CONVICTED (2020) | Kerri Leanne Ogilby, born c. 1984, most recently of Great James Street, Londonderry BT48 7DB – left a Shih-Tzu dog in an empty flat for several days without food or water
Kerri Ogilby, who has longstanding drug and alcohol addiction issues, can now add animal abuse to her long list of criminal convictions
Ogilby, who has 96 previous criminal convictions including burglary, disorderly behaviour and assaulting police officers, was convicted in May 2019 in her absence of causing unnecessary suffering to the unnamed dog. As she was a ‘no-show’ for her court appearance, a warrant was issued for her arrest and she has only now been sentenced.
The court was told that a report was received on December 22, 2017 that the defendant had not been seen for several days and there was concern for a dog she kept in her basement flat.
Attempts were made to contact Ogilby but were unsuccessful.
An officer called out to the basement flat and there was no reply and tape was placed over the lock.
A dog could be heard barking on the premises. A subsequent visit revealed that the tape was intact signifying the defendant had not entered the flat.
A decision was made to force entry and the male Shih Tzu was found locked in a small bathroom.
The dog had no access to food or water. The floor of the bathroom had faeces, shredded toilet roll and empty alcohol containers.
The dog’s hip bones and ribs could be clearly felt through his thick coat.
He was seized by animal welfare officers on recommendation of the Council-instructed vet.
Upon examination, the vet confirmed that the dog was suffering due to poor body condition, dehydration and abandonment.
Following his recovery the dog was successfully rehomed.
Sentencing: six months’ imprisonment on each of the two charges; ordered to pay £700. Disqualified for life from keeping or caring for any animals in any manner.
CONVICTED (2020) | Seamus Lee, born c. 1984, and wife Stacey Lee (née O’Reilly), born c. 1986, of Drumalla Park, Carnlough, Ballymena BT44 0JE – starved and neglected their pet dogs
Seamus and Stacey Lee and their neglected dogs Tara (top) and Keela
Seamus Lee, who owns Total Training gym in Ballymena, and his wife Stacey Lee pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a boxer dog named Keela and a Jack Russell known as Tara.
The charges were brought against the Lees by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
The couple were prosecuted after animal welfare officers visited their property in September 2019 and found their dogs living in filthy conditions.
Keela was found to be in poor health and clearly malnourished. As well as being “excessively thin”, she had a one-inch ingrown dew claw embedded into her leg, an infection and sores from being forced to lie on a hard surface.
Tara was in good body condition, but her living conditions were assessed by a vet as unsuitable.
Both dogs were removed and later rehomed following their recovery.
Sentencing: Seamus Lee – 150 hours of unpaid work; £1000 costs. Stacey Lee – two-month suspended prison sentence. Both were banned from keeping animals for five years (expires November 2025).
CONVICTED (2020) | Sara Leanne Turner (aka Sara Garth), born c. 1984, of Silwood Drive, Bradford BD2 3ER – neglected two piebald cobs and left them in a “tragic” condition
Sara Turner was given a 10-year equine ban after her ponies were found in ‘tragic’ state
Turner was banned from keeping equines for 10 years after RSPCA inspectors found a pregnant pony with all of her spine, pelvis and ribs visible.
Inspectors were called to a stable yard in Fagley Road, Bradford, in April 2020 following a call for concern for the welfare of horses.
On arrival Inspector David Holgate and Inspector Kris Walker found two ponies who were left to starve to death in a “distressing” scene.
Blue was found collapsed in a filthy stable
Inspector Walker said a piebald cob-type mare, called Blue, was starving with her spine, pelvis and ribs visible.
He said: “Blue had collapsed on arrival and had given birth to a premature foal but had now managed to get to her feet with assistance from the vet and members of the public.
“The stables were dirty and there was rubbish and hazards covering most of the area.”
The horses were kept in an area that was dirty and littered with hazardous objects
Mr Walker said another piebald cob type mare, called Willow, was found collapsed in a stable near the yard and was also in poor condition.
He said: “It was distressing to see these two horses in such a poor state.
“They were taken to a boarding yard but sadly their condition worsened and it was decided that the kindest thing to do was to put them to sleep to end their suffering.
“This was a sad case with a tragic outcome resulting in the death of two ponies.
Turner, who runs a mobile microchipping business called MissK9, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two ponies.
Sentencing: 12-month community order for 250 hours of unpaid work, costs of £300 and a victim surcharge of £85. Banned from owning equines for 10 years but can appeal after three years.
Sara Turner’s husband Andrew Garth, former owner of pet shops Allpets and The Bradford Birdman, was given a custodial sentence and a lifetime ban on keeping all animals. His conviction came after the starved remains of guinea pigs, rabbits and mice were found in freezers and bins on his premises. Full details here.
CONVICTED (2020) | Mark Tims, born c. 1964, of Harepath Road, Seaton EX12 2HE – used a hockey stick to kill a seagull
Tims admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after bashing a seagull to death with a hockey stick. He then placed its remains in a bin liner and stood on it.
The court heard from Tims’ probation officer that the gulls were “mating [and] making a considerable noise, disturbance and mess from dawn until dusk”.
Tims’ lawyer told the court her client was suffering from sleep deprivation at the time of the incident. This, she said caused him to “emotionally … lose it” and to commit “an act out of character”.
Tims was “so embarrassed” about the incident, he had not told his family and was “full of remorse”, the court heard.
Sentencing: eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months; £428 costs; six rehabilitation days.
CONVICTED (2020) | John Nicholson, born c. 1952, from Gronant, near Prestatyn in Wales – killed a seagull with his walking stick
John Nicholson was captured on CCTV attacking and killing a defenceless seagull with his walking stick
Nicholson was convicted of intentionally killing a wild bird in Rhyl, Wales in January 2020 as well as disorderly behaviour by being abusive to police.
CCTV footage from Market Street captures Nicholson as he walks towards a flock of seagulls who had gathered on the pavement, clutching a white paper bag in one hand.
He then suddenly strikes at one of the birds as shocked onlookers watch, before turning and walking away from the scene.
Nicholson appears to place the paper bag in his pocket as he heads towards the nearby Lorne Hotel and the clip comes to an end.
Mr Nicholson was arrested under the Wildlife Countryside Act Protection of Birds law after the gull was found ‘smashed to bits’.
Court chairman Alwyn Lloyd Ellis said the CCTV ‘clearly shows an act of intent by the defendant. As a result the bird died.’
Nicholson had no previous convictions and was fined in his absence.
Sentencing: ordered to pay £180 for each of the two charges and £652 in costs.
CONVICTED (2020) | so-called urban hunter Robert King, born 22 November 1986, of 66 Scotia Street, Motherwell ML1 3LD – a sadistic badger baiter and fox cub killer who forced his dogs into brutal animal fights
Twisted Robert King forced his dogs into underground tunnels to bait a nursing badger. The dogs suffered horrific facial injuries with one being so badly hurt she had to be euthanised
Robert King, a self-employed landscape gardener trading under the name R&R Landscaping, had trained his three dogs to fight so aggressively that one had to be put to sleep due to the severity of her injuries. His social media accounts showed he was using his dogs to wipe out wild animals and networking with other sick so-called urban hunters to show off his grisly work.
King was caught after Police Scotland raided a site near Carluke Park and Ride in South Lanarkshire and found the two severely injured Jack Russell terriers wearing tracking collars. One also had a metal face guard.
This dog was so badly injured she was euthanised on humane grounds
He had forced the two dogs into underground tunnels to bait a nursing badger so his larger lurcher dogs could attack it.
He had developed special chin straps to protect his dogs from badgers as they attacked the setts from above ground.
King’s dogs were injured after being forced into attacking a nursing badger
The straps have never before been seen in Scotland but are known to have been used in Italy, where pit bulls have been forced to fight with wild pigs.
In this case, the strap had failed and one of King’s dogs was so badly hurt she had to be put down, with her lower jaw ripped from her face.
Spades and other specialist baiting equipment was found at the scene. There had been a significant amount of digging which is another tactic used in an attempt to unearth the badgers and provoke a fight.
Police Scotland found a black lurcher type dog in King’s car. There were scars around her muzzle consistent with animal fighting injuries. The Scottish SPCA took the dog in to their care.
When questioned by police, King tried to claim he was an animal lover and was rescuing a pet dog that was being attacked by a badger.
The Scottish SPCA took the surviving dogs into their care.
Despite the traumatic ordeal the family of badgers produced young cubs. Special cameras put in place by the Scottish SPCA spotted the two baby badgers emerge after the chaos.
A Scottish SPCA SIU undercover inspector said: “It was wonderful to see the badgers had protected their cubs from what could have been a devastating incident.
“Badgers are peaceful creatures and will only fight if cornered. If they have young, they will protect them to the death.
“Badger mothers are vicious when they have young. Sending a dog down in to a sett with a nursing female is incredibly dangerous, not only for the badger but for the dog, as we’ve seen in this case.
“This case further highlights the significance of utilising our expertise to work in collaboration with Police Scotland to bring an organised animal fighters to justice.
“We are pleased that awareness of badger baiting and animal fighting among members of the public is increasing. These are abhorrent crimes and we are pleased King has been found guilty.
“It’s not often that stories like this have a positive outcome but the badger cubs and their thriving family is a very happy ending.”
Sentencing: seven-month tagging order; 250 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2020) | James Stewart Hodgson, born 20 April 1988, of 25 Park Road, Worsbrough, Barnsley S70 5AL – witnessed repeatedly kicking and punching a dog and beating her with a metal lead
Violent dog abuser James Hodgson and his unnamed victim
James Hodgson was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after reports that a dog was seen being abused on Barnsley Road, Golthorpe.
He was also convicted of using threatening and abusive behaviour to cause fear and harm and for breach of a domestic violence protection order.
2022 image of Hodgson
The unnamed dog survived the attack and recovered following veterinary treatment.
Sentencing: four-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, curfew with electronic monitoring, £222 costs. Banned from keeping animals for a mere 12 months.
CONVICTED (2020) | Raymond Hoy Leckey, born 20/02/1963, of 20 McCandless Street, north-west Belfast BT13 1RU – refused to take his seriously ill Akita to the vet; dog seized by welfare officers and euthanised on humane grounds
Belfast City Council brought the prosecution against Leckey for causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of the unnamed dog on 14 March 2018.
The Council’s animal welfare team seized the dog under veterinary advice after Leckey had refused to take her for a veterinary check, as directed by an animal welfare office on 12 March 2018.
Very sadly the dog had to be euthanised as she was deemed to be suffering.
Sentencing: two four-month prison sentences, suspended for 12 months. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2020) | serial horse abuser Anne-Marie Becheley-Gordon aka Annie Wakefield, born 25 August 1990, of Grove Place, Southampton SO19 9QY – left an eight-month-old filly to starve to death in a stable
The filly, known as Brownie, was dying when discovered lying in her own diarrhoea by a horrified member of the public. She was emaciated and covered in sores. She passed away in the arms of her rescuer.
A previous horse owned by Becheley-Gordon – 18-month-old Echo – had died in November 2018 due to an untreated worm condition, but the mother-of-two was never prosecuted for this.
Becheley-Gordon also had a Shetland pony, who was seized and later died in RSPCA care. A fourth pony named Faith was also removed from her.
Sentencing: 12-week suspended sentence suspended for 18 months. Ordered to pay a total of £315 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping equines for five years (expires November 2025).
Source: own research (this case never made the papers).
Wording of our Facebook post (sadly removed for breaching ‘community standards on bullying and harassment)
This is a case from last year that never made the papers and the abuser in question – Annie Becheley-Gordon aka Annie Wakefield from #Southampton – is about to get a well-deserved wake-up call as her cruelty is unforgivable.
Mother-of-two Becheley-Gordon locked an eight-month-old filly in a filthy stable without food and water. When discovered by a horrified member of the public, the young horse, known as Brownie, was found covered in sores and lying down in her own excrement. She died in the woman’s arms.
In November 2020 Becheley-Gordon was given a suspended prison sentence and banned from owning equines for five years. A previous horse in her ‘care’, Echo, died months earlier from a worm burden with another – a Shetland – dying a short time after being seized by the RSPCA.
The self-described ‘princess’ is a shameless irresponsible menace who will never learn from her ‘mistakes’. If there was any justice she would be in jail and that ban would have been for life.
CONVICTED (2020) | serial zoophile Shane Taylor-Waters, aka Shane Waters or Shane Taylor, born 4 May 1980, Elizabeth Street, Accrington BB5 0HH – raped numerous chickens, of which at least 15 died; had sexual intercourse with a Great Dane; previous convictions for raping a horse and donkey.
Waters, whose previous convictions for similar offences go back as far as 1997, admitted to police that he could not control his ‘urges’ when it came to sexual intercourse with animals. His victims included his own dog – a Great Dane – despite the fact she would bite him while he was raping her.
Prosecutor Barbara Webster said that the defendant had pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a chicken, a dog and burglary.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his crimes.
Taylor-Waters’ actions came to the attention of the police on September 18, 2020, after the owner of Lower Holker Farm in Accrington found four dead and several unwell-looking chickens in a shed on his premises.
He later checked his CCTV and could see a man entering one of his chicken sheds, which had been bolted closed, and remaining inside the building for around 20 minutes.
Ms Webster said: “After he had reviewed the CCTV he went back in and found 11 dead chickens. He formed the view that something sexual had happened to them.”
The police were contacted and subsequently the RSPCA were sent to the premises to carry out an investigation. Eight chickens were taken away for examination and two were found to have traces of Taylor-Waters inside them.
He was later identified and visited by police, where he made full and frank admissions from the outset, stating ‘I need help, I know what you’re on about. I just get these urges.’”
After his arrests for the offences against the chickens, an examination was carried out upon Taylor-Waters’ dog, where traces of semen were found.
Ms Webster said: “In his interview, the defendant admitted going onto the farm intending having sex with the chickens.
“He admitted he had been on the farm on nine previous occasions and told officers he would say sorry to the chickens when he was finished.
“He also admitted to having sexual intercourse with his Great Dane at his address. He said he knew she didn’t like it and would growl and bite him.”
Sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd imposed a criminal behaviour order upon Waters, banning him from owning or keeping animals.
Taylor-Waters’ Great Dane, Maddie, was repeatedly raped by him
Judge Dodd said: “This is a case which is as unusual as it is disturbing. On two occasions on the 18th and 19th of September you broke into chicken sheds at the farm.
“You penetrated the anus of a number of chickens and ejaculated. As I understand it at least 15 died as a result of your sordid sexual activity.
“Those who kept the chickens are understandably horrified and appalled by what you have done.
“When the police attended to arrest you, your dog was examined. Your semen was found in the vagina. You would go on to accept intercourse with your dog took place on 5-6 occasions over previous months.
“I have no doubt that anybody hearing the details of this case will be disturbed. Your conduct is distressing and deeply worrying.
“It is said on your behalf that you want to seek help for your urges, as you described them to the police. You were given that opportunity previously but that has not stopped your offending.”
A restraining order stopping Taylor-Waters from approaching Lower Holker Farm was also imposed, and he must sign the sexual offenders register.
RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby said: “A farmer in the Accrington area called the RSPCA to investigate his concerns about a number of chicken deaths at his premises in September.
“Tests carried out on the bodies revealed a number of chickens had been sexually abused which had led to their deaths.
“The RSPCA worked with Lancashire police to identify the offender who was captured on CCTV entering the premises. A man from Accrington was arrested at his home address on October 21.
“The RSPCA removed a dog from the address and she is now in the care of the animal charity where she will remain until she is ready to be rehomed.”
Sentencing: 30 months in jail. Indefinite ban on owning animals.
