CONVICTED (2021) | illegal puppy importer and dealer Marius Neagoe, born 10 December 1975, of 10 Hardy Close, Bootle L20 6GN
Neagoe, from Romania, was prosecuted following investigations into the unlicensed sale of puppies across Merseyside.
The proceedings against him were brought by Animal Protection Services, a charity which investigates and prosecutes organised animal cruelty.
Neagoe admitted carrying out an activity without a licence and also engaging in unfair commercial practice .
He was fined £600 and ordered to pay £600 contribution to prosecution costs. He received a disqualification order from dealing in dogs for two years (expires April 2023).
CONVICTED (2021) | illegal puppy trader Rachel Price Young, born 22 October 2001, of 93 Newton Road, St Helens WA9 2HZ
Young, who has links to the travellers site in Sherdley Road, St Helens, was prosecuted following investigations into the unlicensed sale of puppies across Merseyside.
The proceedings against her were brought by Animal Protection Services, a charity which investigates and prosecutes organised animal cruelty.
Young admitted carrying out an activity without a licence and also engaging in unfair commercial practice .
She was fined £300 and ordered to pay a £250 contribution to prosecution costs. She also received a two-year ban on dealing in dogs (expires April 2023).
CONVICTED (2021) | Jackson Dass and wife Wendy Dass (ages unknown) of 32 Harborough Road, Rushden NN10 0LP – sold dogs without a licence
Husband and wife Jackson and Wendy Dass were selling dogs without a licence.
Jackson and Wendy Dass were disqualified from dealing in dogs (both selling and breeding) for three years after being convicted of illegal breeding.
The pair, who were prosecuted by North Northamptonshire Council under licensing laws, appear to specialise in pugs. They used online outlets such as Facebook to sell to the public.
It isn’t known whether they breed and sell their own dogs or whether they are ‘middlemen’ for puppy farms.
Emma Matthews, licensing compliance officer for North Northamptonshire Council, said: “We are determined that the local area will not be used for illegal activities around dog breeding and as a qualified inspector, it is my responsibility to ensure that people who require a licence obtain one, those that have a licence comply with their licence conditions and those who don’t engage are dealt with appropriately.
“This is the second case which I have worked on in recent years that has been brought to the courts, and the second which has resulted in a conviction.
“The new legislation in October 2018 made it very clear that commercial breeding of dogs requires a licence and that animal welfare will be paramount.
“We will continue to work hard to prevent illegal dog sales, whilst also protecting animals in the area.”
Sentencing: fined £369 and £646 respectively plus victim surcharge. Ordered to pay £1,000 each towards costs. Banned from dealing in dogs for three years (expires April 2024).
CONVICTED (2021) | Connor Foster, born c. 2001, of Stanier Close, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2NF – stole a cat and drowned her in the sink for kicks
“Troubled and lonely” teenager Connor Foster found the cat in nearby Ambleside Drive on March 18, 2021, and took her home before killing her. He then put the cat’s body in a bag and hung it over a fence.
After killing the animal, Foster filmed himself pretending to do CPR on the lifeless body.
Prosecuting, Ashley Petchey, summarised a victim impact statement from the owners of the cat.
He said: “The owner and her stepsons are devastated. The cat was owned by her partner who died of cancer and the family was just healing.
“It was the last physical contact with the father and they say to Foster the cat was nothing more than a toy but he was priceless to them.
“When the cat was dead he filmed himself playing with it and doing sarcastic gestures doing CPR saying he had done a good job.”
Mitigating, Christopher Holt, told the court Foster was lonely and a troubled teenager.
He said: “He’s a very troubled young man who committed a very serious matter which leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.”
Sentencing Foster, Elizabeth Hunter, chairman of the magistrates’ bench said: “This is a very nasty offence deliberately causing suffering to this cat.
“We’ve heard the distress caused to this family.
“Clearly you have a lot of problems.”
Sentencing: 12 weeks in prison; £228 in costs and compensation. Unspecified ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2021) | illegal dog breeder Barry John Rowe, born 1950, of Lower Tulgullow Vean Farm, Little Beside, St Day, Redruth TR16 5PX – kept dogs in cages full of urine and faeces
Barry Rowe showed a callous disregard for the dogs he used for his illegal breeding operation
Rowe was convicted of charges of not taking steps to ensure the needs of dogs were met, causing unnecessary suffering to a female cockerpoo and breeding without authority.
Rowe claimed he made £1,300 from selling puppies at £100 a time, saying he did so only to cover his costs for microchips, but this was not accepted by the court who heard that he had a “significant breeding enterprise”.
The suffering charge related to a female cockerpoo called Bailey. She suffered an ear infection, but rather than taking her to the vets, Rowe tried to treat it himself with non-prescribed medication. Even when Bailey’s condition didn’t improve, Rowe still failed to take her to a vet.
In July 2019 an inspection of Rowe’s premises found dogs living in unsanitary conditions with dust and hair in water bowls and no adequate bedding. The floor was covered in urine and faeces and there was a pervading foul smell.
Dogs were kept in cages, on concrete floors with no bedding and without toys for stimulation.
Sentencing Rowe, the district judge said that his offences were “committed in a commercial context. This was an illegal breeding licence and you knew you didn’t have a licence.”
The judge added that “a high level of suffering was caused to all the dogs given the condition they were in when they were seized from you and taken to kennels.”
The judge did, however, take into account Rowe’s age, mental health and prospect of rehabilitation in sentencing.
Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years; costs of £9,336. Banned from keeping dogs for 10 years (expires April 2031).
CONVICTED (2021) | illegal puppy trader and fraudster Angela Violet Smith (aka Violet Smith), born 4 November 1963, of 91 Wilton Avenue, Kidderminster DY11 5QF
Smith was filmed on her doorstep with a litter of puppies she was not licensed to sell
The proceedings against Smith, a traveller, were brought by Animal Protection Services, a registered charity that investigates and prosecutes organised animal cruelty.
In a filmed covert operation, investigators from the charity visited Smith’s address to view French bulldog puppies. They were not allowed into the house and viewed the puppies on the doorstep.
In mitigation, Smith told the court that she was on Universal Credit and that she “cannot remember how many litters she had in 2019”. District Judge Wilkinson remarked that Mrs Smith had defrauded the local authority, the taxpayer, and the benefits office.
A spokesperson on behalf of Animal Protection Services said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the sentencing at court today. It is a testament to the brave work of our covert intelligence-led teams that risk their own safety to bring criminals to justice.
“It is a great day for animal welfare, and we hope that the significant fine will serve as a warning to other criminals who are looking to take advantage of animals for financial profit”.
Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £5,411, including a contribution to investigation costs of £3,221. Disqualified from dealing in dogs and cats for just three years (expires April 2024).
CONVICTED (2021) | Steven Scott, born 30 November 1999, of Hillsview Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3LB – starved and neglected several cats and a dog
Steven Scott is banned from keeping animals indefinitely after causing the death of two cats by starvation.
Steven Scott, who works as a steward at Newcastle United, neglected his pets so badly that one cat has already starved to death before she could be rescued and the other was later put down .
He also neglected a flea-bitten dog and two other cats, whose weights were at least 20% below a healthy level.
Even when the RSPCA intervened at the filthy home Scott shared with his brother Mark Scott (originally also charged) in Vine Street, Tyne Dock, South Shields, he refused to sign the pets over.
Mark Scott, who lived with his brother in Vine Street, was also prosecuted for animal cruelty.
He also failed to visit a vet with a £50 voucher given to him by the animal welfare charity. It would have paid for flea treatment for black and white female lurcher cross Lara.
The court heard that Scott has mental health issues and a learning disorder.
RSPCA prosecutor Alex Bousfield said inspectors became aware of issues around neglect in September 2019.
They officially warned Scott and handed over the voucher, and further visits to the property followed in November and December.
In one, Scott refused to sign the animals over, and it was only in early February 2020 that RSPCA efforts accelerated. It came after a maintenance worker peered inside and was so appalled by the animals’ condition that he took Scott to a vet with a cat.
Mr Bousfield said: “The RSPCA then entered the premises, they found it in a very poor condition.
“There was faeces on the floor, it wasn’t a good condition for anyone to live in.
“The cats were underweight, and the dog was found to still have a problem with fleas.
“Two of the cats, Cuddles and Shankly, died. One had effectively starved to death, and one was euthanised.
“A post mortem was carried out and both cats were found to have empty stomachs.
“The other cats were alive but were in a poor condition, due to a lack of nutrition.”
He added: “Shankly was a black and white who died purely because of a lack of food, and Cuddles died of a lack of food.
“Lara, a lurcher cross, had itchy skin, and the cats Ginger and Maisie had a lack of adequate nutrition.
“The body mass score for Ginger was two out of nine, it should be somewhere in the middle of that register.
“The animals are about 80%, or just under, a healthy body weight.”
The court heard the surviving animals will be rehoused by the RSPCA.
Mark Gibson, defending, said Scott had started with just one cat which was well looked after, but his teenage brother moved in with two more.
He said that Scott’s mum then burdened him with three cats and Lara – and the defendant then lost much of his door work. At that point it “became too much” for him and the animals were left to suffer.
Scott pleaded guilty to five charges of animal cruelty, between January 1 and February 4, 2020.
Sentencing: 18-month community order, with a requirement of up to 26 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service; 150 hours of unpaid work; £485 costs and charges. Indefinite ban from owning or looking after animals, but can appeal after three years.
In May 2021 Mark Scott pleaded guilty to failing to prevent his brother’s mistreatment of the pets . He was fined and given a 10-year ban on owning animals, which he can appeal after two years.
CONVICTED (2021) | Mathew Friend, born 11 March 1983, of Salvation Army, 401 Prescot Road, Old Swan, Liverpool L13 3BT – stabbed his mother’s dog to death
Paedophile and dog killer Mathew Friend was jailed for 16 weeks
The unnamed shih tzu was discovered fatally injured after Mathew Friend called the ambulance service and told them he had “killed a dog”. Vets fought to save her but she sadly passed away.
Friend – a convicted paedophile – originally denied any wrongdoing, but changed his plea to guilty.
Tom Hanlon, prosecuting, explained that on November 9, 2019, Friend called the ambulance service.
He said that he “was going to self harm if he didn’t get any help” and “also claimed he had killed a dog”.
After police attended the home in Haslemere Way, Gateacre, officers found the wounded animal in the kitchen with a knife in her back.
Friend wasn’t at the address and had gone to Belle Vale Police Station to “hand himself in”, where he told officers: “I’ve killed my mum’s dog.”
The court heard Friend was previously convicted in 2017 for inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and later convicted for breaching the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.
Friend was also convicted for breaching a suspended sentence.
Friend’s solicitor told the court that her client had mental health difficulties and was trying to self-medicate with alcohol.
She explained that his mum, who owned the dog, is still in contact with her son and is “supportive” of his difficulties.
The lawyer said: “She knows he didn’t do it to try and harm her or upset her.”
Friend admitted one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
District Judge James Hatton, sentencing, said: “I have also taken into account the fact you have had and continue to have issues with your mental health.”
The judge noted Friend was “self medicating with alcohol” and explained there had been a delay in bringing the case to court.
District Judge Hatton said: “This is a deliberate attempt to cause suffering. You stabbed the dog and the dog died as a result of that injury.
“It suffered, clearly.”
The judge said he had “no faith” there was a prospect of rehabilitation and commented that Friend had a poor compliance with previous court orders.
Sentencing: jailed for 16 weeks and banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires April 2031).
CONVICTED (2021) | Edward Ernest Lees, born 10 October 1981, of Grange Meadows, Selby, but with a permanent address in Howdales, Louth LN11 7DJ – left five dogs alone in atrocious conditions
Heartless Edward Lees left five dogs to starve in deplorable conditions
Lees was banned from keeping all mammals for 10 years after five elderly dogs were discovered living amongst piles of excrement and empty food bowls.
He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a Jack Russell Terrier named Sam by failing to seek treatment for his severe dental disease, and a further charge of failing to meet the needs of five dogs.
RSPCA Inspector Laura Jones visited the property in Lincolnshire in January 2020 where she could see two Jack Russell terriers at the window and could hear more dogs being kept in an outbuilding.
The next day she returned to find no one had been through the doors for 24 hours, so she contacted the police to gain entry.
She said: “When I opened the door to the sitting room where the two dogs were being kept the stench of ammonia hit me instantly and made my eyes water.
“There was no food or water available in the sitting room for these dogs, I could just see three empty bowls on the floor and two empty 10kg plastic sacks of dog biscuits which were next to a pile of excrement.
“The floor was also wet with what appeared to be urine. The dogs had a red fluffy blanket on the floor and a sofa with exposed rusty springs and there was a significant large pile of dry and wet excrement in the right hand corner of the sitting room.
“This was clearly a totally inadequate environment for these dogs and I was so relieved to be able to take them into our care and bring them to safety to get them the care they needed.”
Inspector Jones and the police discovered three more dogs living in an outbuilding where the entire ground level floor was covered in impacted excrement and a strong stench of faeces and urine. There was a three-seater sofa and an armchair which were both stained and ripped and more empty packets of dog food along the floor.
Inspector Jones added: “There were three empty plastic bowls on top of the excrement and a round yellow plastic container containing brown liquid, and there was a red washing up type plastic bowl with a hole in the side which was full of water.”
The dogs found at the property included a 11-year-old black and white crossbreed male called Ewen, an 11-year-old tan and white crossbred male called Sam, a crossbreed male named Colin, a 12-year-old female crossbreed dog named Jessie and another crossbreed dog called Sheldon.
The dogs were removed and assessed by a vet who found that the tan and white dog Sam was underweight with rotting teeth, gingivitis, severe dehydration, a flea infestation and he weighed around 4kg less than he should.
The vet report concluded: “I feel that Sam was suffering. The suffering included severe dental pain, numerous open wounds, severe dehydration, active infections. His extremely poor body condition meant he was succumbing to organ failure due to lack of any form of nutrition, he had no fat reserves.”
Vets feared that he would have to be put to sleep but thankfully he started to pull through and has since been rehomed.
In mitigation, Lees said that the dogs had initially belonged to a relative but he took them on when they passed away. He was having financial problems and grieving and the situation spiralled out of control. He also entered an early guilty plea.
All five dogs were signed over to the RSPCA’s care and Sam, Colin, Ewen and Jessie were all re-homed. Sadly, Sheldon was put to sleep on advice of a vet due to severe behavioural issues.
Sentencing: 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay £395 costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping all mammals for 10 years (expires April 2031).
