CONVICTED (2022) | Terry Lee Brockhill, born 11 April 1984, of Kingfisher Grove, Allerton, Bradford BD8 0NP – forcefully kicked a dog in a domestic violence incident.
Brockhill had been drinking vodka and taking cocaine when he set about his partner and her sister at a house in Keighley on March 26, 2022.
He had stood up in the early hours and punched his first victim in the face and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing with such force that she had difficulty breathing, effectively throttling her. The second woman was punched and kicked.
When the unnamed dog then went to protect his mistress Brockhill kicked him “with force”
He pleaded guilty ahead of his trial to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Both women sustained bruising and told the police they were very frightened during the attack. One said he had ‘a look in his eye’ and she was petrified. The second said she was also extremely afraid.
The condition of the dog was not reported.
Brockhill had 12 previous convictions for 16 offences but nothing for violence, the court was told.
Sentencing | jailed for a total of 20 months. He faced no animal cruelty charges and was not therefore banned from keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | Amy Page aka Amy Stanley, born 25 January 1984, of Whitebeam Road, Durrington, Worthing BN13 3PJ – for starving two dogs, one of whom had already died.
Page, who is a traveller and alleged backyard breeder, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the two dogs named Prince and Princess.
The court heard that after the RSPCA had received an anonymous call about one dead dog and another very emaciated live dog at Page’s address, Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Marie Stevens had visited the property and asked to check on the dogs. Page refused, but ARO Stevens then spotted the defendant dragging the lifeless body of an extremely thin black dog from the garden towards the back door of the house.
Evil Amy Page starved Princess to emaciation. Happily she recovered in the RSPCA’s care.
Marie Stevens said: “Despite what I had observed, Ms Page repeatedly denied there was a dead dog on her property, but did take me through the house into the rear garden to show me a live, very emaciated tan and white dog, named Princess. The dog was cowering and appeared frightened. I could clearly see all of her ribs, spine and hip bones. There appeared to be no food or drink available for the dog.
“After pressing her repeatedly about the dead dog I had seen her dragging, she eventually admitted to me that her dog Prince had died and was upstairs in the bathroom. I found Prince – lifeless – under a sheet.
“He was extremely thin, with ribs, backbone, hips and shoulders all clearly visible and it was clear he had also been suffering from a bad ear infection.”
Prince pictured looking fit and healthy before he was starved by Amy StanleyPrince had already died before he could be rescued.
Page agreed to sign both dogs over to the RSPCA, and ARO Stevens took the animals to a local vet. On examination, the vet discovered that the live dog, Princess, was emaciated, with an extremely low body condition score of one (out of nine). Her ribs and bones of the pelvis and spine were very visible and she appeared depressed though responsive. When Princess was offered food she ate voraciously.
The vet reported that the body of Prince was also emaciated; his ribs, pelvic bones and spine were easily visible. A blood sample showed significant changes in the liver and kidney, suggesting organ failure. This dog was transferred to Royal Veterinary College for a post mortem examination.
Speaking after the hearing, ARO Stevens said: “Prince and Princess were dependent on their keeper and Ms Page broke that trust by leaving them to suffer and one to die. Page could have asked for help or handed them over to an animal charity to be rehomed but instead decided to simply neglect them, leading to a period of prolonged suffering and in the case of one of the dogs, death.”
Princess has made a full recovery and has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | 16-week suspended prison sentence; 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days; a total of £528 in costs and victim surcharge. Disqualified indefinitely from keeping animals.
Amy Stanley has links to Portsmouth, Littlehampton and Angmering.
It is believed that Prince and Princess belonged to Amy Stanley’s ex husband Graham Page. In 2018 he was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison after being convicted of wounding with intent, affray and breaching the terms of a previous suspended sentence imposed for a driving offence.
CONVICTED (2022) | Paul Carrick, born 19 December 1979, previously of Gurlish West, Coundon. Bishop Auckland* – caught on camera viciously battering a cat multiple times against a wall before stamping on him repeatedly.
Paul Carrick received suspended prison sentence and lifetime ban on keeping animals.
This horrific act of animal cruelty, which took place in December 2021, hasn’t yet made the papers and we don’t want to risk it going under the radar, so here’s what we know.
A neighbour was woken up to the sound of an animal in immense pain and distress and looked out her window to see Carrick attacking a terrified cat.
Victim: although his body has never been found, it is believed that the cat, apparently named Felix (pictured), did not survive.
She ran downstairs immediately to confront Carrick, who told her that his girlfriend was pregnant and the cat was “spraying everywhere”. He claimed he had scared the cat away and denied killing him.
The woman couldn’t see any trace of the cat but spoke to another neighbour the next day, who provided her with CCTV footage showing exactly what had happened.
The witness saw Carrick take rolls of carpet away that same day and believes he may have hidden the cat’s body inside one of those.
Carrick, who works as a roads maintenance worker, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates on 25 August 2022 and was given a 23-week suspended prison sentence. He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and participate in a 30-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. He must pay a total of £2,452 in costs and victim surcharge. He was disqualified from keeping any animals for life.
Magistrates decided not to impose a custodial sentence after Carrick said he was a carer for his girlfriend who supposedly has mental health issues.
Update 8 September 2022
BBC News have now covered the case here. It states that Carrick is now living in the village of Annfield Plain, County Durham.
County Durham and Darlington Magistrates’ Court was told RSPCA inspector Christine Nisbet went to an address in Gurlish Terrace, Coundon, after a complaint from a member of the public.
She was shown a copy of CCTV footage, taken from a security camera nearby, and when she went to his home “immediately recognised” him as the man in the film.
The inspector searched two wheelie bins in Carrick’s yard, and the yard of a neighbouring property, but could not find any trace of the cat.
However, a vet who was asked to review video clips from the footage said that it was “very likely” that the cat had died as a result of the attack.
Carrick admitted hitting the cat against a wall but denied stamping on it.
Magistrates heard a statement from the vet which said: “It can be clearly seen on the footage that [the cat] was slammed into a wall with considerable force and was thrown to the ground.
“Once the cat was on the ground we cannot see him, but given the man leans on the wall where the cat landed and stamps in the same position three times, disappears from view and reappears to stamp in the same place again I think it is reasonable to assume he was stamping on the cat.”
Update October 2022
*According to an anonymous source Carrick is now living in Horden, Peterlee with his girlfriend, Gemma Gray (aka Jemima Doherty). He may also be found in Clavering Place, Annfield Plain, County Durham DH9 7XD, where his parents live.
The source alleges that his girlfriend was never pregnant. She is said to be a heavy cannabis user. Claims in court that he is a carer for her are allegedly false as he works away from home.
Carrick works as a site supervisor for groundworks companies all over the UK, but has recently been based mostly in Reading.
Carrick and his girlfriend have/had a couple of dogs, including a pug who died last year. The cause of the dog’s death isn’t known.
CONVICTED (2022) | Samuel Thomas Newton, born 26 February 1997, of Hampton Road, Scarborough YO12 5PX – abandoned three Royal Pythons in a bin outside a school.
Newton admitted that he had dumped the animals and blamed the rising cost of food and heating.
Newton put the non-venomous snakes in a carrier bag on 29 June, 2022, and dropped them in a public litter bin on Sandybed Lane.
Newton said the cost of living crisis prompted him to abandon his three snakes.
Two of the pythons were rescued later that day after being spotted by a member of the public. The third was found in grass nearby the following day.
Newton was identified as the owner after a social media appeal but initially denied dumping the animals and said they had been rehomed.
Police said he did not try to rehome them and did not consider their welfare.
The abandoned snakes were rescued and rehomed.
PC Graham Bilton said it was an “extremely concerning” case and added: “The actions of Newton were wholly irresponsible and illegal, and on his own admission were ‘disgusting’.”
Geoff Edmond, from the RSPCA, said the charity feared more people would have to give up their pets due to the rising cost of living.
The snakes have since been rehomed.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £623 in fine, costs and surcharge. Seven-year ban on owning reptiles (expires August 2029).
CONVICTED (2022) | John Bennet Wright, born 25 March 1989, of 17 Viking Crescent, Houston, Johnstone PA6 8LQ – battered a disabled foxhunt protestor.
Wright, who is associated with the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire (L&R) Hunt, was caught on camera violently pulling Grant Sloan, who uses aids to walk, out of his vehicle and repeatedly kicking him.
The hunt thug lashed out when Mr Sloan was watching L&R hunt in Bridge of Weir in October 2020.
Mr Sloan was able to record the brutal attack on his phone and the footage shows Wright kicking him on the chest.
Prosecutor Amber Feeney told the court: “Around 3.30pm, Mr Sloan was in Bridge of Weir due to a fox hunt taking place and was parked at the side of the road in his vehicle alone.
“A short time later, three males approached, with one of them being the accused.
“One of the unknown males shouted at Mr Sloan to leave and he attempted to explain he was there not to cause any issue.
“At this point, the accused and another male opened the car door and pulled him out of the vehicle.
“Mr Sloan started to record this and the accused started to repeatedly kick Mr Sloan.
“Mr Sloan captured the accused kick him on the chest and the accused left with the two males. Police were contacted.
“Officers attended and system checks in relation to fox hunt nominals were carried out which identified the accused as the man in Mr Sloan’s video.”
Ms Feeney told the court that Mr Sloan was against fox hunting and was parked at the side of the road to observe if anything “untoward” took place, and it appeared that Wright was a “fan” of fox-hunting.
Defence agent Craig Broadley told the court Wright, who works for a local landscaping company “accepts” his behaviour.
Broadley added: “He doesn’t think he kicked the man particularly hard but he understands that doesn’t make a difference.
“He had been drinking with a friend fishing in the local area and when he was walking home he met the group.
“He does accept his actions and acting aggressively and that his behaviour was unacceptable.”
Sentencing Wright, Sheriff Eoin McGinty told him : “This was a particularly frightening incident for Mr Sloan as he was surrounded by a mob and manhandled from his car and thereafter you kicked him on the chest.”
The sentence was strongly welcomed by the Glasgow Hunt Sabs group – a group dedicated to protecting wild animals from hunters that Mr Sloan is a part of.
A spokesperson for the group told national newspaper the Express: “We are pleased with this outcome.
“John Wright is guilty of attacking not only a lone, but also disabled member of our group, who was dragged from his car as he monitored illegal hunting at the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Foxhounds.
“The brave actions of our sab, who managed to film part of the incident, certainly helped with the verdict.
“On the day in question, members of our group were subjected to violent threats constantly from hunt staff looking for fights. Before the attack took place, another of our vehicles had its tyres slashed.”
Glasgow Hunt Sabs continuously call for stronger fox-hunting laws to be introduced by the Scottish Government, the spokesperson added: “Those associated with the Lanarkshire & Renfrewshire Foxhounds continuously demonstrate why stronger, more meaningful fox hunting laws are needed.
“But until the Scottish Government brings its laws into line, we at Glasgow Hunt Sabs will not be deterred by cowardly acts of violence, and will continue to protect wildlife from the immeasurable cruelty in our countryside.”
Sentencing | 12-month supervision order with180 hours of unpaid work; £500 compensation to victim.
In March 2022 Wright was given a community sentence, fine and driving ban after being caught driving while six times over the legal limit of alcohol. He was also in possession of a locking knife without an excuse. Wright’s lawyer told the court how there is a “background of alcohol misuse and addition” adding that his client is attending Alcoholics Anonymous.
CONVICTED (2022) | animal hoarder Mark Dean Blazey, born c. 1967, of Clayton Close, Weymouth DT3 6QZ – drowned 10 cats and dumped their bodies.
Mark Blazey was found guilty of two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two counts of failing to undertake the duty of a person responsible for an animal to ensure its welfare during a two-day trial earlier.
The court heard that Blazey was responsible for the cats and ‘purposefully and forcibly’ drowned them by submerging them in a body of water.
He dumped five of them in two suitcases at Weymouth Recycling Centre on February 8, 2021. He returned to the same tip a week later and dumped five more dead cats in a black bin bag.
Blazey, who was said to have around 40 cats in his one-bedroom flat at the time of the incident, told the court that the cats were like his ‘family’. Despite offers from a neighbour to help him take them off his hands, he was reluctant to give them away because he wanted to know that they could be looked after.
When asked by prosecutor Rowan Morton about a bucket and tarpaulin found in his bathroom, he said that the bucket was used to create a make-shift water fountain for his cats to drink and play with, using a pump.
The defendant said that there was a possibility that the cats were poisoned and said that on one occasion, prior to the cats’ deaths, blue pills in an open envelope were posted through his letter box, which he believed made the cats ate, causing them to become sick. He said he could not remember if the cats survived. He said he fixed a cage on the inside of his letter box to stop anymore letters posted from dropping on the floor.
Blazey said he did not know how the cats died, or if they were found dead weeks before going to the tip with their bodies. He said he could not remember if all 10 cats had died all together or in two lots of five.
He said he wrapped the cats in a towel, to keep them ‘nice’, and put them in the bathtub. The bathtub was said to have also been used as a toilet by the cats and Blazey said he would often use the shower head to wash away faeces and urine, and did so while the dead cats were in there, causing them to be wet.
When asked why he didn’t call a vet, Blazey said he didn’t call because he was ‘scared’ and said he was reluctant to talk to police because he was worried his cats would be taken off of him. He said the reason he gave a largely no comment interview was because he was following the advice from his duty solicitor.
They court heard that the RSPCA inspector involved in the case, Patrick Bailey, noticed an overwhelming smell of urine when visiting Blazey’s address.
Prosecutors said the crime had “some level of pre-meditation” and said: “they (the cats) did suffer. The heart would have stopped beating after around five-to-ten minutes”.
Max Owen, mitigating, said Blazey was “clearly someone who loves animals” and suggested his client, living on universal credit, had sacrificed himself ‘almost everything’ to take care of the cats.
Mr Owen described Blazey as “very fond of his cats… they were of normal body weight, well-fed and seemed to be well cared for albeit in a very small flat.”
He said: “The reality is that losing his cats is going to be a devastating for him and a much greater punishment than any the court could give.”
The assistant manager of the recycling centre confirmed that he found five ‘sopping wet’ cats on both occasions.
At the conclusion of the trial, chair of the bench Mr Davidge said that they found Blazey guilty of drowning the cats and causing them unnecessary suffering.
Sentencing | 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days; £395 in fine, costs and victim surcharge. Disqualified from owning any animal for five years (expires August 2027) with the cats still in his possession to be removed within 24 hours.
In 2019, Mary Howe put herself forward as a fosterer to NDMR following which Belgian Malinois Buddy and Monty were placed into her care on a temporary basis. A foster agreement was in place which stipulated that the dogs must not be rehomed without NDMR’s consent. After Howe fell out with NDMR she refused to return the dogs and set up her own company, Mars & Minerva Malinois Rehoming Ltd (M&M).
In April 2021, NDMR received information that M&M were renting kennel space in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire with concerns expressed about the poor conditions. Jessica and two others decided to visit the kennels, which were described as “run-down” On arrival, they found Monty and Buddy in a weak and emaciated state, with their bones clearly visible through their coat. A vet who treated the dogs gave them each a body condition score of 1/9, the worst possible score.
One of the dogs had faeces matted into his coat. Both had been housed in a kennels that was described to have “stank of death”. Two of the witnesses broke down in tears as they spoke of the terrible condition in which they found the dogs, describing them as weak with sunken eyes. The dogs were ravenously hungry and extremely thirsty.
In the months that followed Buddy’s body condition score went from 1/5 to an “ideal” 5/9. A vet told the court that the only explanation for the improvement was a change of ownership and going from being malnourished to receiving a suitable diet.
Howe was charged with four offences: two of causing unnecessary suffering, contrary to s.4(1) AWA 2006 (failing to feed them); and two offences of breaching a duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare, contrary to s.9(1) AWA 2006 (relating to their weight, their housing conditions, and allowing Monty to become covered in faeces and not being given veterinary treatment).
Ultimately, without expert evidence that could rule out heart problems as the cause of Monty’s suffering, the prosecutor dropped one of the s.4(1) charges, but proceeded with the remaining three charges.
Based on the available evidence the judge was satisfied that Howe had taken responsibility for the dogs, but had not taken them to the vets or given them food of sufficient quantity or quality. Because of malnutrition, the judge determined that Buddy had suffered unnecessarily.
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 12-month mental health order and 21 days of rehabilitation; ordered to pay £6,000 towards costs. 10-year ban from owning animals, keeping or participating in keeping them, from being party to an arrangement under which she is entitled to control or influence the way in which animals are kept; or from dealing in animals.
The effect of that sentence has been stayed pending an appeal to the Crown Court. This means that the ban hasn’t yet come into force.
CONVICTED (2022) | Jamie Martin Bowen, born 27 April 1993, of 363 Violet Close, Newtown SY16 1HN – killed his girlfriend’s two cats by “punching them repeatedly”.
The injuries caused to Nala and Fuego by Bowen were so severe that the vet who treated them thought they could have only been caused by being hit by a vehicle.
Bowen admitted attacking the cats while “in a rage” and the court heard he had been through a period of mental health difficulties preceding the incident.
Two of Bowen’s cats. It’s not known if these are the cats that died.
One cat was already dead when Bowen and his partner took them to the veterinary practice, while the other had to be euthanised. He deemed both had been killed by blunt force trauma to the head and chest.
Bowen was said to have “become hysterical” and subsequently confessed to killing them both. He initially denied causing unnecessary suffering to the cats but later changed both pleas to guilty.
Prosecutor David Mainstone said the vet who treated Nala and Fuego became suspicious.
“The defendant and his partner had taken the two cats to Hafren Vets in Newtown, where the lead vet immediately saw one was dead, while the other was close to death,” he said.
“He spoke with the defendant and his partner to obtain consent to euthanise the cat as attempts to revive it were unsuccessful.
“The defendant said he had been struggling with his mental health and he admitted he’d killed the cats. The vet believed the cats must have been killed by being hit by a vehicle as their injuries were consistent with that sort of injury.”
He said the living cat had a fractured skull and injuries to its limbs.
Bowen later admitted he had punched the cats repeatedly in the head before calling his partner home to help him take them to the vets.
“He said he did not know why he’d done it and was not under the influence of drink or drugs at the time,” Mr Mainstone added.
“He said he had not taken his prescribed medication and this would have contributed to his actions. He said he did not intend to kill them.”
Bowen’s lawyer said his client had an “extremely gentle” side to his character. He told the court the couple have other cats, who are being cared for by the sister of Bowen’s partner.
Sentencing | eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Community mental health treatment requirement; 20 rehabilitation days; £656 in costs and charges. Banned from owning animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Stephen Phelps, born 1 November 1965, of Crawshay Place, Cinderford GL14 2EW – attacked his neighbour’s dachshund puppy, causing fatal injuries.
The attack happened following an incident earlier on the same night after which Stephen Phelps had been bailed for damaging another neighbour’s door.
A few hours after returning home he went into a neighbour’s flat and refused to leave – leading to a police siege during which he beat the puppy.
Gloucester Crown Court was told he was diabetic but had not been taking medication and had become delusional.
Prosecutor Alec Small said events began in the early hours of November 30, 2021, when police were called to the Crucible Road area of Cinderford following reports that a man armed with a knife and hammer had gone to a woman’s home, smashing glass in the door.
“Before the police arrived the man drove off but officers heading towards the incident spotted him driving in the opposite direction and gave chase,” said the prosecutor.
Phelps was eventually boxed in at traffic lights and police used a taser to arrest him. He was taken into custody but he was unable to be questioned due to his mental state and and returned home on bail.
“However, he was clearly agitated as he began to bang repeatedly on the shared wall with his neighbour, Susi Broadway,” the prosecutor said.
“This continued for some time, which made her dogs bark. At about 3.45am Mrs Broadway went outside to let her dog out and noticed that her neighbour’s window had been smashed.
“The banging continued when she went back inside. She decided to go to another neighbour who had also been woken up because of the noise of the banging and decided to go outside.
“Phelps then left his home and went outside, where there were now four neighbours trying to work out what was wrong with him. They said he looked like a zombie.
“Without warning he lashed out at his neighbours with a knife in his hand. The neighbours all retreated back to their own homes and called the police.
“After a short while Phelps reappeared from his home carrying a metal pole which he used to smash the windscreen of Mrs Broadway’s Mazda car.
“Phelps then entered Mrs Broadway’s home after she had gone outside to survey the damage to her car. She then began to fear for her dachshund puppies, which were eight weeks old.
“The police attended the address and they became involved in a standoff with Phelps for a number of hours which required the services of a trained negotiator to resolve the situation when he was removed from her property.
“When Mrs Broadway was allowed back into her home, she realised that one of the puppies had become unresponsive and it had to be euthanised by a local vet.”
The court was told that Phelps was taken to hospital where he had a number of unexplained injuries to his face. He was under police guard for 24 hours in the hospital, during which time he said: “I did it because they (the neighbours) did it to me the night before. I shot all the dogs and one did die.”
The prosecutor clarified that none of the dogs had in fact been shot, but one had been beaten and had to be put down.
Simon Kitchen, defending Phelps, said: “This was a self induced incident because he is a diabetic who was not looking after himself. He had become paranoid and delusional.
“Phelps has little recollection of being in his neighbour’s home. He may have stood on the puppy, but he believes that he didn’t intentionally do anything maliciously to it.
“Phelps had been on a Methadone prescription for 10 years and when he was remanded into custody he had to go cold turkey. He now feels much better having broken his addiction to Methadone.”
Phelps pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a dachshund puppy, using violence that ultimately led to her death on December 1, 2021 and criminal damage by smashing a car’s windscreen.
He also admitted having a knife in Gloucester Road, Coleford on November 30 and having a bladed article and a metal bar in Cinderford on December 1, 2021.
Sentencing 23 August 2022 (details obtained from court) | non-custodial sentence. Community order. No ban.
CONVICTED (2022) | Craig James Wilson, born c. 1993, of Beverly Road, Hull HU3 – starved a dog to death over a month.
In a rare decision by the courts, Craig ‘Craigy’ Wilson was given a prison term for causing the death of a Staffy named Marshall.
Wilson appeared confused when he was suddenly flanked by two prison officers as Hull magistrates delivered their sentence. He was clearly not expecting to be jailed but the magistrates said the case was so serious it merited a custodial term.
RSPCA prosecutor Philip Brown told the court how Wilson never took Marshall to the vets despite his desperate state.
He said: “Marshall came to the attention of the RSPCA in December last year. The animal was taken to a vets and examined.
“The owner said the dog had collapsed and was not moving. By the time he was taken to the vets, Marshall had sadly passed away.
“The owner was clearly concerned about the cost of treatment when on the phone to the vets but they told him to bring the dog in and then a fee could be discussed later.
Marshall was dead on arrival and, when he was weighed he was just 6.8kg. The average weight of a male Staffordshire bull terrier is between 13-17kg. The vet noted there was very little body fat at all.
Mr Brown said: “When the owner was told the animal had passed away there was no reaction. He said the dog was always skinny.
“Mr Wilson insisted Marshall was in a decent condition in the days before the animal died.”
At that point it was unclear if Marshall had actually starved to death or if there was an underlying condition which had caused the malnutrition.
But Mr Brown said: “A post-mortem was carried out and it was found Marshall had suffered considerably. There was no medical reason for the weight loss and he had starved to death. It was evident he had suffered for a number of weeks and at least a month.”
Mike Farr, mitigating, told the court Wilson had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has no previous convictions.
He said: “My client is not someone who intentionally caused the animal to suffer. Ignorance has played a part here.
“He was brought up in the care system and had to fend for himself from the age of 16. He took on the animal as a favour but he had never had a pet before and was not prepared for the animal’s day-to-day requirements. He now realises looking after a dog is a huge commitment.
“He would not take issue with being disqualified from owning an animal in the future. He has no intention of doing so.”
After viewing all the medical evidence and the photographs, magistrates were left so shocked they felt there was no alternative but to jail Wilson. The chairman of the bench said there is no way this was accidental and that “custody was the only option”.
Wilson tried talking over the Chairman of the Bench as he delivered sentence but was told to be quiet.
Sentencing | jailed for 12 weeks. Banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
