CONVICTED (2021) | Christopher Kendall, born c. 1950, of Dene Park, Harrogate HG1 – failed to provide adequate care or treatment to dozens of sheep and pigs on his farm
Kendall admitted 18 charges – the vast majority for causing unnecessary suffering – relating to the abject conditions in which he kept the animals, causing them “substantial harm or distress”.
The animals’ prolonged suffering was over a period of at least three months, between September and December 2019.
Some of the sheep had “chronically” infected feet with maggots. Fifteen others were suffering lameness and distress.
About half a dozen pigs and six piglets were not given enough fresh drinking water and were kept in dangerous conditions in a building with metal sheeting which was “bent and broken”. Their pens had similar hazards and metal sheeting was left lying on the straw.
Kendall also admitted failing to collect or dispose of animal by-products, namely sheep’s carcasses, without undue delay, causing a public health risk.
An order was made under the Animal Welfare Act that Kendall be barred from keeping any animals, except dogs, for life. The order was suspended until March 12 to give him time to make alternative arrangements for the remaining animals.
Sentencing:14-week prison sentence suspended for two years. Ordered to pay £1,033 in costs and charges. Banned from keeping all animals except dogs for life.
CONVICTED (2021) | Kierien Lee Harrison, born 25 December 1991, of Park View, West Street, Winshill, Burton-on-Trent DE15 0FD – threw his pet chihuahua downstairs and stamped on her back causing a “catalogue of injuries”.
Kierien Lee Harrison and Misty
Kierien Lee Harrison, who has a history of violence, inflicted so much pain onto his dog Misty that her injuries were consistent with that of car crash victim, a vet said.
The 29-year-old admitted an animal welfare offence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog when he appeared before magistrates.
The court heard how the RSPCA was called to investigate the dog’s injuries by Staffordshire Police who had arrested Harrison for other matters on May 9, 2019.
When he was arrested a witness told police that Harrison had thrown his pet chihuahua down the stairs of his home and stamped on her back, although Harrison denied this.
RSPCA inspector Kate Levesley took Misty to a nearby vets for examination and it was found that she had suffered a catalogue of injuries.
Misty was found with severe injuries to the pelvis, making it difficult for her to urinate and defecate. She had a fractured tooth, missing teeth, and a mark/trauma to the right hand side of her body.
The vet was informed by another vet that Misty had sustained a pelvic injury approximately a month before. Harrison had told the vet at the time that Misty had fallen from a bed and had become lame.
X-rays showed that the her injuries had become worse.
Misty was given medication and had to have cage rest for two months before going to a foster home to recuperate.
The vet report stated: “It is clear from a clinical examination and x-rays that Misty has been subjected to repeated injuries. She has had at least two separate injuries to her teeth as well as two clearly separate injuries to her pelvis.
“These injuries require considerable force and are typically seen following high falls or road traffic accidents. Certainly I do not believe the initial injury in April could have been sustained from a fall off a bed or sofa.
“Unfortunately it is entirely possible the injuries were as a result of physical trauma from a person. She has been left with permanent damage to her teeth and pelvis though, and the latter is likely to cause severe arthritis later in life.
“As a result I suspect she will need lifelong medication and treatment.” The RSPCA has now rehomed Misty and she is enjoying life with her new owners, said a spokesman.
Inspector Levesley said: “Misty’s injuries were horrific and she was understandably nervous around people and scared.
“But she has made great progress and is coping with her damaged pelvis remarkably well. I am happy to see that she has been rehomed and is enjoying life now – she is certainly getting lots of attention and love.”
In mitigation the court heard Harrison suffered from autism.
In passing sentence the magistrate said: “This is a shocking case. I have no doubt about the suffering caused and have found it difficult to step back from immediate custody.”
Sentencing: 18-week jail sentence which was suspended for two years; ordered to pay a total of £715 in costs and charges. Banned from owning pets for an indefinite period.
CONVICTED (2021) | Michael McAllister, born 9 March 1969, of 2 Glynnview Avenue, Larne BT40 1BT – beat a dog to death because he was annoyed by his barking
McAllister pleaded guilty to the theft of the chihuahua, Marley, on August 4, 2020 and causing him unnecessary suffering .
A prosecuting lawyer told the court how police were called to an address in Larne “over a report of a dog being killed” and when they spoke to Marley’s owner, she told them how McAllister had been in her flat “in an angry state”.
“The dog was barking and he lifted the dog and left the flat,” said the lawyer adding that two witnesses contacted police to report they saw the defendant with the body of a “limp, dead dog”.
They took Marley off him and gave him back to his distraught owner.
The court heard that a post mortem examination determined the cause of death was due to a subdural haematoma which was caused by blunt force trauma.
According to Marley’s owner, McAllister had declared “on numerous occasions….that he would choke the dog if it didn’t stop barking”.
Arrested and interviewed McAllister refused to answer police questions and claimed to a probation officer that he had no recollection of what had happened.
Describing McAllister as a “long-standing” alcoholic who would drink “two or three bottles of wine most days,” defence counsel Michael Smyth said there was a late guilty plea on the day of contest because “he didn’t want to admit that he had it in him” to kill a defenceless animal.
“He is remorseful in that he is ashamed of what he has done both to the dog and to his friendship,” said the lawyer.
Jailing McAllister, DJ Broderick told him it was clear from the victim impact reports that Marley had given his owner “a great deal of comfort and friendship” and that he had no doubt “she has been emotionally traumatised at the death of her much loved pet”.
“You had no justification whatsoever for taking this dog away and killing it,” said the judge who told McAllister that despite his protestations of amnesia, “I have no doubt that you knew exactly what you were doing.”
Although initially taken to the cells, following a defence application, McAllister was freed on £500 bail pending an appeal of the sentence.
Sentencing: three months in jail (but released on bail pending appeal).
CONVICTED (2021) | Paul Green, born c. 1973, and wife Donna Green, age unknown, of Ballymacash Road, Lisburn – banned from keeping animals after six dogs they were looking after were found covered in excrement and urine.
Donna and Paul Green failed to look after six helpless dogs found in squalor
The Greens admitted a joint charge of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of five little Shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso type dogs and one nursing Lhasa Apso dog on October 24, 2019.
The pair said they were asked to mind the dogs by a female friend while she was on holiday.
Paul Green admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs while his wife Donna admitted permitting them to be caused unnecessary suffering at a property on the Lany Road in Moira.
The court heard that when inspectors called at the property, the dogs were being kept in cages, stacked on top of each other in a barn which was “pungent” with the smell of urine.
A prosecutor described how all of the dogs’ coats were soaked in faeces and urine with a multitude of infected paws and none of them had access to water.
The lawyer said while the dogs were not overly thin, the conditions they were being kept in was not acceptable. Guilt
The couple’s lawyers revealed that while their clients accepted their guilt because they were in charge of the dogs at the time of the inspection, the pets actually belonged to a friend who had asked the pair to look after them while she went in holiday for six days.
Paul Green’s lawyer conceded his client “didn’t take enough care in washing the dogs” but said he felt “slightly aggrieved” that the owner wasn’t prosecuted as well “because the system of care was clearly her responsibility.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Donna Green’s lawyer who said the reason the owner wasn’t prosecuted “may be due to the fact that the Greens were responsible for that period of time.”
The lawyers submitted that while the councils were seeking costs awarded against the couple amounting to £3,239, they were unemployed and in receipt of universal credit.
District Judge Rosie Watters said that from looking at the photographs and statements, “it’s more than just a few days of neglect and I can’t help but wonder if it’s more than five days’ worth.”
Sentencing: two-year conditional discharge; ordered to pay costs of £1,500. Banned from keeping animals for five years.
CONVICTED (2021) | Daryn Devine, who is also known as Daryn Davies, born 30 November 1992, of Drybeck Grove, St Helens WA9 3WG – left a dog suffering in pain for six years with a severe ear infection
Daryn Devine failed to get veterinary attention for his dog which left her suffering with a chronic ear infection for SIX years.
Daryn Devine’s dog Angel needed urgent medical treatment after he neglected her and left her in a sorry state.
A senior clinician at Greater Manchester Animal Hospital who examined the American bulldog described her ears as “the most severe examples of chronic pinnal thickening and narrowing of the ear canals I have seen in my 10 years as a veterinary surgeon”.
Angel was in pain while living in filthy surroundings (bottom right) but has recovered well in the RSPCA’S care
She added: “I imagine the dog had been suffering with ear pain for years, on and off due to repeated flare ups, which were either not reported to a vet in a timely manner or left to continue when veterinary advice was frankly ignored.”
Devine, who lived in Liverpool for a time, pleaded guilty to one animal welfare offence when he appeared before magistrates.
Angel was suffering a painful ear infection which went untreated for several years
RSPCA Inspector Caren Goodman-James went to Devine’s home address on October 30 and was invited into the property by a woman who said she was looking after the dog while Devine was in prison.
When Caren arrived the garden was covered in rubbish and faces, and Devine’s home was strewn with litter.
While there she observed Angel and could see how she regularly shook her head and would rub her head against the sofa.
Her right ear was inflamed and looked hard and solid. Her other ear was inflamed and red, she also had red around her muzzle. Her claws were long, overgrown and folding back under her foot with all four of her feet inflamed and red.
She told the woman that the dog was in need of urgent veterinary attention and the woman agreed to allow Caren to take Angel for treatment at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.
Staff at the hospital were very concerned for Angels’ poor health but in their care she responded well to treatment.
They were also able to access her clinical records from a vet she was registered with in Liverpool and found she had a long history of ear and skin infections which were first noted six years before in 2014.
The notes also showed how Angel had a stent placed in her badly infected ears to open them up for medication two weeks later.
But Angel was not presented at the vets again until three months later causing her ear canal to be more thickened. Leaving the stents in place for that length of time would also have caused her severe discomfort.
Her clinical notes show follow-up veterinary appointments were also ignored.
Caren said: “The owner was aware that Angel had severe ear problems but left her with the worsening condition rather than taking her for treatment. There is never an excuse not to seek veterinary help for a pet.
“Sadly she was left in this suffering state for six years and it must have been awful for her to have this constant aggravation.
“She was really subdued and very sorry for herself when we first took her on but now she is really happy and bouncy – it just goes to show how a bit of TLC can make all the difference.”
Sentencing: jailed for 12 weeks. 10-year ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2021) | illegal puppy trader Khloe Louise Robinson, born 13 January 1995, of Mansell Road, Liverpool L6 6AY – sold puppies sourced from puppy farms
Benefits claimant Khloe Robinson who “made thousands” running an illegal puppy selling operation and little pug Doug who died a few hours after being sold
Mother-of-two Khloe Robinson admitted operating a business selling puppies without a licence after selling a sick dog who died in pain soon afterwards.
Robinson sourced puppies from puppy farms and then sold them online to unsuspecting buyers.
One puppy – a pug named Doug (pictured) – was sold to a buyer for £1,200. But the purchaser complained to the charity, Animal Protection Services, after the puppy died within hours of being collected.
Vets were unable to do anything to save Doug, who had to be put to sleep to prevent further pain and suffering.
James Parry, prosecuting, told the court that Animal Protection Services had discovered that Robinson had advertised three litters of puppies on two websites and stood to have gained £12,000 from her activities.
He added that Robinson did not have a pet shop licence to sell animals.
Robinson told the court she was on benefits and had never worked but she had not repaid the money and could not recall what she had spent it on.
Christopher McMaster, defending, told the court that he didn’t think that compensation in this case was relevant because “commercial deals go wrong.”
A spokesman for Animal Protection Services said after sentencing: “We are committed to ending the illegal trade in puppies which causes so much unnecessary suffering to puppies and their families. This was the worst case we have successfully prosecuted to date”.
Sentencing: 12-month community order, with eightweek curfew. Ordered to repay the £1,200 purchase price and the costs of the veterinary treatment. Robinson was banned from keeping and dealing in dogs for three years (expires February 2024).
CONVICTED (2021) | Caroline Elizabeth Barker. born c. 1978, of Kesteven Square, Sunderland SR5 4AU – neglected and starved her four dogs to emaciation
Callous Caroline Barker allowed the condition of four pet dogs to deteriorate
Mother-of-three Caroline Barker admitted causing unnecessary suffering to dogs Ben, Flossy, Missy and Willow over a one-month period.
Discussing the sight which greeted her, RSPCA Inspector Helen Bestwick said: “I found Willow, a tan and white male Lurcher type dog, curled up near the doorstep.
“He was in a very thin body condition with his ribs, hips and spine clearly visible. I could see live fleas and flea dirt in his coat.
“Inside the house in the kitchen I had to use torchlight to see the two Staffordshire bull terrier-type dogs, Ben and Flossy, and a Jack Russell terrier called Missy.
“These dogs were also in thin body condition with their stomachs tucked in and had varying degrees of fur loss.
“I noticed the floor was wet with urine, a crate contained dirty, shredded bedding and there weren’t any dog bowls down for the dogs.
“Police seized the dogs and I took them to a vet for examination.
“The vet confirmed all four dogs were emaciated. They readily ate treats offered to them and were actively looking for food.”
The court was told that Ms Barker had effectively lost focus after the death of a loved one and that harm was caused through incompetence owing to personal circumstances rather than malice*.
Barker agreed to sign the animals over after the court hearing, enabling the RSPCA to find them new homes.
All of the dogs have since put on weight since being in the charity’s care.
Inspector Bestwick added: “Animals are completely reliant on their owners. There is never an excuse to ignore their needs and leave an animal to suffer in the way that these four dogs did.”
Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £694 in fines, costs and charges. Banned from keeping all animals for 10 years but can appeal in five.
In April 2017 Caroline Barker was arrested alongside three juvenile males on suspicion of the murder of her partner, Barry Solomon. Mr Solomon was found dead with a stab wound to his leg. In October 2019 BBC News reported the conclusion of an inquest into Mr Solomon’s death that he “may have been subjected to physical and verbal abuse at the hands of [Caroline Barker]“.
Det Ch Insp Andy Fairlamb, of Northumbria Police, told the inquest Barker, who did not attend the inquest, was arrested at the scene.
He said during a subsequent interview, under caution, Baker denied causing Mr Solomon’s injuries.
She also initially told officers she came home to find Mr Solomon injured.
But he said CCTV proved she had “lied about that” and was in the house at the time he sustained his injuries.
The inquest heard officers considered they had sufficient evidence to charge Barker with murder or manslaughter, but Det Ch Insp Fairlamb said the Crown Prosecution Service did not authorise a charge because there was “insufficient evidence to confidently demonstrate that Mr Solomon had not injured himself”.
The inquest was told the force unsuccessfully appealed the decision.
The inquest recorded an open verdict.
Northumbria Police said it respected the outcome of the inquest but would investigate if new information came to light.
CONVICTED (2021) | Joshua Elliott Alexander, born June 1989, of 20a Queen Street, Henley-on-Thames RG9 1AP – chased, intimidated and punched his pet dog
Company director Josh Alexander pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a black terrier named Goat and failing to ensure that his needs were met.
The IT specialist was caught on CCTV harming the dog between February 28 and March 8, 2020.
He was filmed chasing him along an alleyway next to his home and punching him.
After viewing the footage, presiding magistrate Chloe Jeffs told Alexander that he would be spared jail for the offences, which could have merited a 51-week prison sentence.
Miss Jeffs said: “This case is so serious that custody has been a strong option. We have thought long and hard about whether to send you to prison.
“We have more than 35 years’ experience on the bench and we have never seen footage as upsetting as what we have seen today when it comes to animal welfare.
“Your intimidating behaviour towards a dog who you claim to miss was cruel, mean and, frankly, quite shocking and to call yourself an animal lover is outrageous. We do not believe that you can be trusted to look after animals.”
Goat has since been rehomed by the RSCPA.
Nikki Denham, an investigator with the charity, said: “It is upsetting to see Goat cowering in the footage.
“I would like to thank the police and witnesses for reporting the matter as without people like them, the RSPCA would struggle to bring incidents like this to the attention of the courts.”
Sentencing: 12-month community order, with nine months of drug rehabilitation and 20 rehabilitation days; £690 costs. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2021) | Charles Dowdeswell Parry, born c. 1969, of Ashminton Farm, Stonehouse Lane, Bringsty, Bromyard WR6 5TF and previously of Riverlands Farm, Teme Lane, Leigh, Worcestershire – committed multiple animal welfare offences
Serial animal abuser Charles Dowdeswell Parry and one of his victims. This little one had to be euthanised on the spot.
In a case brought by Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Animal Health team, Parry was sent to prison for 32 weeks and had an existing 10-year ban from keeping livestock increased to a lifetime ban.
After being tipped off, Animal Health officers found a calf collapsed in thigh deep mud with muddy water running out of his nostrils. An Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) veterinary inspector concluded that the calf was suffering and beyond any veterinary help, meaning he had to be euthanised where he lay.
The veterinary officer stated in court that during 29 years in his role, this had been a particularly extreme, harrowing and distressing experience to deal with.
A further 50 cattle were seized as they were being kept in an unsuitable environment and had an inadequate diet.
Animal Health officers from both Herefordshire and Worcestershire councils along with veterinary officers from the APHA also found a sheep carcass in a decomposed state and over 60 sheep being kept in such a way that they were exposed to pain, suffering and disease.
David Hough, Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service Manager, said: “This is the worst case of animal suffering we remember the team having to deal with. The unfortunate calf had been slowly drowning in the mud and the other cattle were up to their bellies in mud with limited food and water. The complete lack of correct care and treatment of the cattle and sheep was deplorable.”
Although Officers located the cattle passports, Parry denied owning the cattle and sheep and gave names of two people who he claimed owned the animals. He went so far as to leave a telephone message with one of the individuals asking them to corroborate his lies.
In a previous case taken by Herefordshire council Mr Parry was disqualified from keeping all animals except his dog for 10 years after allowing livestock, including 50 calves, to suffer and failing to correctly store and dispose of large amounts of dead stock. Parry was required by the court to transfer ownership of all his livestock, which he failed to do.
Parry was found guilty of breaching a previous 10 year disqualification order imposed on him in November 2019, six new animal welfare offences, and two animal by-products offences .
Sentencing: 32 weeks’ immediate imprisonment; total of £5122 in costs and charges. Disqualified for life from keeping all animals except a dog.
CONVICTED (2021) | Dean Mannifield (aka Dean Pitts), born c. 1993, originally from Warrington but is of no fixed abode and has links to Colchester, Harlow and Epping in Essex and Rhyl, North Wales – battered a dog during a burglary, causing injuries so severe she had to be put to sleep
Dog killer: Dean Mannifield’s long criminal record includes a horrific act of violence towards a helpless animal
Mannifield was also charged with assaulting a couple, threatening three people at the scene and also threatening to cause criminal damage. It is believed that he was convicted on some if not all of the charges including the animal cruelty charge, but there are no newspaper reports to confirm this.
As of February 2021 and aged just 27 Mannifield had racked up 18 previous convictions for 47 offences with his other crimes including harassment, breach of a restraining order and affray against an ex-partner.
In February 2021, he was back before the courts again after subjecting a young mum to months of sickening domestic violence.
He also admitted breaking into a gun shop in Colchester during which he stole seven hunting shotguns.
He was jailed for five years and ten months and given an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim. He will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
