CONVICTED (2022) | Brendan Robert Marshall, born 13 December 2000, of 43 Donaldson Street, Hamilton ML3 0NT – left a cat to die in agony after he hurled him to the ground in a fit of rage.
Marshall screamed that “fucking cat has pissed everywhere” before he grabbed the pet by the scruff of the neck. He then launched him out of the living room into the hallway. The cat, named Shiro, let out a loud ‘miaow’ as he hit the ground but then lay ‘lifeless’ on the floor.
Callous Marshall then left Shiro lying and went to bed with his partner. But when she awoke she found the injured animal was still lying in agony and a vet was phoned. The couple went to the surgery where they were told Shiro had suffered a head injury and had high blood pressure.
Despite the best effort of the vet Shiro was put down and police were called in.
When he was charged, Marshall replied: “I’m sorry.”
Marshall admitted causing the cat unnecessary suffering in April 2022 and was banned from keeping animals for five years.
Marshall was due to face a further sentencing hearing on 26 July 2022 but the details have not yet been published.
CONVICTED (2022) | Wayne Shepherd, born c. 1981, and Kimberley Thompson, born c. 1995, both of Dividy Road, Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent ST2 0AA – left emaciated horses to starve in a frozen field.
Shepherd and Thompson were banned from keeping equines for life after one of the horses was found dead and frozen in the snow while the other was starved and neglected.
The pair were prosecuted after the young thoroughbred horses, called Mr Eddy and Mr Winston (pictured), were discovered malnourished in Slaters Lane, Werrington, on February 8, 2022.
RSPCA inspector Natalie Perehovsky visited the field following a call by a concerned member of the public.
She could see Mr Eddy – a bay coloured horse – in the distance and could tell he was thin, despite the fact she was standing at least 10 metres away.
Inspector Perehovsky said: “He seemed young and was emaciated. All his ribs were visible and his spine and hip bone were prominent.
“He had no access to any water; all he did have was a small amount of haylage on the cold floor. There was a fresh bale of hay by the gate but the horses didn’t have access to it and it was still in its grey wrapper.”
The dead body of another horse – Mr Winston – was found curled up and frozen in snow nearby.
She added: “The dead horse, Mr Winston, was a palomino. He was in a cordoned off part of the field and was laid curled up on some haylage with a blue rug on. In front of him was a bucket of food that seemed to contain some form of liquid and grains. I lifted up the rug and could clearly see his ribs and hips. He had been there for sometime and had gone into rigor mortis so it was hard to move him to get a clear look under the rug. Plus the weather was extremely cold that day, it was snowing, so he had probably also frozen overnight.”
The landowners were tracked down and told inspector Perehovsky that they rented their field to Shepherd and Thompson. Police and vets were asked to attend and both horses were seized by officers, with arrangements made for Mr Eddy to be transported to an equine veterinary clinic.
Thompson and Shepherd later arrived at the field and expressed their shock that Mr Winston had died. Shepherd said the horse had been collapsed the day before and he’d managed to get him sitting up, but he’d not called a vet and had left him where he was overnight.
He said he was going to call the vet that morning but had been waiting on an appointment. Inspector Perehovsky told him that it was now 2pm and he had still not rung one.
The horses had been fed linseed, barley, cranberry and apple juice as they had not been drinking the water, added Shepherd.
An equine vet who examined both horses gave them a body condition score of just one out of nine. He said it was his opinion that Mr Eddy had been subjected to unnecessary suffering due to a lack of good husbandry and veterinary care and that this could have been prevented if adequate feeding and regular monitoring had been provided.
Mr Eddy has made a good recovery and will now be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days. They were each fined £240, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £95 and costs of £400. Lifetime ban on owning equines.
CONVICTED (2022) | smallholders Nicholas Shearmon, born 21 July 1966,, and Diane Shearmon, born 19 July 1981, of Spiders Paddock, Rusty Lane, Seend, Melksham SN12 6NS for a string of animal cruelty charges in relation to cattle.
On November 19, 2019, officers from Wiltshire Council’s animal health team and vets from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) visited the couple’s smallholding.
They discovered three of their 12 cows had died. Many of the remaining cows were weak and in poor condition. One weakened cow became stuck in a muddy pool and had to be freed by Shearmon.
The court heard that on another visit on November 27, 2019, an animal health officer instructed the Shearmons to call a vet within 48 hours to a cow which appeared to have laboured breathing. A vet was not called and an officer from the animal health team subsequently attended the holding.
The cow was found in a collapsed state and required urgent veterinary attention. This animal was eventually euthanised by the couple’s private vet.
The offenders pleaded guilty to the following charges in court:
Causing unnecessary suffering to three cows, which at post-mortem were found to be chronically malnourished and having a lungworm infection
Causing unnecessary suffering by failing to seek veterinary attention for a cow which was anaemic, dehydrated and extremely thin
Failing to isolate ill or injured animals in appropriate accommodation
Failing to care appropriately for a cow which appeared ill or injured by failing to seek veterinary advice
Failing to protect nine cows from risks to their health by preventing access to a muddy bog/pond containing debris
Failing to report the movement of four cattle
Failing to hold three carcases in such a manner that no animal or bird had access to them
Sentencing | 100 hours of unpaid community work; ordered to pay £8,000 costs plus victim surcharge of £190. Banned from keeping, owning, dealing in or transporting cattle for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | cattle farmer Wesley Gracey, born c. 1960, of Tehillah Farm, Moss-side of Gight, Fyvie, Turriff AB53 8LY – set about a distressed cow with an electric cattle prod.
“Over-exuberant” farmer Gracey, a partner in livestock firm W&J Gracey, misused an electric cattle prod on a “stubborn” cow, who suffered multiple lesions and bruising all over her body.
Gracey used the device on both sides of the animal’s neck, her ribs. and hind quarters during a cruel incident, which lasted approximately four minutes.
The cattle farmer resorted to the unlawful action after the cow refused to leave his truck at a slaughterhouse.
Gracey had driven six cows to the Scotbeef abattoir in Inverurie, where all but one of the cattle left the transporter.
Despite attempts to “cajole” the animal after she had sat down in the truck, she would not be moved.
But in turning to the use of a cattle prod, Gracey went well beyond what is legally allowed.
Fiscal Deputy Lewis Devoy told the court that the prod can only be used on an animal’s hindquarters and only for a maximum of one-second bursts.
The animal was eventually slaughtered in situ. A post-mortem found “multiple lesions” and bruising around the shoulders, neck, back and hindquarters, as a consequence of the electric prod.
Gracey admitted a charge under the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Animal Health Act 1981, of repeatedly applying the electric prod, causing suffering.
The farmer had also faced a charge under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, of causing the cow unnecessary suffering with the prod and by repeatedly kicking it, but the Crown accepted his plea of not guilty.
A not guilty plea to a third charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner was also accepted.
Defence agent John McLeod said his client had “been a farmer for decades” adding that he buys and sells a “large volume of cattle” throughout the year. On this occasion he had been “overexuberant” in his use of the prod.
He concluded “There are half a dozen people visible in the CCTV observing all this going on, as if to suggest it’s a process not entirely unheard of.”
Wesley Gracey’s son James Gracey, a vet at the Meadows Veterinary Centre with branches in Oldmeldrum and New Deer, Aberdeenshire, has had his licence to practice suspended for six months by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). His suspension came after he was found guilty of dishonesty and animal welfare charges in relation to cows owned by his father.
Corrupt vet James Gracey
The RCVS found Gracey had signed Food Chain Information forms in relation to the cows without declaring any conflict of interest.
It was also found he had signed an emergency slaughter form stating a cow had not been administered treatment within the previous week when it had. On a separate occasion, he also signed a form stating a cow was fit for travel when it was not.
The RCVS found his conduct in relation to the proven charges risked undermining public health and animal welfare, and in relation to the emergency slaughter form his conduct was dishonest and misleading.
Gracey, who was born in Northern Ireland, lives at the Tehillah Farm, Turriff, Aberdeenshire AB53 8LY.
CONVICTED (2022) | Reece Armstrong, born 4 February 1996, of no fixed abode but originally from Guildford, with links to Stanwell, Camberley and Folkestone – lunged at a police dog with a zombie knife.
Career criminal Reece Armstrong told a police officer “I’m going to kill your dog” when they responded to an incident in Folkestone.
After swinging the blade and catching PD Blue’s collar, Armstrong fled but was located by firearms patrols in the town centre five days later.
Image source: Kent Police / Twitter
He again tried to flee but was caught with the help of a police drone and detained.
Armstrong’s “utterly abhorrent behaviour” began on the afternoon of March 23, 2022, when police responded to reports of an altercation between two men in Endrook Valley.
An officer attended the area with PD Blue and approached Armstrong at around 4.20pm.
After initially interacting well, his mood changed and he brandished a large zombie knife from his hoodie.
He became very aggressive and moved towards the officer and Blue, threatening to kill the animal.
Fearing for his safety and for Blue’s, the officer shouted at Armstrong to stop and step back. He ignored the commands and swung the knife at Blue, with the blade catching his collar.
Armstrong then fled the scene. Fortunately, Blue was not harmed.
He was arrested days later following the use of a police drone to follow his movements across town.
Following his arrest officers located the zombie knife he had used in his attack on Blue.
After being interviewed in custody and charged in relation to the offences committed, Armstrong was immediately recalled to prison for breaching the terms of his licence in relation to a separate conviction. He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on 7 July 2022.
Investigating officer PC Sophia Lateu said: “Armstrong’s behaviour was utterly abhorrent; PD Blue and his handler were extremely lucky to be able to walk away from this incident unharmed.
“Every day our officers are required to attend unpredictable, challenging and sometimes volatile situations. However, like any other job, officers should be able to perform their roles without being the subject of such disgusting and potentially dangerous actions.
“Any assaults on police officers, staff or our police dogs are completely unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to prosecute those who put their safety and the safety of other emergency workers at risk in this way.”
CONVICTED (2022) | Lee Cavanagh, born c. 2001, of Rankin Street, Poulton, Wallasey CH44 5TG – locked his “cowering” partner in a room and beat her as she tried to protect her dog from his vicious attacks.
Cavanagh flew into a rage after his girlfriend went out with her friends on Boxing Day 2021, and took it out on her by subjecting her and her pug to an assault in her own home.
After his attack on the woman he spent months threatening her, ordering her to retract statements she had made about him to the police and telling her “the beatings I’ve given you in the past are nothing compared to what you are going to get today”.
Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting, said Cavanagh’s ex had been in a relationship with him for around three years and said he was frequently abusive towards her
She went out with her friends to celebrate Boxing Day and had been unable to contact him after her phone ran out of battery.
Cavanagh knew where she was and followed her out, forcing her to come home to her flat. When they got back she realised he had smashed numerous pieces of furniture and he then began attacking her, eventually locking her and her small pug into a room with him and assaulting her for two hours.
Mr Sanderson-Kirk said the woman lay terrified in the room as she tried to stop Cavanagh from hurting the dog, which he kicked on numerous occasions.
He said: “She describes cowering on the floor while trying to protect her dog, which had already been kicked by the defendant.”
Mr Sanderson-Kirk said the woman later told police she even considered jumping out the window but decided not to because she wanted to keep her dog safe. Eventually, Cavanagh let her out into the hallway and she was able to make a run for it when he received a phone call.
The court heard she had to carry her dog for half an hour while walking barefoot and bleeding from her face in order to get to her mum’s house. She was then taken to hospital for treatment.
She didn’t immediately make a complaint to police after Cavanagh apologised to her. However, she ended the relationship shortly afterwards and he then began harassing her. She did then tell the police about Cavanagh’s attack on her, as well as other occasions when he had been abusive.
After hearing of the accusations against him, Cavanagh began to bombard the woman with messages telling her to retract her complaints. On one occasion, he followed her to a park and threatened her as she walked her dog, on another he sent her a message over Facebook telling her he was going to beat her up again.
That message, read out in court, said: “Beatings I’ve given you in the past are nothing compared to what you are going to get today, I’m going to jail anyway.”
Cavanagh was later arrested and pleaded guilty to a range of offences, including assault, harassment, criminal damage and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
He appeared for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on those charges, as well as for a separate assault on a teenager in Seacombe.
Adam Antoszkiw, defending, said Cavanagh had a “very difficult childhood” and, after being remanded in custody, was now trying to turn his life around so he didn’t offend again.
Sentencing | jailed for a total of 28 months. A restraining order prevents him from contacting his ex girlfriend for ten years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Mark Agyeman-Anan, born c. 1995, previously of Elfrida Crescent, Catford, Lewisham, London SE6 3EL but with links to Portslade, Hove and now said to be living in Hastings – left three dogs with no access to water in a hot vehicle.
Mark Agyeman-Anan pictured leaving court. Source: Brighton and Hove News.
In September 2012 Mark Agyeman-Anan’s mother, Deborah Yeboah-Adjei, was given a 10-year ban on owning animals after letting nine dogs and puppies fight each other in the faeces-strewn family home.
Yeboah-Adjei, who has since died, told the court the dogs belonged to her son, but she took all the blame and Ageyman-Anan faced no punishment.
Two of the injured dogs rescued from Mark Agyeman-Anan’s family home in Lewisham in 2012.
The dogs were covered in wounds, scars and mange, One wounded dog had been tied to a radiator and was helpless as he was attacked by others. Another dog was found with multiple bites to the face.
Ten years later, Mark Agyeman-Anan has been banned from keeping dogs for five years after leaving bull terrier-type dogs Prince, Dior and Caramel unattended for two hours in a van in Portslad on a hot summer day.
Agyeman-Anan had denied three charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs but was found guilty after a trial.
He had left them in the van without access to water and failed to check on their welfare.
A fourth charge of possessing a dangerous dog was dismissed after expert evidence that Caramel is not a pit bull terrier. The ruling means she will not now face being destroyed.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and five rehabilitation days. £10,000 compensation. Five-year ban on keeping dogs (expires July 2027).
CONVICTED (2022) | Donna Breen, 43, of Nimmo Place, Perth PHL – failed to give her two horses a proper diet and didn’t seek veterinary treatment when they became ill.
One of Breen’s horses, Destiny, had to be put to sleep after she was found in a skeletal state. She fell seriously ill after being left to eat deadly dry sugar beet.
Both horses were in Breen’s care at her then home at Wester Sunnyside, near Methven.
Scottish SPCA inspectors found another emaciated horse, Farrah, starving in the same field.
Breen admitted causing both horses unnecessary suffering. She admitted that throughout most of November and December 2019 she caused Destiny and Farrah to suffer “by act or omission”.
The court heard SSPCA Inspector Katherine Aitchison received a complaint on December 20, 2019, about a horse that had recently died “due to malnutrition” in Perthshire.
Ms Aitchison was told there was a second horse was in a poor condition. Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told the court that Ms Aitchison visited the surviving horse and was met by Breen’s neighbour Philip Rolfe.
“Mr Rolfe explained to Ms Aitchison that he and his wife, Sarah-Jane, had been approached on December 18 by the Breen family for assistance with their horse, Destiny, after it had gorged on unsoaked sugar beet,” said Ms Wilkinson.
“Mr Rolfe went on to explain that when he had seen how thin the two horses were – and the froth coming from Destiny’s mouth and nostrils – he immediately recognised both horses required veterinary treatment.
“However, he alleges that Ms Breen claimed she could not afford to do this, so Mr Rolfe called Tay Valley Vets for assistance.”
Surviving horse Farrah was also found in a skeletal condition with all of her ribs visible.
Breen agreed to have the horses relocated to Mr Rolfe’s property for care and treatment.
Ms Wilkinson said: “Mr Rolfe went on to explain that Destiny had to be humanely destroyed by Tay Valley Vets on December 19, and had the carcass removed the following day.”
The court heard Ms Aitchison was shown surviving horse, Farrah.
“She noted that the horse was far below an acceptable weight of a horse for her size, age and breed,” said the prosecutor.
“However, she did not fully appreciate how thing the horse was until she physically touched the horse, as her dull winter coat hid the extent of the weight loss.
“Ms Aitchison said she could feel all of the horse’s ribs, her spine was visually prominent and her hips protruding from her side.”
A vet ruled that there was “no medical reason” for Farrah’s weight loss but said the most likely factor was a “lack of appropriate quantities of feed”.
The vet’s report adds: “Farrah’s condition could easily be recognised by a horse owner or a member of the public with no equine knowledge.”
Farrah was taken to an SSPCA facility and has since been passed to a horse welfare charity.
The court heard Destiny fell ill after breaking into the feed store at Breen’s home and eating dry sugar beet.
Vets stated she had a condition known as choke – a dry mass of sugar beet was stuck in her oesophagus causing her distress and preventing her from eating and drinking.
Destiny was about 100kg underweight, the report stated.
“The decision was made to euthanise Destiny as her prognosis was hopeless,” the vet’s report stated.
“Her condition could have been improved by proper nutrition or seeking appropriate veterinary advice and this would have prevented unnecessary suffering.
“However, veterinary treatment or advice or help from anyone else was sought, so I would consider Destiny to have suffered unnecessarily for at least four weeks but in my opinion mostly likely longer.”
Farrah was taken to an SSPCA facility and has since been passed to a horse welfare charity.
During police interview, Breen said she had owned Destiny for five months, while her young daughter had owned Farrah for a year. She told investigators: “If they were sick, I’d call the vet.”
Later, when told she was being charged with animal neglect Breen told Ms Aitchison: “But it wasn’t me that killed her.
“It was the vet that put water down her throat on top of dry food. The neighbour gave rubbish food advice.”
Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, told the court Breen had coping difficulties.
“She doesn’t show emotion and she keeps things bottled up all the time.
“She describes herself as simple, and she has difficulty understanding a number of concepts.”
He added: “She accepts this is a serious matter which will cause distress to many people.”
Sentencing | 18-month supervision order. Banned from owning animals indefinitely but can appeal after three years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Michelle Cunliffe, born 12 March 1976, of Ingram Gardens, Leeds LS11 9SA – left her paralysed cat in agony in a nearby bin store.
Felix
Felix was found in a bin store near to Cunliffe’s former home at Stanley Road in Leeds after RSPCA inspectors Kris Walker and Nikki Cheetham paid a visit on the morning of September 15, 2021.
The charity attended after a member of the public raised concerns for the cat’s welfare.
A check of the animal’s microchip revealed Cunliffe lived close by. The owner admitted to Inspector Walker the black female cat, known as Felix, was not receiving veterinary care.
In a witness statement, Inspector Walker said: “She said that Felix had a fit almost a week previously and was off her back legs. She said she’d left her home on September 12 and hadn’t been seen since.”
Inspector Cheetham stated: “The cat was very cold, her fur was wet and she was unable to stand. It was clear that she had no use of her back limbs and she was very vocal when touched as if in pain.
“Cunliffe made us aware that the cat was registered at the PDSA vet charity, which was a short distance from the address. But she had not sought any advice from its staff on the cat’s condition.”
An expert report by a veterinary surgeon stated the cat, who was underweight, was unable to use her pelvic limbs with no reflexes or pulses detected.
The court was told that Cunliffe “realised she could have done more”. She had been “very fond of her cat, but had other priorities that day”, it was said.
The cat was eventually put to sleep because of her poor condition.
Sentencing | two-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity days; ordered to pay £295 in fine, costs and charges. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | Leeann Baird, born 8 August 1990, of 12 Cameron Place, Kincardine, Alloa FK10 4RD – banned from owning animals for ONE YEAR after she allowed her dog to become emaciated and malnourished
Baird pleaded guilty to failing to provide adequate nutrition or veterinary treatment for a seven-year-old whippet named Preston.
Scottish SPCA officers visited the house on April 23, 2021, after receiving reports of a neglected dog . Another person answered the door and initially denied having any dogs at the time.
However Preston was found inside in an emaciated condition and overgrown nails. His coat was dry and flaky.
Animal welfare officers seized the dog and took him to a vet where it was found that he weighed just 10.7kg. He ate ravenously when offered food.
It was estimated he had been caused unnecessary suffering for at least 28 days but most likely longer, through malnutrition. Blood tests revealed there were no underlying health conditions that could have caused this.
Baird claimed she had considered seeking treatment for Preston but could not afford it.
Scottish SPCA inspector Mairi Wright said: “We are pleased that Baird was handed a £200 fine and ban.
“Baird was responsible for the welfare of Preston and sadly his needs were not met.
“We understand that veterinary costs can become a worry, but ignoring Preston’s condition was not the way to handle the situation and caused him an unnecessary amount of suffering.
“We are glad that Preston finally received the treatment he needed and is now in a loving home getting the care he deserves.”
Sentencing | £200 fine and a woeful one-year ban (expires July 2023).
