Monthly Archives: July 2017

Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Runcorn, Cheshire: Michelle Baldwin and sons Shaun and Shane Baldwin

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CONVICTED (2017) | Michelle Baldwin, aka Michelle Robinson, born 14/08/1976, and Shaun Baldwin, born 26/05/1996, both of Masseyfield Road, Runcorn WA7 6AB and Shane Andrew Baldwin, born 17/11/1997, of Linkway, Runcorn WA7 5EJ – kept their two Staffies in squalid conditions and left one to starve to death

Evil: Michelle Baldwin and sons Shane and Shaun who left two dogs to starve.
Michelle Baldwin and her two evil sons Shaun Baldwin and Shane Baldwin were disqualified from keeping animals for a decade following the animal abuse

The RSPCA said the dogs, Staffies Bruno and Roxy, were so thin their ribs were clearly visible and they were living in ‘atrocious’ conditions.

Bruno had been starved by his cruel owners, the Baldwins from Runcorn, until he was too unwell to be saved
Bruno had been starved until he was too unwell to be saved

Bruno was put to sleep on health grounds despite the charity’s efforts to save him and Roxy has been rehomed.

The foul conditions in which the two emaciated dogs were found
The foul conditions in which the two emaciated dogs were found
The filthy conditions inside the Baldwin family home

The trio each pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs and one of failing to provide a suitable environment at an earlier hearing.

Dog killer Michelle Baldwin, aka Michelle Robinson from Runcorn, Cheshire, UK
Dog killer Michelle Baldwin, aka Michelle Robinson
Dog killers: Shaun Baldwin (left) and Shane Baldwin
Dog killers: Shaun Baldwin (left) and Shane Baldwin. Both thugs are fathers

An RSPCA spokeswoman said the the dogs were discovered by the police on November 17, 2016, when they were carrying out a search at the address on Masseyfield Road, Brookvale, Runcorn on an unrelated matter.

Roxie was nursed back to health by the RSPCA and rehomed

Officers contacted the RSPCA, which led to inspector Lisa Lupson attending the property.

She said: “Both dogs were very thin, particularly Bruno. He was so weak that as soon as I got him to a vet he was put on a drip.

“He was very lethargic and subdued, and wasn’t responding to us at all. As well as being underfed, the dogs were living in horrific conditions.

“Upstairs of the house was atrocious, there was rubbish absolutely everywhere and dog poo all over the floor.

“It was in no way the best environment for dogs to live in. The message is clear – if you decide to take animals on then you must be able to meet their needs and provide them with the kind of life they deserve.”

Court papers said Michelle Baldwin had entrusted the care of the dogs to two young adults without taking responsibility for them herself.

Sentence: Michelle Baldwin was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for six months and her sons Shaun and Shane Baldwin were both given a 12-month community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. All three were told to pay costs of £100 and an £85 victim surcharge each. A 10-year ban on keeping animals was imposed on the trio (expires July 2027). 

Liverpool Echo
Metro

Animal Abandonment, Dogs

Witney, Oxfordshire: Jemma and Barney Bloom

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CONVICTED (2017) | Jemma Bloom (née Jemma Sero), born 25 May 1985, and husband Barney William Bloom (known as Billy Bloom), born 2 May 1980 of Mirfield Road, Witney OX28 5BA – left their pet dog to starve in a squalid outhouse

Dog killers Billy Bloom and wife Jemma Bloom from Witney, Oxfordshire, UK
Dog killers: Billy and Jemma Bloom now of Witney, Oxfordshire

The pair, then of Hudson Street, Bicester, admitted starving and failing to look after their crossbreed dog Hooch, who was later put to sleep by a vet following his ordeal.

Hooch was found without food and water in a squalid outhouse at the couple’s home after the police contacted the animal welfare charity with concerns for the dog’s wellbeing.

Abandoned dog Hooch
Hooch

RSPCA Inspector Lauren Bailey, who investigated the case, said: “When I first saw Hooch he was at the police station and I was moved by how loving he was.

“He was so skinny, dirty, and neglected but had so much time for everyone he met.

“It was heart-breaking to see a dog that had not been shown any love himself still offer love unconditionally to others.

Dog killers Billy Bloom and wife Jemma Bloom from Witney, Oxfordshire, UK

“He had sadly been left without food and water in a dirty outhouse. He was very underweight with all his ribs showing.

“When I carried out the interviews they admitted he wasn’t cared for and said he was only occasionally fed leftover pasta.

“The neglect suffered by Hooch could have been easily avoided but he was simply left to suffer without the care he needed and deserved.

“We encourage people who can no longer cope with caring for their pets to contact us for help and advice to avoid unnecessary distress and suffering being caused.”

Dog killers Billy and Jemma Bloom

Hooch initially recovered from his mistreatment while in the care of the RSPCA and managed to regain some weight but had to be put to sleep because of medical issues.

Sentencing:
Barney Bloom – 12 weeks in jail.
Jemma Bloom – eight weeks in jail suspended for 12 months; community order with one-month home curfew.
Both were disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years (expires July 2027).

Oxford Mail

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, hunting with dogs, Lifers, Multiple Species, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Claudy, County Londonderry: Michael Conwell

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CONVICTED (2017) | Michael Stephen Conwell, born 14/01/1994, of Slievebuoy Park, Londonderry BT47 4BE – for cruelty to three dogs found with mouth injuries consistent with badger baiting

Wildlife persecutor, badger baiter, dog abuser: Michael Conwell from Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Wildlife persecutor, badger baiter, dog abuser: Michael Conwell from Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Conwell’s animal cruelty was uncovered during a police search of properties in the Claudy area of Londonderry as part of an ongoing investigation into wildlife offences.

Inside his property police found three dogs with visible injuries to their mouths and lips.

A lurcher had long-standing damage to the right side of her mouth and damage to her lips. A vet who examined the dog believed the injuries had been inflicted three months earlier and described the lurcher’s condition as poor.

A patterdale terrier also had damage to her lips and scarring injuries, which the vet also believed were two months old.

Wildlife persecutor, badger baiter, dog abuser: Michael Conwell from Londonderry, Northern Ireland

The third dog, a Cairn-Patterdale cross, had several of her teeth missing as well as injuries to her lips. The vet believed those injuries were between two weeks and three months old.

The prosecutor said although the defendant was neither charged with nor convicted of badger baiting, the vet who examined the three dogs believed that the injuries were consistent with badger baiting.

The three dogs were removed from Conwell’s home by the police and kept in kennels.

The PSNI incurred kennelling costs of £14,000 for the three dogs, all of which have recovered from their injuries and are now waiting to be rehomed after the conclusion of the court proceedings.

The prosecutor said Conwell gave a “no comment” interview to the police following his arrest and gave no explanation as to how the injuries had been inflicted on his three dogs.

Sentencing: three-month prison sentence (increased to four months on appeal, but suspended for three years); ordered to pay £14,000 kennelling costs, reduced to £7,500 on appeal. Disqualified for life from owning animals.

Belfast Telegraph

Dogs, Serial Animal Abusers, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Kingston Upon Hull: Shane Gibson

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CONVICTED (2017) | Shane Charles Gibson, born 15/01/1979, of Holland Street, Hull HU9 2JB – slammed a dog against a wall in a fit of anger, breaking her leg.

Police mugshot of dog beater and domestic abuser Shane Gibson from Hull

In a fit of anger, Gibson grabbed lurcher Sky by the scruff of the neck and slammed her against a wall. The impact broke the dog’s leg in two places and it later had to be amputated.

Gibson attacked the defenceless animal after smashing a window to gain entry to his ex- fiancée’s house at 4.30am while drunk, convinced she was with another man.

Lurcher Sky lost a leg following the attach by Shane Gibson from Kingston upon Hull
Sky’s leg had to be amputated following the latest violent attack by Shane Gibson

Philip Brown, prosecuting, said: “The noise woke Gibson’s ex- fiancée’s daughter – who was alone at the house with Sky and another dog.

“The defendant ran up the stairs in an excited state looking for his ex- fiancée after fearing that she was with another man.

“The teenager recalled that Gibson was drunk, staggering, swaying and smelt of alcohol as he made his way into her room.

“Both of the dogs by this point were jumping up at the defendant and in his anger, he picked up Sky by the scruff of her neck and slammed her against the wall.”

dog beater and domestic abuser Shane Gibson from Hull
Shane Gibson pictured outside court

Brown, prosecuting, said Gibson’s ill-treatment of Sky started in November of the previous year when an object purported to be either a mirror or a shelf fell on the young pup.

The defendant didn’t take Sky to the vets and his ex- fiancée soon noticed that her pet was displaying signs of an injury.

Brown said: “The dog’s injuries were left for a period of time before treatment was sought for the dog.

“As such, the dog had started to re-heal but the bones had misaligned causing pain to the dog.

“She suffered a broken femur which had started to re-heal but the bones had not healed properly so a surgeon had to re-break the bones and use pins to fix it.”

dog beater and domestic abuser Shane Gibson from Hull

Gibson, who has since been slammed by the RSPCA for his “appalling'” treatment of Sky, initially denied two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

But magistrate Tom Cave convinced him to change his pleas to guilty with a promise that he wouldn’t be jailed immediately.

dog beater and domestic abuser Shane Gibson from Hull

Tim Hibbert, defending also argued his client was emotional due to his partner’s infidelity.

Hibbert said: “He was upset because he thought she had stayed out and spent the night with another man which turned out to be true.

“He had clearly consumed some alcohol and he accepts recklessly causing that injury.”

Sky has since been re-homed by the RSPCA.

Sentencing | 18 weeks in jail suspended for two years; ordered to pay a total of £265 costs and charges to be deducted from his benefits. Banned from keeping pets of any type for five years (expired July 2022).

Daily Record
Hull Daily Mail

Update January 2021

Gibson was jailed for 30 months after attacking his pregnant partner, knocking out two of her teeth. He was convicted of occasioning actual bodily harm. A further offence of threats to kill will lie on file.

The court heard about Gibson’s extensive criminal record which included domestic violence offences against former partners and a conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent in 1999 which involved a 12-year-old boy.

The judge told Gibson: “Your record shows a propensity for violence, particularly towards those weaker than you, whether it is a former partner or a 12-year-old boy.”

animal fighting / baiting, Dogs, hunting with dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Traveller Animal Crimes, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Wold Gate, Bridlington: William Smith

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CONVICTED (2017) | William Smith, born 29/04/1992, of Woldgate Traveller Site, Bridlington YO16 4LX – for cruelty offences towards a lurcher-type dog

Animal abuser, gypsy traveller William Smith from Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire

Gypsy traveller Smith received an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was barred from keeping animals for ten years, for causing unnecessary suffering to a lurcher-type dog called Candy, by failing to investigate and address her poor body condition and low weight.

Smith, who had previous convictions for similar offences, must pay £300 costs and a £115 surcharge.

Hull Daily Mail

Cats, Domestic Violence - Animals Targeted, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Basildon, Essex: Gary Pitcher

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CONVICTED (2017) | Gary Pitcher, born 27/05/1971, of Soane Street, Basildon SS13 1QU – strangled his girlfriend’s kitten to death during a drunken row

Gary Pitcher killed the kitten, known as ‘Baby’, after downing three glasses of wine and arguing with his partner.

He was found “covered in blood” when police arrived and told officers: “I have killed the kitten.”

Basildon Magistrates heard police raced to the scene fearing an even more grim incident had taken place because the woman who dialled 999 said: “He’s killed Baby.”

Pitcher admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and assaulting his partner by pushing her head with his open palm.

But he was spared jail after the court heard his actions were “out of character”.

Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months; ordered to take part in a relationships course and pay £250 compensation. Two-year banning order (expired July 2019).

ITV News
Echo News

Dogs

Chesterfield, Derbyshire: Shaun Musson

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CONVICTED (2017) | Shaun Musson, born 25/03/1992, of Chaucer Road, Newbold, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 8SS – starved a dog until he became so weak he couldn’t make his way up stairs

Shaun Musson pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the Staffordshire bull terrier named Maxie.

The court heard that Maxie was given a low body score of one out of nine and that he was so emaciated he had no muscles in his legs.

RSPCA inspector Rachel Leafe, who rescued Maxie, said: “When I took Maxie to the vet after he was rescued, he was so weak that he stumbled up the stairs at the entrance. He had no muscle in his legs, he was so weak. He had to keep stopping while walking because he just could not walk properly.”

The court heard that Maxie weighed 11kg, instead of the 18kg he should have weighed.

Inspector Leafe said: “Musson said that he believed the dog had lost weight because he was stressed, as Musson had gone from being at home all the time to working 40 hours a week. Put simply, Maxie lost a lot of weight as a result of not being fed properly. He was such a skinny dog and you could see every single bone in his body. He looked like a skeleton with fur.

“As well as being underweight, he had an overgrown claw which was curling over into his pad. It would have been incredibly painful for him.”

The court heard that a member of the public contacted the RSPCA after seeing Maxie.

He recovered in the RSPCA’s care and was made available for rehoming.

Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months; £300 in costs. Disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years (expires July 2027).

RSPCA Chesterfield

Dogs, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders, security dogs, Security Industry, Serial Animal Abusers, service and working dogs, Worst of the Worst

Edgware, London: Nijamul Islam

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CONVICTED (2017) | serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam, born 19/02/1973, of 91 Farm Road, Edgware HA8 9LR – kept dozens of large-breed ‘protection’ dogs in cramped, dirty conditions and without food or water

Serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam of Edgware, London, kept dogs to be used in the security industry
Islam ran a business supplying dogs to the security industry but kept them in filth and squalor and without food or water

Persistent animal abuser Nijamul Islam was first convicted of dog abuse on a massive scale in November 2012. Then trading as the Vardalu Pet Hotel based in Elstree, Herts, Islam was convicted of cruelty to 173 dogs and puppies, including Rottweilers, German shepherds, Belgian malinois and American bulldogs. He was given a two-year suspended prison term and banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.

Footage from the RSPCA’s 2012 raid on Islam’s then premises in Elstree, Hertfordshire

In October 2014 the authorities discovered he was keeping 102 dogs at Woodhill Farm, Stanstead Road, Great Amwell SG12 9RN after a kennel maid was attacked by a Belgian shepherd and a German shepherd. The victim was rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries and required surgery to save her arms.

The two dogs concerned were later destroyed due to their “extremely aggressive nature”.

Serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam of Edgware, London, kept dogs to be used in the security industry

Both police officers and officers from the RSPCA entered the farm later on the same day where they discovered more than a hundred dogs being kept in “squalid” conditions.

Judge John Plumstead was told several people worked at the farm, where dogs to be used in the security industry were allegedly trained.

The judge was told the conditions for the animals were ‘appalling’ with filthy cages covered in urine and faeces.

The animals, some of which were puppies, had inadequate bedding and no access to clean water or food.

There were also dead dogs on the site.

Serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam of Edgware, London, kept dogs to be used in the security industry

Of the dogs found within the farm, 40 had to be put down either because they were deemed dangerous by the RSPCA or had severe medical conditions and were suffering.

RSPCA inspector Steph Law said: “The conditions the dogs were kept in were horrendously squalid. It was filthy and most of the dogs had been left without food and water.

“Sadly we also found that a number of the dogs were very badly injured and had been left to suffer without veterinary treatment.

“It was sickening to see the scale of suffering as we worked with the police over four days to remove the dogs and bring them into boarding.”

Serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam of Edgware, London, kept dogs to be used in the security industry

Judge Plumstead said Islam had an ‘appalling track record’ for neglect and cruelty to animals.

He said: ‘These were not everyday dogs. They were all large and potentially violent dogs.

‘These dogs were kept in dreadful conditions in a way which could only be described as scandalous.’

He said he had also seen a training video seized from Islam’s business, which showed him setting a large Alsatian-type dog across a field to attack a man wearing a bite suit.

Judge Plumstead said the dog had been ‘biting determinedly and with considerable force until it was called off by the defendant’.

He said: ‘This was not a legitimate business because he was in no position to legally be doing what he was doing.’

In July 2017 Nijamul Islam was jailed for two and half years after pleading guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control.

Islam also admitted being in breach of an order disqualifying him from keeping dogs and four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs.

Sentencing: two-and-a-half year jail term. Continuation of his original 10-year ban on keeping dogs imposed in 2012 (expired 2022).

Daily Mail
BBC News

animal fighting / baiting, Dogs, foxes, hunting with dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Peterlee/Horden, County Durham: Andrew Lee and Mark Baxter

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“NOT GUILTY” | Andy Lee of Barsloan Grove, Peterlee SR8 2PY, and Mark Baxter of Morpeth Street, Horden SR8 4BE – charged with animal welfare and hunting offences after a fox was dug out of a hole and stabbed to death.

Not guilty': Andy Lee (left) and Mark Baxter were cleared of animal welfare charges due to the existence of "reasonable doubt" as to their guilt
‘Not guilty’: Andy Lee (left) and Mark Baxter were cleared of animal welfare charges due to the existence of “reasonable doubt”.

Northallerton Magistrates’ Court heard that Lee and Baxter both had permission to hunt so-called vermin on land at Sandhutton near Thirsk in December 2016.

The trial heard that the pair were hunting with dogs and a shotgun but the police were called after a witness saw them digging for around an hour before throwing a dead fox up out of the hole.

The pair were charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, hunting a wild mammal with dogs and inflicting unnecessary suffering to a wild animal.

They denied all charges.

Lee said that they had been hunting rabbits with two young boys and only began digging because one of the dachshunds had disappeared underground.

He said that two lurchers were being held on leads by the boys but the dogs broke free and went for the fox when it emerged from the hole.

Lee then stabbed the fox, saying his intention was to prevent its suffering.

He said: “As far as I am concerned I dealt with a bad situation as best as I could.”

A postmortem report showed the fox died instantly from the stab wound and not from injuries inflicted by the dogs, which included a broken jaw.

One of the lurchers had a cut nose and face but it was not established whether the injuries were caused by the other lurcher or by the fox.

After retiring for around an hour, magistrate Scott Handley said the bench could not be sure beyond reasonable doubt that the criminal standard for hunting a fox with dogs had been met.

The men were cleared of all charges.

Northern Echo