CONVICTED (2022) | James Spencer, born c. 1989, of Lindon Road, Brownhills, Walsall WS8 7DD – repeatedly beat his Labrador puppy.
So vulnerable … violent puppy abuser James Spencer is pictured outside court
Spencer was filmed striking the dog, named Budd, before picking him up and ‘throwing’ him in his van where he proceeded to rain down further blows.
Witnesses observed five separate, but similar, incidents outside his home in Lindon Road, Brownhills in Walsall.
The incidents took place between June 1 and July 25, 2021, typically in the parking area near his home.
Prosecutor Sara Pratt stated one witness saw Spencer strike the dog on three separate occasions but was ‘ready’ on the third when she filmed the incident.
She said: “The defendant was seen to be calling to Budd who didn’t come to him. He only approached when the defendant lay on the floor.
“This defendant picked the dog up struck him, then repeatedly slapped him in the van. The dog was thrown into the van and he was seen to repeatedly punch the dog. The footage was sent to the RSPCA.
“The defendant was heard to say ‘do you want to be punched again do you? Do you want to be punched again?’.”
Spencer voluntarily surrendered the puppy who was examined in September and found to be ‘bright, alert and friendly’. Although the pup was also observed to be ‘passive’ when picked up possibly due to a ‘history of negative encounters’, the prosecutor added.
Spencer initially claimed he would only smack Budd once to the nose if he was ‘naughty’ before confessing to the full extent of the abuse.
District Judge Jonathan Straw said: “I have watched the video. What was evident was a significant degree of inadequacy on part of the defendant.
“He initially was seen using conventional methods to call and cajole the dog. Then when unsurprisingly the dog didn’t obey his commands he became frustrated, which spiraled to anger and he meted physical chastisement by way of punches.
“This wasn’t cruelty from the start. It was a consequence of him simply not having the skills to deal with or cope with a puppy or any dog and becoming angry and frustrated as a consequence of the dog not obeying him.”
Pallo Bailey, defending, confirmed Spencer had a number of ‘difficulties’ and was currently unable to work after falling from a ladder.
Judge Straw described the assaults as ‘appalling, cruel and violent’ but acknowledged the defendant’s own ‘vulnerabilities’.
Sentencing | 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 20 rehabilitation days, £500 in costs. Banned from keeping animals for ten years.
CONVICTED | (2022) | Abdul Ghafoor Ghani, born April 1997 of 28 Beamsley Road, Frizinghall, Bradford BD18 2DR – raped a pony after creeping into its field in the night while high on drink and drugs.
Corner shop owner Ghani pleaded guilty to having intercourse with an animal in September 2018, after reconnoitring the field in the Bradford area where the Shetland Pony and other horses lived.
Prosecutor Michael Collins told the court that the police found 993 internet searches on Ghani’s phone about sex acts with animals, especially horses.
In August, 2018, the pony’s owners, a mother and daughter, became concerned about things found in the horses’ field shelter. There was a till receipt, a torch, a cucumber, a scrubbing brush and a bag of carrots.
The following month, the pony’s tail had hairs out of place, there was tape on it and a greasy substance on her back end. Black tape and bandage was found nearby and a lump of sugar, not something the owners would feed to their horses.
They reported matters to the police and the pony was examined by a vet. DNA was a match for Ghani.
A police officer on patrol in the area then saw a blue Toyota Yaris parked near the field. Inside the vehicle was a large cucumber, baby oil and a bag of carrots.
Then a black rucksack found in the field was found to contain apples and carrots, biscuits, rope and silver tape.
The Yaris was traced to Ghani who was arrested but said he had done nothing wrong. He told investigating officers he ‘loved the wild’ and would go out at night to watch owls and foxes.
When asked what the rope was for, he explained that it was to hoist himself up into trees to look at owls.
He made no comment when told that his DNA had been found.
Ghani already had seven convictions for 17 offences, mainly relating to drink, drug and driving offences,.
Jonathan Turner, Ghani’s barrister, said his client was overwhelmingly ashamed and embarrassed.
The offence was almost four years ago and he had led a law-abiding life since then.
Mr Turner conceded there was ‘little positive’ to be said about the offence except that the pony wasn’t injured.
Ghani was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he visited the field. He had committed the offence because of them. He had been seen by a psychiatrist who did not find him to be mentally ill.
Mr Turner said that having sex with horses was not a fantasy for Ghani, just strange behaviour. He had spoken of feeling he was like something in a dream.
Judge Andrew Hatton said Ghani had denied the offence up until the day of his trial although the evidence against him was overwhelming.
He had made several visits to reconnoitre the field and brought food to make the pony more familiar of him. This demonstrated some planning and the very large number of internet searches on his phone showed his interest in bestiality with horses.
Although there had been a delay to sentence, Ghani could have been dealt with 18 months earlier if he had pleaded guilty.
Judge Hatton added: “Owners of horses and ponies are entitled to feel their animals are safe from people like you. The message must go out that this sort of grossly unnatural behaviour will not be considered for suspended sentences of imprisonment.”
Judge Hatton said it wasn’t an isolated act, it was “a well-planned and deliberate descent into bestiality.”
Sentencing | 10 months in jail. Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from entering the land where the horses lived, or any other land where horses, ponies and donkeys were kept. He was banned from driving for two years and five months. Ghani must sign on the sex offender register for ten years. £110 compensation for the vet bill.
CONVICTED (2022) | backyard breeders Alexander D Johnson, born 26 January 1990, of Elmsmere Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent ST2 8EF, Ryan Woodward, born 24 December 1997, of Forest Court, Union Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5AD, and Mickey T Nolan, born 22 January 1991, of Victoria Road, Carlisle CA1 2SJ – for painful ear cropping which left puppies in a semi-comatose state.
Alex Johnson, Ryan Woodward and Mickey Nolan, pictured from left to right, profiteered from animal suffering
The animals, who were around 8 to 10 weeks old at the time, suffered considerable pain and had to undergo surgery after they were rescued from a house in Stoke-on-Trent.
The man who inflicted their injuries – well-known animal abuser (and alleged dog fighter) Alex Johnson – admitted carrying out a prohibited procedure. Johnston was previously banned from keeping dogs for five years after a 2019 conviction . This time he received a 24-week prison sentence and his ban (blatantly ignored) was extended to life.
Ryan Woodward was jailed for 19 weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Johnson to carry out the procedure.
Mickey Nolan – an MMA fighter – was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, having pleaded guilty to either permitting the action to take place or failing to take steps to prevent it.
Woodward and Nolan were both disqualified from keeping dogs for 15 years.
The prosecution followed months of investigation by the RSPCA, with the much-missed Animal Protection Services providing the charity with crucial intelligence from their own enquiries into Alex Johnson’s shady activities.
Previous offender Alex Johnson
The three injured puppies, plus three others, were seized by police from an address in Hanley in November 2020, along with a host of evidence.
In a written statement to the court, RSPCA inspector Jenny Bethel said a black cosmetic bag and a black rucksack were later handed over to her by police.
She said: “The bag contained syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, three empty 10mg bottles of Sedivet for horses, one empty bottle of ketamine, empty vaccination bottles, pliers and a staple gun with blood on it.”
Meanwhile, surgical masks, an opened box of latex gloves, syringes, needles, surgical tape and an empty rabies vaccination bottle were among the items found in the rucksack.
All six puppies were taken to a vet to be checked, vaccinated and microchipped, before the ones that had endured the cropping underwent surgery at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford.
Ryan Woodward
An independent expert veterinary report, also presented to the court, said the cropping would have caused unnecessary suffering, despite the puppies being anaesthetised, with considerable pain following the procedure.
They were all signed over to the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.
MMA fighter Mickey Nolan, who traded under the name Carlisle Bullies
Following the sentencing hearing, Ms Bethel said: “All six puppies have grown into beautiful dogs, are a credit to their fosterers and have gone on to find amazing forever homes.”
PC Rebecca Tyler, of Staffordshire Police, added: “This is something that my colleagues and I will remember for the rest of our careers. We are glad that the puppies were recovered and have found loving homes.”
CONVICTED (2022) | Jackie Lillian Steadman, born c. 1949, her daughter Ann Steadman, born c. 1975, and grandson Malang Steadman, born c. 2001, all of 39 Throgmorton Road, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1HS – neglected the needs of their five dogs living in unsanitary conditions.
Malang Steadman and Ann Steadman. Image: Facebook
Three members of the Steadman family were handed fines and banned from keeping animals for ten years after neglecting the needs of their dogs: Staffy cross Babe, Rottweiler Thunder, two German Shepherd crosses called Joey and Rosie, and Dora, a Staffy cross.
One of the five dogs living in squalid unhygienic conditions at the Steadmans’ home. Image:RSPCA
The RSPCA became involved in the case when Inspector Kimily Walters was called to the address to investigate concerns over the dogs’ wellbeing and living conditions.
Finding the floors covered in urine and faeces Inspector Walters asked the family to clean the house and issued a warning notice.
She also provided a voucher for Dora to be taken to a vet within 24 hours for treatment for a skin condition. This was followed up and Inspector Walters was told that the home had been cleaned.
Image: Facebook
However, when she later returned to the address, Inspector Walters remained concerned about Dora’s skin and she was signed over into RSPCA care for treatment. Inspector Walters was refused access when she arrived at the Steadman home again to check on the other dogs.
In her witness statement, Inspector Walters said: “[She] agreed to show me ‘Babe’ outside and I noted her skin had improved. I advised that there was still a strong smell of ammonia coming from inside the house and flies. I reiterated that the dogs must have a clean environment to live.”
Image: Facebook
The court heard how Inspector Walters spoke to a local housing officer to raise her concerns. She returned to the Bristol address with a police officer in November 2021 following new reports about the dogs.
She said: “When I went through the front door into the hallway area there was an overpowering smell of ammonia and faeces. The ammonia smell made my eyes water, the floor was wet and sticky which appeared to be covered in a mixture of trampled urine and faeces. The hallway was cluttered and the house was dark with very little ventilation.”
She issued another warning notice for the dogs’ living conditions and returned in December – again with police – to follow up but found little improvement. Police seized the dogs and they were placed in RSPCA care and seen by a vet.
A vet who treated the dogs found Thunder to have “a large facial swelling, excessive drooling and foul breath” and administered pain relief and antibiotics. Further tests found the mass was likely to be cancerous and was impacting his eating and quality of life so vets decided the kindest option for him was to put him to sleep to prevent further suffering.
The vet also found Joey to be suffering from a “4cm by 1.5cm circular soft mass” that was ulcerated and administered antibiotics and pain relief.
Ann Steadman pleaded guilty to three offences and the three offences were all proved in absence against Jackie and Malang Steadman. The court heard that they would have entered guilty pleas.
Sentencing | Ann Steadman: fines, costs and charges totalling £454. Jackie and Malang Steadman | £514 each in fines, costs and charges. All three were also disqualified from keeping all animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2022) | East Essex Hunt terrier-man Paul O’Shea born c.1973, of Lower Jennies, Mount Bures, Bures CO8 5AP – stabbed a terrified fox with a garden fork.
Secret filming caught cruel Paul O’Shea using a dog to flush a fox from an artificial earth before attacking it with a garden fork
O’Shea admitted hunting a wild mammal with dogs and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The terrier-man was captured on camera alongside 16-year-old daughter Scarlett O’Shea in Great Monks Wood in Pattiswick, Essex, in December 2021. Secret filming by the North London Hunt Saboteurs showed O’Shea using a Patterdale terrier dog to flush a fox out of artificial earth and catching it in a net placed over the entrance. He subsequently attacked the fox with a garden fork by ‘stabbing it’ several times before kicking it.
Magistrate Paul Jee said there was a “deliberate” and “high level” of suffering.
“In the first instance, there was the use of a ‘hard terrier’ which was chasing and biting the fox underground, and still hanging on to it when it came out,” he said.
“We heard that the fox was picked up by his brush, which would have caused terror and suffering ,and we saw for ourselves repeated attempts to stab the fox with a fork. Whether it pierced the skin or not, we don’t know, the body was never found.”
Scarlett O’Shea, who was present throughout the harrowing incident, was also charged with hunting a wild animal with dogs, but the case against her was discontinued.
PC Jed Raven, of Essex Police’s Rural Engagement Team said: “This was a particularly nasty incident. The fox was attacked by the dog until O’Shea grabbed the fox by its tail to pull it out of the net. He then attacked the poor fox with a large garden fork, stabbing it several times, before kicking it.
“Sadly, we don’t know exactly what happened to the fox as the film did not capture this. What is certain is that the fox would have been caused a great deal of physical pain and discomfort, as well as mental terror. This is simply not acceptable.
“The film footage of the incident was extremely distressing. We were determined to ensure O’Shea did not get away with his cruel acts so we immediately sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, which helped us to secure the charges against him.”
“O’Shea maliciously targeted a fox with his dog before violently stabbing it with a garden fork. The footage that was captured showed his cruel treatment of the fox, and this key evidence led to O’Shea’s guilty pleas. Cruelty to animals is unacceptable and we are working closely with specialist police rural engagement teams across the country to bring perpetrators to justice.”
CPS district prosecutor Sally Robinson said: “This was an abhorrent example of animal cruelty and hunting committed by a terrier-man in the East Essex Hunt. Mr O’Shea flushed a fox and then utilised a pitchfork to commit unnecessary suffering to it. The Crown Prosecution Service take all cases of animal cruelty and hunting offences seriously and where the Full Code Test is met, will take steps to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Sentencing | 18-week suspended prison term; 200 hours of community service; £233 total costs. Banned from keeping any dog for five years. O’Shea received no separate penalty for hunting a wild mammal with dogs – an offence under the Hunting Act 2004.
Paul O’Shea is employed as a project manager with the Orchard Group. The CEO of that firm, Simon Fordham, is reportedly an ex huntmaster himself.
Paul O’Shea with wife, Wendy
O’Shea is married to Wendy O’Shea, who is one of the Joint Masters of the East Essex Hunt
Paul O’Shea with children Charlie and Scarlett
In addition to 16-year-old Scarlett, the couple have an adult son named Charlie O’Shea, who like his father is a terrier man for the East Essex Hunt. He also operates an agricultural business named O’Shea Contractors
CONVICTED (2022) | Rhys Owen Davies, born 12 December 1993, of Bwthyn Grug, Llanbedrog, Pwllheli LL53 7HN – kept five dogs for animal fighting and failed to treat their injuries.
Davies, who has now returned to his home town of Llanbedrog in North Wales, admitted keeping and training five Patterdale Terriers to fight animals, as well as failing to seek veterinary treatment for two which had sustained injuries from fighting.
Davies, a former gamekeeper at the Millden shooting estate* in Glenesk, Brechin, Angus DD9, also pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions of his firearms licence by having unsecured firearms and ammunition in his then home in Turnabrae House.
Davies kept trophy photos of dogs he used to fight and bait wild animals
The court heard that an employee of a photo print company contacted the SSPCA with serious concerns about the welfare of several dogs pictured in an order for 58 images placed by Davies.
Many of the dogs showed progressively more serious facial injuries over the period the images were taken and several males posing and digging into what looked like badger setts or fox dens. There were numerous images showing dead foxes.
Many of the images showed injured dogs and dead foxes.One horrific image showed a terrier latched onto a bleeding badger
The SSPCA identified them as ‘trophy’ photographs showing a group of males engaging in the organised fighting and killing of wild animals over an extended period. Davies was easily identifiable in many of the images.
Inspectors from the SSPCA and officers from Police Scotland went to Davies’ home in Brechin with a warrant on the morning of October 8, 2019. Police found a Benelli shotgun propped against a wall near the front door, two rifles were also found, a Tikka .243 rifle on the sofa and a CZ rifle in the hall cupboard next to the open gun cabinet.
An assortment of ammunition, including 23 bullets in a pot on the floor, five in a carrier bag behind the front door and one on top of a bed were seized by police.
Davies was pictured alongside others posing after digging into fox dens or badger setts.
Eleven dogs were found within kennels on the property. Five Patterdale Terrier dogs had obvious signs of injury.
Two of the terriers, Lola and Tuck, had fresh injuries. Lola’s were to her mouth and lower jaw and Tuck had part of his lower face missing and fresh injuries which produced an obvious smell when near the dog. There were also healing wounds to his forelegs.
All the dogs were taken to Scottish SPCA facilities for examination and treatment.
Inspectors found equipment on the property linked to illegal animal fighting including, locator collars, medication, needles and syringes and a staple gun used to staple up injuries.
Badger DNA was found on a red locator collar following forensic examination.
Photobooks were recovered from the property like the print order placed by Davies.
The dogs had been used repeatedly for fighting, resulting in serious disfigurement
Davies was interviewed under caution and admitted that the dogs had not received veterinary treatment in the time that he had owned them. He denied using the dogs to fight or kill foxes or badgers and claimed they had sustained injury from legal ratting and foxing.
Davies agreed to sign all the terrier dogs over to the Scottish SPCA for rehoming.
The injured dogs were examined by specialist vets. Their expert opinion was that the dogs had been kept for the purposes of animal fighting and their injuries were sustained from face-to-face combat with badgers or foxes.
Another dog is left disfigured after being trained to fight badgers and foxes for the entertainment of her sick owner
Davies’ phone was seized during the search and images of him engaged in digging activities and the dogs with fresh wounds were found. There were also numerous conversations with associates referencing digging activities and sharing photographs showing dogs pulling badgers out of setts.
A number of voice messages with associates were also found where they discussed digging with the dogs. In one message, Davies’ asks an individual about the size of photographs to print to make a digging album. Davies states, “And if I do get the knock for it at least everything’s all in the one place for them to find”.
GPS location data from Davies’ phone also placed him in two rural locations on 21 September 2019 where he was found to have had a conversation with the same associate about meeting to bait and later that night his associate sent an image of Davies standing in a large hole holding one of the terrier dogs.
Speaking after the sentencing, Karon Rollo, Head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit of COPFS said: “Animal fighting is a cruel illegal activity which causes terrible and unnecessary suffering to animals.
“The evidence clearly shows the scope of the involvement Rhys Davies had with an organised group that took pleasure in killing wild animals in such a wicked and inhumane manner.
“I welcome the sentence and the granting of the order preventing him from keeping animals for 15 years. I would like to thank Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“Hopefully this prosecution and the sentence will serve as a message to others who would cause such suffering that there are consequences and that they will be held to account for their actions and could also lose their liberty.
“COPFS will continue to work to ensure those who participate in these barbaric practices are prosecuted and would encourage anyone who may have information on animal fighting to contact Police Scotland or the Scottish SPCA.”
Sentencing | eight months in prison; £1,800 fine for firearms offences. Banned from owning or keeping animals for 15 years.
*The Millden Estate is one of a number of shooting estates in the Angus Glens. According to the insightful blog Raptor Persecution UK, the estate is “long- known amongst conservationists as a raptor persecution hotspot” where in 2009 a poisoned golden eagle named Alma was found, with a golden buzzard meeting a similar fate in the same year.
Another blogger, former police officer Alan Stewart aka the Wildlife Detective, described a “catalogue of criminality” taking place on the estate, with incidents including a working collie being poisoned in 2006. He continues:
Around the same time the eggs of a nesting hen harrier disappeared and two fresh shotgun cartridge cases were found near the nest. Despite DNA tests on the cartridge cases and the shotguns of the keepers being taken for comparison with the mark on the cartridge cases made by the firing pin no charges could be brought.
… in 2009 a dead otter was found in a fox snare.
In 2010 an egg tray and nitrile gloves, all with traces of pesticide, were recovered buried on the estate. It is likely that eggs baited with pesticide had been set out.
In 2011 a buzzard was seen being shot. The person doing the shooting drove off in a Land Rover. Neither the vehicle nor the person shooting could be identified. Despite a search on a rocky hill face, we were unable to recover the dead buzzard.
In 2012 … a satellite-tagged golden eagle probably caught in a spring trap, mysteriously moved overnight from Millden Estate and was found dumped, still alive and with two broken legs, on Deeside.
No one has ever been prosecuted for any of these alleged offences and Millden Estate has denied any responsibility.
On 1 November 2022 the Daily Record published an article revealing Rhys Davies’ links to other convicted wildlife persecutors Anthony Holloway (who’s also involved in dog fighting) and Liam Taylor.
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We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
