CONVICTED (2020) | Michael ‘Mikey’ Rose (aka Michael Garner), born c. 1997, previously of Hill Park Crescent, Greenbank, Plymouth PL4 but most recently no fixed abode – punched and kicked a police dog after constables found him living in a tent in woods
Michael Rose aka Michael Garner and PD Ollie
Rose, who is originally from Basildon, Essex, punched and kicked PD Ollie as constables tried to restrain him. But the dog managed to grab hold of his ankle as he’d been trained to do.
The thug also rained blows on three police officers who found him in a tent and tried to headbutt another back at the police station.
Rose then assaulted two custody officers who were taking him to court the next day. One of the officers later said it was the most aggressive he had seen someone in 17 years of policing.
Jailing him for 18 months in total, Judge William Mousley said all six officers had been “just doing their job”.
He added that Rose had significant mental health difficulties, including paranoia, though he had refused to co-operate with psychiatric staff in the past.
Rose pleaded guilty to six counts of assaulting an emergency worker and one of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog on December 23 and December 24, 2019.
He changed his pleas minutes ahead of his trial.
Police Dog Ollie’s Twitter account said after the attack that there were no serious injuries and that he “recovered quickly”.
Rose was jailed in December 2017 for 29 months for two offences of blackmail. The latest offences were committed on licence after his release.
CONVICTED (2020) | Ashley Lauren Corner, born November 1985, of Park Avenue, Marton, Middlesbrough TS6 0AP – for the neglect of two dogs found in dire condition.
Ashley Corner is now banned from owning animals until 2025
Corner’s dogs, West Highland terriers Harvey and Woody, were found by RSPCA officers with matted fur and paws covered in faeces.
The single mother-of-three boys, who is also a backyard breeder, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal between September 1 and 29, 2019.
Neglected dog Harvey (this image is a couple of years old)
Stuart Haywood, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said officers were called to Corner’s house after reports regarding the state of the dogs.
Mr Haywood said that Corner initially refused the RSPCA officers entry, but they subsequently returned and finally gained entry.
Corner’s home was found to have a “strong smell of urine and faeces” and the dogs were “covered in fleas” with “matted fur”.
The paws of one dog were covered in faeces and both also smelled strongly.
Unremorseful Corner laughs outside court
The court heard that Corner signed one of the dogs over to the RSPCA but refused to do so with the other.
Corner, now of Newton Aycliffe, admitted failing to adequately explore and address the causes of the poor condition of both dogs.
Sentencing: 12-month community order with 12 rehabilitation activity days. Ordered to pay £200 costs which will be taken out of her Universal Credit payments. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expires September 2025).
CONVICTED (2020) | Thomas Andrew Wade, born 02/03/1993, previously of Mellor Street, Stockton-on-Tees, but as of September 2020 living in an NHS care facility in Park Avenue, Hartlepool TS26 0DZ – subjected his pet cat to prolonged torture which included putting her into a hot oven and flushing her down the toilet
Thomas Wade aka ‘Evil Tom’ most recently of Hartlepool but with links to Stockton on Tees and Grimsby
Wade claimed in court he heard voices from a WWE wrestler named Kane before launching the attack on the cat, known as Sweetie. During her ordeal, which came after she apparently “disobeyed” her twisted owner, Sweetie was put in a hot oven, flushed in a toilet, strangled with a TV cord and thrown against walls.
Wade then made disturbing voice recordings of himself where he spoke in detail about carrying out the horrific abuse and proclaimed: “No one can be more evil than myself.”
Despite the sickening cruelty, Sweetie miraculously survived the ordeal, but was hospitalised with severe third degree burns.
Wade pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal during his appearance at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
Stuart Haywood, prosecuting, said loner Wade, who has learning difficulties and autism, received Sweetie as a gift from his sister as she thought it would be “good for him”.
The tabby was then given to Wade for a three week trial before possible adoption.
But on October 8, 2019, Wade went to his sister’s home and told her the cat “was not wanted anymore”.
Mr Haywood said his sister then went to Wade’s home where she “smelled a strong smell of burning”.
“The defendant was sitting on a settee and the cat was wet and breathing rapidly, he refused to say why,” he said.
He added that fur was then found in Wade’s oven. After more questions, Wade finally admitted what he had done, saying that it “felt good”.
His sister immediately notified the RSPCA and Sweetie was taken to a vet where she was found to be in a “terrible condition”.
She had sustained skin damage and “significant” third degree burns before being hospitalised.
The police soon became involved and Wade was arrested.
Rambling voice recordings were later discovered of Wade speaking about the abuse.
In the recordings, one of which was eight minutes long, he spoke in detail about attacking Sweetie.
In one sinister recording he said, “No one can be more evil than myself” and said he wanted to “rip out its tongue” after seeing her struggle while being “choke slammed”.
In another he referred to himself as “evil Tom”.
In police interview, Wade said he “threw her against four walls” and said he carried out the violence in part because he claimed he heard voice in his head from the WWE wrestling character, Kane, in his head.
Wade was also remorseless, telling officers “she had not suffered enough”.
He said he put the terrified cat in the oven “on high for five minutes” after throwing her against a wall and said he became infuriated at Sweetie for “disobeying” his orders for her not to go under his bed. The court heard that Wade had “no mental health” issues, but did have learning difficulties.
Matthew Agar, defending, said the incident was “shocking”, and said he “did not want to minimise” the offence.
He said it was his view Wade’s learning disability was a “contributing factor” and that he had serious concerns for him.
Mr Agar added that Wade was now aware of the severity of the offence and that he felt Wade had something like a “split-personality”.
He said that Wade had moved to Teesside from Grimsby and would “go weeks” without any other contact with people.
Sentencing Wade, district judge, Helen Cousins called him an “extremely dangerous man” and that she would liked to have “put him in prison for as long as I could”.
Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. Six months of mental health treatment. 30 rehabilitation activity days and 18-week hospital curfew. £440 costs. Banned from keeping pets for 10 years (expires 2030).
#MostEvil | Greg Phillips, born January 1980, of Ynyslas Crescent, Glynneath SA11 5LB – repeatedly punched his cocker spaniel
Greg Phillips was caught on camera launching a brutally violent attack on his helpless dog
Phillips was caught on dashcam footage shoving his dog into the back of his car outside a shop on Pentre Street, Glynneath, Neath Port Talbot, on 31 March, 2020.
Dashcam footage showed him grabbing hold of the dog as she jumped out of his car when he went to put a crate of beer on the back seat.
Greg Phillips’ three dogs, including the cocker spaniel he attacked
He then punched her several times, before throwing her into the boot along with other dogs, and then striking her again.
Passers-by can be heard hooting their car horns and shouting at him to stop.
RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben said: “In broad daylight and with people all around, this poor dog was beaten by his owner, who clearly had no regard for his legal responsibilities towards his animal.
“Fortunately, the dashcam footage helped us to identify this individual and ensure we could take action.
“Clearly, this is no way to treat an animal, and thankfully, the vast majority of people across south Wales and beyond will be shocked by this footage, and the beating this poor cocker spaniel was subjected to.”
Sentencing: 150 hours of unpaid work; a total of £390 costs and charges. No ban or deprivation order.
