CONVICTED (2022) | Anthony Rea, born 31 December 1992, of 106 Bemont Road, Anfied, Liverpool L6 5BJ – left his dog’s tumour untreated.
The elderly Staffy, named Princess, had a lump on her belly, which was 6.4cm in diameter, as well as a large mass on her groin. She was lethargic and severely underweight with her ribs and pelvic bones protruding, while she was also suffering from a flea infestation.
Her owner, Rea, had not sought vet treatment and it was not until a concerned neighbour intervened that Princess received medical treatment.
The RSPCA was contacted and Princess was taken to the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital on June 15, 2022. However, her condition deteriorated overnight and it was decided that the kindest thing to do was to put her to sleep and end her suffering.
Rea admitted one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Animal rescue officer Katie Glenn, who was handed the dog by the neighbour at his home, said in her witness statement: “The dog was extremely thin, very weak and lethargic. She didn’t even lift her head when I approached her. I could see she was visibly salivating and I could see a large lump to her belly.”
Princess scored two out of nine on a body condition test, which indicated she was severely underweight. The vet said in her report that she felt a hard, large mass when she palpated the dog’s abdomen. A scan confirmed the tumour lay within the dog’s gastrointestinal system and measured around 6.4cm, while there was a second visible mass measuring 15cm within her groin area
The vet stated: “The dog was likely to have been suffering for a prolonged period and had an extremely poor quality of life. In my opinion she will have suffered for many days and likely longer. The low body weight will have taken many days or possibly weeks to have developed.”
RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes made contact with Rea, who had not been at his flat at the time his dog was taken for medical help. The defendant told the inspector he was aware the dog had a tumour, but claimed “vets had said they could do nothing” and that he had offered her food “every single day, but she wouldn’t touch it”.
Speaking after the hearing, inspector Joynes said: “The poor dog was in a bad way and it was an end-of-life situation, which might not have been the case had the owner had her condition investigated earlier. She was left for many weeks when he knew she was deteriorating. There were symptoms of ill health that he should have acted upon and he would also have qualified for treatment at a PDSA veterinary clinic.”
Sentencing | eight-week curfew; ordered to pay a total of £595. Five-year ban from keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | April Louise Thomas, born 30 April 1994, of Thornhill Parade, Ballyclare BT39 9RE- filmed herself hitting and throttling a cat.
Mother-of-two April Thomas, who has links to Larne and Croydon, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a cat.
In May 2021 Belfast City Council received a complaint about an act of animal cruelty at Thomas’s home. A video clip sent with the complaint showed Thomas grab a white cat from a crate and hold it up by the neck.
In the footage she appeared to apply pressure in a strangling motion while shouting: “See this weak neck. Shut up.”
A council solicitor said “She then strikes the cat on the head and face and calls the cat names.”
The animal, who does not belong to Thomas, could be seen grasping and moving her jaws in pain before being shut back into the crate.
District Judge George Conner was told the incident had been reported after Thomas sent the video to a relative.
A vet who examined the clip confirmed the cat would have suffered from being choked and struck.
Thomas initially denied the allegations until she was shown footage. At that stage she claimed the cat had bitten her.
Animal welfare officers subsequently located the pet and returned her to her owner, who received an improvement notice not to leave her with Thomas again. During interviews she claimed to have given the cat “a smack because it wouldn’t shut up and attacked me”.
A photograph of an alleged bite mark on her hand was also produced. Thomas acknowledged her behaviour had been inappropriate but stated that she suffers from depression.
Defence barrister Paul Burns acknowledged the seriousness of an incident he argued had lasted “a couple of seconds”.
Stressing his client’s previous clear record, he told the court her IQ has been assessed in the bottom one percent of the general population.
“She is clearly a lady with very significant anxiety and various other difficulties,” Mr Burns added.
Sentencing | 80 hours of community service. £172 in costs. Banned from keeping cats for 10 years. The order prohibits Thomas from keeping cats, from looking after cats or being involved in anything to do with cats.
CONVICTED (2022) | John Jason ‘JJ’ Evans, born 23 November 1976, and wife Lisa Evans, born 26 April 1977, of Hurst Lea, Pedmore Road, Brierley Hill, Dudley DY5 1TP – starved almost 30 neglected animals and left them trapped in squalid conditions on a scrap yard.
Lisa and John Evans starved their animals and kept them locked up in faeces-ridden dilapidated enclosures.
On 29 July 2021 RSPCA inspectors supported by officers from West Midlands Police raided a property occupied by gypsies JJ Evans and wife Lisa Evans where they found a large number of animals “in a state of neglect and malnourishment”.
With no food or water, the animals were abandoned and left to live in their own filth.
Two vets were at the scene and at least five RSPCA vehicles were sent to take the animals into care, with officers from the police and animal charity seen taking several dogs into the back of vans.
Hurst Lea is a residential property with the animals being kept in kennels, sheds, shipping containers, horse boxes and vans within a scrap yard to its rearSatellite image of Hurst Lea, which is home to gypsy travellers JJ and Lisa Evans and their offspring
The area was cordoned off as dogs of different breeds and sizes were taken from the yard, with many of their rib cages visible through their skin.
A total of 18 dogs, three cats, six horses and a donkey were removed after being found shut in dilapidated kennels, sheds, shipping containers, horse boxes and vans within a scrap yard behind the house the couple share with their various offspring, including adult son Blake Evans, and extended family members.
Initially it was reported that three men, aged 44, 41 and 20, had been arrested but ultimately only JJ Evans and wife Lisa Evans ended up in court.
Surrounded by hazards such as old washing machines, tyres and gas canisters, none of the animals had bedding and very few had access to water or food.
Some animals were so malnourished their ribs and hips could be seen poking through their skin. Others were so ill they were in desperate need of veterinary help.
A dead kitten, the body of a decomposing puppy and the skull of another animal were also uncovered.
The case has since been dubbed one of the worst animal welfare cases the RSPCA has dealt with.
The court heard how rescuers were forced to use head torches as they searched for animals and initially discovered six horses – including three foals curled up together in a heap on the floor.
RSPCA inspector Jack Alderson said: “This enclosure was too small for this number of animals. There was no hay or any other food available and although there was a large black trough in front of me, it contained nothing.
“The floor was completely sodden with a large build-up of faeces and the roof wasn’t large enough to cover the animals inside. This was compounded by the numerous hazards dotted around the enclosure including gates and ladders on the floor.”
Another horse was found in a pen with its ribs and hips ‘clearly visible’. There was no food or water in the pen, the floor was covered with faeces and there was a strong smell of ammonia.
Inspectors noticed the only access point to the pen had been blocked with car doors, pallets, a car engine, a large white box, and other large objects. Two kittens were also found inside a shed, along with another dead kitten with a hole in its abdomen exposing flesh and bone.
There was also a skull of another animal, the RSPCA said. Mr Alderson added: “Upon opening the door to the shed, both live kittens rushed to get out.
“Both were in very poor body condition and were calling frantically to show they were very hungry.” A horsebox inside the yard had no food or water and was covered in a build-up of faeces and contained another horse with visible ribs and hips.
The horse was also caked in faeces around his legs and feet. Two lurchers were discovered in ‘poor bodily condition’, tethered to their kennels with no food, water or bedding.
Six more dogs were found in an outdoor kennel – which had dried faeces and old bedding on the floor – without suitable access to water. The body of a decomposing puppy was also uncovered in the back of a white transit van, while a blue horse box-style container nearby had a horse with its ribs and spine visible inside it.
Three dogs were found in a garden and two puppies were uncovered in crates stacked on top of each other within the house. A collie-type dog and a long-haired terrier were also within a crate, which had no bedding, food or water. It contained children’s toys, urine and faeces. The dogs did not have space to sit down or rest comfortably.
Inspectors went on to find a shipping container split into two compartments housing a male German shepherd and female mastiff.
Both dogs were lethargic with their bones visible, while the female dog had a swollen eye which was discharging a large amount of green fluid.
Mr Alderson said: “The conditions in this enclosure were also horrendous.
“The floor consisted of animal faeces and there was no comfortable rest area. The mastiff was in a concerning state, clearly suffering from a painful eye issue, a lack of adequate nutrition, and living in filth.
“This was one of the worst animal welfare situations I have ever been faced with.”
Sentencing | John Evans was jailed for 16 weeks while Lisa Evans was handed a 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also given a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. £500 costs and victim surcharge. Lifetime ban on keeping animals but may appeal after 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Greg Falconer, born 22 December 1992, of 40 Marchburn Crescent, Aberdeen AB16 7NL – punched and kicked his “scared and shivering” pet while being arrested by police.
Greg Falconer
Falconer admitted a catalogue of offences, which included abusing his large-breed dog, named Cheeko, as well as threatening his relatives with a knife and verbally abusing police officers.
The court heard the first incident occurred at Bucksburn Police Station on December 4 2020 when Falconer hurled abuse at officers and threatened to set his dog on them.
Cheeko
The next day Falconer again was seen “dragging” Cheeko around outside the entrance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
“He was aggressively dragging his dog around,” the prosecutor said.
She added: “He continued shouting and swearing all the way to Kittybrewster police station.
“While standing round the back of the van, he was punching and kicking his dog.
“The dog appeared scared and shivering.”
He also called one officer a “p***” multiple times.
On June 23, 2021, Falconer drunkenly destroyed various items of furniture in front of his now-pregnant girlfriend, including a glass table that “shattered” after being struck with an ashtray.
Then in May 2022, he brandished a knife at his own mum and step-grandfather, forcing his way into the doorway and demanding money.
Falconer admitted one charge of causing an animal unnecessary suffering or harm and five charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
His defence agent told the court that alcohol and drug abuse was the root cause of his client’s offending but that he’d since become a “new man”.
Sentencing | one-year supervision order; five-month restriction of liberty order. No mention of a ban.
CONVICTED (2022) | Michael Breed, born 25 December 1946, and Ashley Breed, born 10 August 1994, of Hodge Close, Saltash, Cornwall PL12 4ST – starved and neglected an elderly dog over several weeks.
Mike and Ash Breed
The Breeds pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences in relation to their pet dog Ruby, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
They admitted failing to investigate and address the cause of Ruby’s poor bodily condition and weight loss and failed to provide veterinary treatment in respect of “skin and ear disease”.
RSPCA Inspector Sarah Morris visited the pair’s home on March 22, 2022, to investigate a report of concern about the welfare of a dog at the address. She was shown Ruby, a 12-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, who was in an emaciated state with skin problems and fleas crawling over her body.
Inspector Morris said: “She also had a long dangling growth hanging from her stomach which was approximately five inches long which looked swollen and sore. Her feet also appeared red and swollen and she had a pungent smell about her. Her ears also appeared to be blocked and filthy inside.”
Vets examined Ruby and concluded she was in such a severe condition she was suffering as a result. They also weighed her as being 10.1kg. In her report, the vet said Ruby had experienced a “prolonged period of neglect” and hadn’t received the veterinary treatment she needed.
She added: “On clinical examination, Ruby showed evidence of chronic skin disease. The skin showed changes consistent with disease that had been present for a long period of time with thickening and lichenification of her neck and limbs.
“The skin over her entire body felt greasy and there was scabbing present. There was generalised loss of the hair and thinning of any area where hair did remain. Adult and immature fleas were also present and there was copious flea dirt.”
The vet also noted that she had blocked ears that had been left untreated.
When offered food Ruby was ravenous and continued to look for food even once feeding had stopped.
Ruby was taken to RSPCA Cornwall’s Venton Animal Centre and fostered by one of the team. During the months she spent in the foster home, she gained weight and strength but fell ill with pyometra – an infection of the uterus caused by not being spayed – and sadly passed away.
In mitigation, it was said the Breeds did not intentionally set out to harm Ruby.
Speaking after the hearing, Inspector Sarah Morris said: “Ruby was left to suffer without the help she clearly required. There is never an excuse for ignoring an animal in need.”
Sentencing | Both men were sentenced to 16 weeks’ custody, suspended for 16 months. Disqualified for keeping any animal for ten years (right of appeal after five years).
CONVICTED (2022) | Dawn Michelle Mawson, born 21 May 1973, Sabrina Mawson, born c. 1999, previously from Bradford Moor, City of Bradford, but both now of Lowfield Road, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, Elisha Mawson, born 28 October 1997, now of Wyliffe Gardens, Shipley, and Elizabeth Mawson, born 3 November 1995 of 5 Durkheim Court, Bradford BD3 8BP – banned for life after the RSPCA found a dead kitten and seven starving and underweight cats at their home.
L-R Dawn Mawson, Elisha Mawson, then top right Sabrina Mawson and Elizabeth Mawson bottom right
The dead kitten was found by RSPCA inspectors with bite marks to his neck and head, alongside seven other starving cats, at the family’s previous home in Fernbank Road, Bradford Moor.
The vet who treated the cats wrote in her report that it was “unusual” for cats to attack each other in this way and that it was possible the other cats saw the kitten as “a source of much-needed food”.
RSPCA inspector Kris Walker said: “All of the cats were frantically looking for food. It was unsettling that as soon as we gave the first cat some food the others were screaming in hunger waiting to be fed too.
“Sadly, they were so hungry that they had picked off the weakest link among them.”
Two of the cats, Kit and Bubbles, were being kept in filthy crates and were covered in urine, while five other cats were running loose in the home. All seven of the cats were severely underweight and malnourished.
The seven cats have now all made good recoveries and have been re-homed.
The vet added: “Luckily, the other cats were removed from the house in time and have gone on to make full recoveries, but it was unfortunately too late for the kitten.
“It was obvious all the cats were in a very poor condition, so any reasonable owner should have noticed this and sought veterinary attention.”
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £395 in costs between them. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2022) | dairy farmer Robert Mark Honeybun / Ireosa Ltd, of Higher Kingstone, Russell Farm, Winterbourne Abbas, Dorchester DT2 9EU – for cruelty to cows and calves.
Ireosa Ltd, which is operated by Robert Mark Honeybun, born November 1960, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a cow and a calf by failing to care for them, along with a series of other offences relating to conditions on their farm.
The court heard how officers visited the farm in April 2021, together with a vet from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. They found three calves that were clearly sick and emaciated; dirty pens, water troughs and feeding equipment, and a cow with a badly injured front leg that had not received veterinary treatment for three months.
They also had to free a calf trapped in wire that had been left in a field with livestock. Various cattle bones and a skull were found dotted around the farm as well as dead calves in pens with live cattle.
The court was told that officers from Dorset Council’s trading standards service had been visiting the farm for over six years with the aim of ensuring that welfare standards were improved.
As a result of their visit in April 2021, the farm had lost its Red Tractor accreditation for a minimum period of two years.
Representatives of the farm appeared at Poole Magistrates Court for sentencing on 20 September 2022, having pleaded guilty to seven offences at an earlier hearing.
It was reported in November 2021 that Robert Mark Honeyman faced cruelty charges as an individual in relation to the cattle, but it’s not clear if the case against him personally is to proceed separately.
The offences were against animal health and welfare, animal by-products and feed legislation, and were brought to court following an investigation by Dorset Council Trading Standards.
They were fined a total of £52,650 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £6,186.
CONVICTED (2022) | drug dealer Marcus McMillan, born 13 June 1995, of Benmore Drive, Finaghy, west Belfast – kept 10 dogs with horrendous facial injuries in outdoor pens.
McMillan pleaded guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs and one charge of failing to meet the needs of five dogs under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. He was prosecuted by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
The 10 severely injured terriers were discovered in kennels during a drug raid by PSNI officers of McMillan’s farm yard in Drumlough Road between Royal Hillsborough and Anahilt.
Police immediately called animal welfare officers and a vet, but when McMillan was asked to sign over the animals to their care he refused.
The dogs were then seized over fears they may suffer further harm. When McMillan was cautioned by animal welfare officers he admitted he was the sole owner of the animals.
The court was told that one of the dogs was so severely injured she had to have her jaw surgically reconstructed while another was missing her nose.
Another had its his ripped off by force, a second had a staple lodged in his head in a suspected attempt to hold a tissue wound closed and another was missing his nose.
Many of the dogs had active infections, with one found with a hole between the inside of her mouth and the outside of her chin which appeared to be a recent wound.
The prosecution lawyer said there was no evidence of any of the dogs being given treatment or pain relief, with one of the animals found with injuries that would cause pain “with every lick and bite”.
She added that all of the dogs had since been re-homed except for two which were stolen from the sanctuary where they were being held.
Police also found a combined total of more than 100 tablets of pregablin (also known as Lyrica) and temazepam.
Just under £4,400 in cash was also seized with McMillan admitting at the scene that the drugs belonged to him.
McMillan was charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, failing to take reasonable care of the dogs, two counts of possession of class C drugs and one count of possession of criminal property.
He pleaded guilty to all charges bar the one relating to criminal property charge, but was convicted of that as well.
The costs of treatment and care of the animals came to £5,814, according to the lawyer.
Describing the images of the dogs’ injuries as “horrendous”, Judge Watters asked if it was known what caused them.
An animal welfare officer said they were caused by hunting but couldn’t say for certain if they were caused by foxes or badgers.
McMillan’s barrister said he claims the injuries were sustained by hunting foxes and not badger baiting and said he has since expressed “genuine remorse” for what happened to the dogs.
For causing unnecessary suffering to the 10 dogs McMillan was jailed for five months, along with five months for failing to take reasonable care of the animals.
On the two charges of possession of class C drugs he was sentenced to three months in prison, with five months for possession of criminal property.
McMillan will serve the terms concurrently and will have to pay a total of £6,048 in council costs.
Sentencing | five months’ imprisonment. Lifetime ban on keeping animals. Lisburn Council was awarded full costs of £6048.
CONVICTED (2022) | serial animal abuser Benjamin William Johnson, born 17 January 1998, of 52 Gypsey Road, Bridlington YO16 4AZ – starved a dog until she became pitifully emaciated and had to be put to sleep.
Callous Benjamin Johnson, a traveller with a previous conviction for horse cruelty, “buried his head in the sand” as his dog’s condition deteriorated.
He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the greyhound-type dog called Jess by failing to investigate and address the cause of her poor body condition and weight loss.
Jess’s body weight had dropped from 24kg to just over 10kg.
She had an underlying cancerous mass that affected her throat and it was decided that it was in her best interests to be put to sleep. She had clearly suffered for between one and two months and she had little body fat.
Johnson later admitted that he was aware that Jess had been losing weight for about six months and that he had not sought any veterinary help.
Robert Vining, mitigating, said: “He buried his head in the sand. The dog was losing weight. He had pressures on him in other fields”
He added that his client, who is “not in gainful employment” and on benefits, was suffering from “galloping inertia” at the time.
After the magistrates announced the sentence, Johnson, who had feared that he would be jailed, said: “I’m going home? Thanks!”
The court heard that Johnson has another dog but he/she is said to belong to his partner, Courtney Smith.
Sentencing | 12-week suspended prison sentence, 100 hours’ unpaid work and 20 days’ rehabilitation; £144 costs plus victim surcharge. He was banned from owning, caring for and working with animals for five years and will not be able to apply for the ban to be lifted for at least three years. An order for the RSPCA’s costs of £4,070, including for veterinary costs, to be paid out of central funds was made.
CONVICTED (2022) | breeder Jay Clarke, born 29 January 1955, of 10 Black Dog Walk, Northgate, Crawley RH10 8HL – for cruelty to 14 poorly dogs kept in squalor.
Jay Clarke pictured in around 2010
Jay Clarke, described in court as an experienced breeder who had shown dogs, was banned from keeping animals for life after being convicted of a string of cruelty charges relating to 14 dogs. Her conviction followed that of her co-accused, husband Gordon Clarke, in January 2022.
RSPCA officers visited the Clarkes’ home in Black Dog Walk on April 6, 2021 after concerns were raised about the welfare of a large number of animals living at the home.
Sussex Police obtained a warrant and officers returned on April 8 with an independent vet. A total of 16 dogs and two cats were seized and were later signed over for rehoming by the RSPCA.
RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley, who led the investigation, said in his witness statement: “The interior of the house was dimly lit. The ‘living room’ area with a sofa and very large TV was accessible by the cats, Rottweilers and chihuahuas. There were food and water bowls in this area.
“To the rear of this was an area of approximately 4m x 2.5m which contained the spaniels. This area had a strong smell and the walls and floor were stained with either faeces or dirt or a mixture of the two.
“There was a human bed in this area with a mattress. The mattress was stained brown and there were blankets on it which were also brown and covered in faeces or mud.
“The floor had concrete missing in places and two dogs were cowering in the area where a draw was missing from a wooden chest of drawers.
“There were no water or food bowls in this area. In this area I saw packs of dog food but this was not accessible to the dogs.
“I was alarmed by the condition of many of these animals and there seemed to be a general lack of care for these animals. The spaniels looked like they had been roughly de-matted with a sharp implement and some of these dogs had open wounds.”
The vet checked all of the animals and found many of them had untreated dental disease, ear infections, eye conditions and skin problems, while some were lame and one had infected wounds.
Two of the spaniels were considered by the vet to be in a ‘severe condition’ including a female brown spaniel, called Betty who was rushed to vets for emergency treatment.
Inspector Woodley added: “[She] was in such a poor condition that two police officers agreed to take [her] in an emergency fashion direct to the vets for immediate emergency treatment.”
Tragically, little Betty was so unwell that she was put to sleep to end her suffering.
Sentencing | 26 weeks in prison – suspended for 12 months; ten rehabilitation activity requirement sessions; £1,000 in costs plus victim surcharge of £128. Disqualified from keeping all animals for life.
