the dogs concluded they would “undoubtedly” have had several months without adequate nutrition.
One said: “Kane was produced at the point of death. If he hadn’t been presented then I am certain he would have died.”
The court was told both defendants claimed they had made efforts to feed the pets – with Cooke claiming to spend £200 a month on food.
A probation officer rejected Cooke’s claims he had called a vet friend who suggested giving the dogs tripe and dog biscuits.
Tom Morgan, mitigating, said the pair had a “great fondness for animals” and rescued the dogs in a bid to give them better care.
Sentencing: 12 weeks in custody suspended for 18 months; ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation days; £715 costs each. Banned from keeping animals for ten years.
Toni-Leigh Bailey has married and is now known as Toni Allen. She lives in Oxford Street, South Shields NE33 4BH. Christopher Cooke now lives in Coach Road Estate, Washington NE37 2EX.
Vile Heather Stott let her elderly pet dog – a pointer crossbreed named Dougal – go without care or treatment for emaciation, dehydration and dental disease for almost a month.
She then went on to dump him in a commercial wheelie bin in Dundee’s Dundonald Street – yards from her home – on April 14 2016.
The dog was found by a member of the public alive – but severely malnourished and unable to stand.
They called in the Scottish SPCA, who say their inspector found Dougal partially inside a black bag.
He was immediately taken to a vet who decided the only humane option was to put him down.
The charity described the crime as “despicable” and “unthinkably cruel”.
Stott’s solicitor claimed she thought the dog was already dead when she dumped him.
Stott pleaded guilty on summary complaint to two charges under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act.
She admitted that between March 19 and April 15, 2016, at her home and elsewhere she being responsible for the dog caused it unnecessary suffering by failing to provide him with adequate care and treatment as he suffered from emaciation, dehydration and dental disease.
Stott further admitted that on April 14 and 15, 2016, at Dundonald Street and Wolsley Street, Dundee, she abandoned Dougal in such circumstances that were likely to cause unnecessary suffering and abandoned him in an industrial waste bin without access to nutrition and water and with no means of escape.
Her sister, Norma Stott, 71, also of Court Street, Dundee, earlier had her not guilty plea accepted by the Crown.
Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said Stott had no previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Theo Finlay said: “She effectively inherited this dog from her son around four years ago.
“The dog was 16 or 17 years old.
“Ultimately it was put in this bin.
“She was disposing of what she thought was the corpse.
“The dog had developed an obstruction – a benign mass – that was preventing it from getting nutrition and it had renal problems leaving it dehydrated.
“She thought it had died.
“She has shown increasing remorse.
“She lives with her aging sister who has limited capacity and she has been distracted and allowed this to continue for a period of time.”
The sheriff said: “I’m sure she didn’t really intend this to happen in the way it did.
“By the same token, if you have a dog under your care I can’t send out a message that it is acceptable.”
Speaking after Dougal was found, Scottish SPCA Chief Inspector John Carle said a local inspector had had to climb into the metal bin to rescue the animal.
He said: “The dog was found at the bottom of a large metal bin, which our local inspector had to climb into in order to rescue him.
“We think it’s possible he was put into the bin late on Thursday night or in the early hours of Friday morning when it was dark.
“He was wearing a black nylon collar and had a black bag wrapped around his body from his waist down but we don’t know if he was fully inside the bag when he was dumped.
“The dog was estimated to be between 10 and 12 years old so we have to consider that he may have been abandoned due to his age, which is unthinkably cruel.
“This poor dog would have been absolutely terrified and was suffering a great deal when he was found.”
Sentencing: community payback order with 80 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping animals indefinitely.