CONVICTED (2022) | Pawel Turbak, born 16 October 1985, of Saltney Ferry Road, Saltney Ferry, Chester CH4 0BN – caught on CCTV hitting a dairy cow with a spade over 60 times.
Farm worker Turbak was employed as a stockman at Lea Manor Farm in Aldford, near Chester, when he was filmed attacking the helpless animal after she became stuck between two headrails. CCTV showed the Polish national striking the animal repeatedly with the metal spade he was using to try to free her by digging around her.
The footage showed that he hit the cow more than 60 times to her body and hind legs. The blows used the flat back and sharp digging edge of the spade, causing 18 lacerations together with bruising and swelling.
The cow’s injuries were discovered by Turbak’s colleague who reported it to the dairy herd manager. He was interviewed at Blacon Police Station where he agreed that it was ‘not acceptable to inflict injuries to the cow’ but he claimed he had been working long hours and had problems at home.
He was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a cow contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
During the sentencing, the judge commented how crimes like this are ‘particularly upsetting’, that this was a prolonged attack and if not for the CCTV this may well have gone unnoticed.
The judge accepted the incident was out of frustration of not being able to free the cow, rather than a specific wish to inflict pain on the animal.
Sentencing | 12-week suspended prison sentence; 100 hours of unpaid community work; costs totalling £1,634. Disqualified from owning or keeping animals, or having any involvement in the way animals are kept, for five years.
CONVICTED (2022) | James Miller, born c. 1976, of Slains Court, Peterhead AB42 3YF – failed to treat his dogs’ severe fighting injuries.
Miller was disqualified from owning, keeping or working with animals for 10 years after his dogs, Cyrus and Blue, were found horrifically injured in his flat. He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide veterinary treatment for the pets.
Scottish SPCA inspector Fiona McKenzie said officers attended the property on April 13, 2022, after reports a dog had been injured while fighting.
Blood was found “smeared” on the stairs towards the front door as well as in the hallway inside the flat.
Mrs McKenzie said: “Miller informed us that the dogs had a fight the previous Saturday night, that the dogs had been kept separate since and that the injuries were not that bad.
“On inspection, it was immediately obvious that Cyrus had severe injuries to the left side of his face.
“The wounds on his head, ear and eye looked extremely sore and had a yellow discharge consistent with infection. The room Cyrus had been kept in had a lot of blood smeared on the walls and a small amount of dog faeces.
“The second dog, Blue, also had a wound on the left side of his face. This wound appeared to be older as the skin was swollen and thickened with a yellow infected crust.
“Miller stated that he had not sought any veterinary treatment for either dog.”
The dogs were removed from the flat and immediately taken to a local vet for assessment.
Cyrus’s left ear was so badly swollen it could not be examined while there were signs of infection and there were scars on the right ear, as well as broken teeth.
Mrs McKenzie added: “The wounds on Blue’s cheek had become thickened and infected and one of his claws was swollen and infected. One of his legs were scarred and swollen, consistent with bites from another dog.
“Both dogs needed weeks of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories as well as daily cleaning.”
Mrs McKenzie continued: “We are pleased that a disqualification order has been granted ensuring Miller can’t have another animal for 10 years.
“Blue and Cyrus had extensive, visible wounds which had obviously been bleeding profusely.
“The older scars suggest that this was not an isolated incident.
“Without treatment, both dogs Blue and Cyrus could have died as a result of the infection due to the depth and extent of their injuries.”
Sentencing | 100-hour community payback order. Ten-year ban on owning, keeping or working with dogs.
CONVICTED (2022) | Wayne Donnelly, born 31 December 1978, owner of the Bay Horse Inn, 11 Coldwell Street, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9HH – went on holiday leaving behind a dog with horrific facial injuries.
Pub owner Wayne Donnelly is banned from owning dogs for just seven years after callously leaving his loyal pet to suffer
Donnelly’s eight-year-old Akita, known as Boost, had puncture wounds on his neck and skin peeling from his face after being viciously attacked by another of his dogs.
Boost’s injuries were so severe that he couldn’t be saved
The court heard that Donnelly took Boost to an out-of-hours vet but left before the dog could be examined. He then went on holiday the next day leaving Boost in severe pain and discomfort
A concerned member of the public tipped off the RSPCA and Boost was rushed to a vet. Very sadly his injuries were so severe that he was euthanised on humane grounds.
RSPCA inspector Rachel Hurst described the stricken dog’s condition. She said: “The skin underneath the fur was severely infected and there were numerous puncture wounds around Boost’s neck, face and around his eyes,
“There was severe bruising to the inside of his upper lips on both sides and marked swelling of his muzzle. His eyelids were so swollen it was not possible to fully assess his eyes. There was infection in both ears with pus visible, and large areas of hair and skin were peeled away and sloughed from his face.”
Boost before he was attacked and abandoned. Source: Facebook
Inspector Hurst said that Donnelly’s refusal to get treatment for Boost led to severe pain, skin necrosis, and “ultimately the need to euthanise Boost.”
Pub landlord Donnelly admitted failing to provide veterinary treatment for injuries sustained by his dog
Sentencing | six-month jail term, suspended for a year; 200 hours of unpaid work; a total of £874 costs and surcharge. Banned from owning dogs for seven years (expires November 2029).
CONVICTED (2022) | William Byrne, born c. 1975, of 7 Eastbourne Close, Preston PR2 3YR – left a horse to suffer from maggot-infested leg injury.
Stallion Tiny was put down after his owner failed to get him treatment for an ulcerated and maggot-infested leg injury.
Byrne denied causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of cob Tiny, but was found guilty of the two charges.
The RSPCA was called in September 2021 after concerns were raised about a horse at a property in Mill Lane.
“On discovering the pony had a severe leg condition, police and vets were called and an investigation began. Tiny was transported to World Horse Welfare to undergo emergency treatment, but sadly despite the vets’ best efforts, Tiny had to be put down to end his suffering,” said an RSPCA spokesman.
The vet’s witness statement said that Tiny had a “known condition that had been diagnosed a year previously”, but although he had received some veterinary treatment, “further examination was denied by Byrne, and almost three months later the horse was still suffering.”
The statement added that Tiny’s legs were “ulcerated in areas, bleeding and inflamed, and there was a secondary bacterial infection present”.
“The right hind limb also had a maggot infestation, which would have also caused further distress,” it read.
“In my opinion, the owner did not act in the best interests of the welfare of this horse. A responsible, caring owner would have sought adequate veterinary care.”
In mitigation Byrne cited “incompetent care rather than deliberate neglect”.
RSPCA chief inspector Rob Melloy said it was a “very sad case”.
“We were so sad that Tiny couldn’t be saved. If he had received the appropriate treatment sooner, the outcome might have been different for him, but sadly, Mr Byrne failed to get him the veterinary care he so obviously and desperately needed,” he said.
“It’s really upsetting for us at the RSPCA, our colleagues at World Horse Welfare and the vets, who all collectively tried as hard as we could to save him.”
Sentencing | 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months; 12-week curfew. Disqualified from owning horses for 10 years.
It was reported that Byrne had lost his appeal against conviction.
After the appeal hearing, RSPCA inspector William Lamping, who was involved in the investigation, said: “Tiny hadn’t received the veterinary care he so obviously needed, to the point where maggots were tunnelling into his skin.
“A responsible owner would have recognised the gravity of the situation and acted in a timely manner, but Byrne failed to do so and Tiny suffered unnecessarily for months as a result.”
CONVICTED (2022) | hare coursers Alexander Stewart, born c. 1987, of Miltonfold, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9DR, and Jackie Stewart, aka John Stewart, born c. 1980, currently of Methil, Fife, but with a base at the notorious Clinterty travellers site in Aberdeen.
Alexander Stewart (left) and Jackie/John Stewart pictured outside court. Image credit: Courier
The Stewarts, who are Scottish travellers, pleaded guilty to wildlife offences after being caught hare coursing.
In the early morning of Sunday November 8, 2020, a local farmer spotted a Subaru belonging to Alexander Stewart in the Redwell Farm and the Balindarg area of Angus, near Forfar.
They called police because the same car had been used in earlier hare coursing incidents.
One witness saw one of the men with a lurcher-type dog and was left in no doubt they were hare coursing.
Police arrived and both Stewart and three boys were detained.
The men’s mobile phones were sent for analysis. where it was discovered Alexander Stewart’s phone held several voice note messages – including how he had bought a dog to kill hares.
Another revealed how he bought his Subaru vehicle to go poaching while a further clip showed that he had been poaching in Aberdeen. A chilling photo of a young boy holding a dead hare beside a lurcher was also found on the device.
Jackie Stewart’s phone revealed a text message from November 3 that two days earlier “a first chase killed it over down a road”.
The footage is blacked out as the phone is put into a pocket, but the sound keeps running. Alexander and Jackie Stewart can be heard discussing the decline of hares in the area due to the population dying out from them being killed.
It also held a video of him with Alexander Stewart and the boys on November 8, 2020, discussing discussing the decline of hares in the area due to them being killed.
Both men admitted hunting with several dogs at various locations in Angus and Aberdeenshire.
Sentencing | Alexander Stewart was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. Jackie Stewart was fined £1,000. Both received a six-month ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2022) | Sheila Brolly, born January 1957, of Torran Farm, Ford, Lochgilphead PA31 8RH – allowed her dogs to be in such poor condition they had to be euthanised on welfare grounds.
Brolly, who owns the Torran Bay Hostel, was given a woeful three-year ban on owning animals and 18-month supervision order following a Scottish SPCA investigation in relation to collies Dan and Goldie.
She pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the two dogs and was sentenced on November 10, 2022.
Eight-year-old Dan was suffering from a persistent ear infection while Goldie, aged nine, had several visible tumours in her mouth.
Complications from untreated medical conditions caused them such prolonged suffering that they had to be put to sleep on welfare grounds.
Brolly also failed to provide the dogs with suitable living conditions including clean water or a comfortable resting place.
Scottish SPCA inspector Yvonne Sloss said: “We attended Brolly’s property in July 2020 following concerns for the two collies she kept on the premises.
“We found the dogs to be living in a metal trailer with some fencing around it to create a makeshift run.
“There was no bedding and not enough water to sustain two dogs, especially given the high temperature that day.
“There was a noticeable smell of infection coming from the two dogs.
“Dan appeared to be missing part of one ear, which Brolly said was the result of a fight with another dog several years ago. ”
She continued: “On closer inspection I was horrified to see that Dan had flesh falling away from both his ears. The smell of infection was overpowering and Dan was yelping when his head was touched.
“Goldie had several large growths in her mouth, which were so big they could be seen when she was panting.
“Her coat was matted and there was discharge and blood dripping from her jaw. Again, the smell of infection was incredibly strong.”
Brolly said neither dog had ever seen a vet at any point in their lives and she had treated Dan’s previous ear wound with a blue spray that she would use for the sheep.”
Ms Sloss continued: “Once both dogs were examined by a veterinary surgeon the true extent of both their conditions were revealed. Dan’s gums were inflamed and his incisor teeth were very worn. It’s impossible to judge how much pain this was causing him as he was already in so much pain from his ears.
“Both his ears were so infected that the skin in the ear canal had thickened and calcified around his right ear drum, showing the infection had been ongoing for some time. The infection had eaten away the flesh at the entrance to his right ear canal and both ears were full of blood and pus.
“The infection had been allowed to continue for so long and become so severe it was now incurable and there was no chance of Dan recovering successfully. Therefore, the decision was made to put him to sleep and end his suffering.
“Goldie had several broken and worn teeth, which would have caused her considerable pain. The tumours in her mouth had grown so large that they were now encompassing some of her teeth and causing others to become loose.
“This, coupled with the infection would have left her in considerable pain. The tumours had been left so long they had become inoperable and it would have been impossible to restore her mouth to its normal condition so she was also euthanised on veterinary advice.”
She continued: “The Crown Prosecution Order [stated] that even a lay person would be able to identify these conditions and how they would cause suffering and pain. This pain was severe and inflicted needlessly over a prolonged period of time.
“Had Brolly taken swift action at the onset of these conditions and provided her dogs with the appropriate veterinary attention, they need not have suffered and may even still be alive and well today.
“We’re pleased Brolly has received a ban on owning animals and hope she will seriously consider her ability to look after any animal in the future.”
Sentencing | 18-month supervision order. Three-year ban on owning animals (expires November 2025).
CONVICTED (2022) | Chris Maginn, born 30 August 1946, from Leith in Edinburgh but with strong links to Tarbert in Argyll – tormented and killed animals and also committed gross acts of sexual and physical child abuse.
In a years-long campaign of historic animal and child abuse Maginn, described on his various social media profiles as “an actor, educator, community worker and sculptor”, kicked pet cats, threw a kitten at a door and drove nails into a goat’s head. He also forced a girl to kill her pet gerbil with an axe.
Maginn also sexually abused a boy and a girl and mistreated them and another girl. He abused them mentally, leaving them scared, alarmed and anxious.
He denied doing anything wrong, forcing his victims, who are now adults, to give evidence against him in a trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court. He was convicted of five charges spanning 1981 to 1987 and jailed for just three years.
He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.
Maginn began abusing the children in March 1981, at addresses in Argyll and Bute villages. He “wilfully ill-treated” the trio, assaulted the boy, sexually abused him, and sexually abused one girl.
He treated the “children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health.”
The court heard he also attacked them, grabbing the boy and younger girl by the throat and pushing and throwing the boy about. He sexually abused the girl, making “inappropriate and sexual comments”, having sex in front of her and making her see him naked.
She was also assaulted by him in a swimming pool in Oban, Argyll and Bute, being held against a wall, and touched by him, with him pressing his body against her. She was also made to strip and wash in front of him, was stared at while she was naked, and was touched inappropriately, before he put cream on her body.
When she was older, he continued to make inappropriate and sexual comments, stripped in front of her and made her strip. He also told her to perform sex acts on herself, tried to make her bathe with him, touched her inappropriately, tried to get her to simulate breastfeeding another child, and kissed her.
He also repeatedly sexually abused the boy, when he was aged between 10 and 13, causing the youngster to see him naked, masturbating in front of him and offering him a semen sample to view under his microscope.
Maginn also beat the boy on a number of occasions, hitting him on the head and body, leaving him injured.
CONVICTED (2022) | David John Raybone, born 2 September 1983, of Tame Court, Lichfield Street, Tamworth B79 7QD – strangled a puppy to death.
Raybone admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the eight-month-old dog, known as Reggie, after putting a belt around his neck and dragging him, causing fatal asphyxiation.
The court heard from witnesses who saw the puppy dragged along the floor with his neck pulled and extended. Reggie was left motionless and sadly later confirmed dead despite the efforts of vets.
In a written statement to the court, a veterinary surgeon said Reggie was noted to have been “behaving playfully prior to having the belt tied around his neck”.
They added: “No other pathological findings could explain the death of this animal and therefore the most likely cause of death was asphyxiation.
Following the hearing, RSPCA inspector Pamela Bird said: “It is just heartbreaking to think about how Reggie must have suffered. I’d like to thank the police for their swift and effective action when they responded to the incident and their assistance throughout my investigation, as well as the vets who did everything they could to save Reggie and the members of the public and witnesses for helping to bring this extremely upsetting case to court.”
Sentencing | 20-week custodial sentence; ordered to pay a total of £656 in costs and surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for life and a seizure order was made for a cat he owns.
CONVICTED (2022) | Shanon Davidson, born 13 November 1999, of Hatfield Square, South Shields NE33 2RD – locked a young dog in a cage and left him to starve to death.
Dog killer Shannon Davidson
RSPCA investigators found the maggot-riddled remains of bloodhound/foxhound crossbreed Milo after being tipped off by neighbours who had noticed a fly infestation and foul smell coming from Davidson’s home.
Victim Milo
Davidson had travelled to Reading for a job opportunity while the one-year-old dog lay dead in his cage.
At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Zoe Passfield told Davidson Milo’s messy death was “truly appalling” and that she “let it rot.”
Judge Passfield said: “I accept that at the time of these offenses you were struggling with your mental health and felt helpless and that the harm you caused Milo was not intentional or callous.
“However, he was a 12-month-old dog, essentially a puppy, and was completely dependent on you for food, water and veterinary care. You have not met these requirements.
“The most appalling part of your behaviour happened after he died when you walked away leaving him alone and dead in a cage until your neighbours had to call the RSPCA.
“It is truly horrific and has had a lasting impact on the experienced RSPCA officers who found him.”
RSPCA prosecutor Alex Bousfield revealed that charity staff had asked Davidson to sign Milo with them during a visit in March 2022, but she had refused. They had found the animal in good health, but in a cage indoors with no food or water.
Mr Bousfield said: “It’s a case where the dog was found dead, so clearly it’s higher damage. You may also conclude that the guilt may be higher as well. The maggots, just a routine search shows it takes six weeks for flies to lay maggots.
“The defendant has stated that the dog had died three weeks earlier, but this is clearly false. She left it at home and went on a leisure or other trip. There was food that might have been put down after the animal died.”
Davidson pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing in her duty to ensure the welfare of an animal.
Tim Gregory, defending, said Davidson did not intentionally make Milo suffer and is having her own personal crisis.
He said: “I don’t think this is a case that can be said to be groundless. It was a relatively short time. She was supposed to give up the dog in March, but she thought she could handle it.”
Sentencing | a total of 14 months in jail, suspended for 18 months; 25 days of rehabilitation; £1,080 in court costs. Banned from owning an animal for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Daniel Gilmore, born c. 1971, of 106 Pensyflog, Porthmadog LL49 9LB – goaded his dog into chasing and attacking a terrified domestic rabbit, which was then killed.
Gilmore, a traveller, was given a suspended prison sentence after releasing a white rabbit before letting a dog chase it. He then posted a video of the chase on Facebook after he had killed the rabbit.
He was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after a trial.
Prosecutor Diane Williams told the court Gilmore released the rabbit from his hand then released a dog and posted a video of the chase on the Facebook page Bedlington Whippets. She said the protected animal was “the kind of animal commonly domesticated in the British Isles and that’s a white rabbit”.
Its white pelt and shape indicated it was a domesticated rabbit and therefore protected. It was not an albino.
But Gilmore’s lawyer, Michael Strain of Strain and Company, said, said it was an “unusual set of circumstances”.
He said his client, a self-employed scrap merchant who “comes from travelling stock”, had never been in trouble in 50 years.
He said rabbits destroy hedgerows and cause other problems and can be caught legally. Farmers pay people to dispose of rabbits and keep them under control, he added.
Strain said the white rabbit in this case “may have been domesticated at one time” but escaped and was “effectively wild”. Gilmore took it from the dog and twisted its neck which was legal, he argued.
Strain added: “Mr Gilmore has not caused it unnecessary suffering. He has just done the wrong thing because the rabbit is white.
“He has not gone out to be cruel. He has not caused the rabbit any additional suffering he would normally cause a brown rabbit.”
Sentencing | 12-week jail term, suspended for 12 months. Ordered to pay £740 court costs and £128 surcharge.
