CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeders Leanne Brookshaw née Griffiths, born c. 1990, and Jonathan Marc Brookshaw, born July 1986, of Bebington Road, Birkenhead, Wirral – left a dog to starve to death in an empty flat.

Bulldog Coco starved to death after her owners, newly married couple Leanne and Jon Brookshaw moved out of their flat in Dorset Gardens, Birkenhead, leaving her behind. A police officer attending the filthy property found the dog’s remains and alerted the RSPCA.

Prosecutor Peter Mitchell told the court: “[the officer] saw the flat was in a total state, with dog faeces on the floor and no sign of any food or water for the dog.”

RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes visited the scene. He reported an “overwhelming smell of decomposition, faeces and urine”, and saw the body of the black-and-tan dog.

Faeces and dried diarrhoea were on the floor of the flat, and Inspector Joynes saw there was no food and several dry, empty water bowls.

The flat was registered to Leanne Brookshaw in her maiden name of Leanne Griffiths and Inspector Joynes met with her and husband, Jon Brookshaw.

Jon Brookshaw immediately said: “What’s going on, how is she, is she dead? I’ll kill him”, referring to his wife’s brother Kyle Stephen Moore, who was also prosecuted in relation to Coco’s death.

It was confirmed the couple were responsible for the dog, but Leanne Brookshaw said she had been paying Moore to care for her.

When questioned, Leanne Brookshaw said: “We’ve been struggling yeah, I was there three or four days ago, she was skinny but she was alive.

“She couldn’t come with us because she was shitting and pissing everywhere.”

During formal interview, the mother-of-three said she had been given the dog on breeding terms months earlier, but admitted it may have been more than five days since she last checked on the dog.

She said she and her husband hadn’t taken Coco with them because she would be attacked by their other dog, Molly.

She said she had visited Dorset Gardens since moving, and saw water and biscuits but agreed the “place was a shithole”.

She agreed last time she checked on the animal, the dog was skinnier and had lost weight. She described the animal as having access to water but no food, and acting lethargic and weaker than usual.

She also said the dog had diarrhoea but she “thought it just needed feeding more”, before admitting the bulldog did eat when fed.

On May 17, 2022, Jon Brookshaw was formally interviewed. and said he visited Dorset Gardens when the body had been found but admitted that was the first time in months he had done so.

He moved out of the property in November 2021, and his wife moved March 2022. The dog had been left at the property for two months. He said his dog Molly was protective and this was the reason they couldn’t bring Coco with them.

Malcolm Gregg, defending, said: “The thought of them being sentenced to imprisonment horrifies them and terrifies them.”

“Clearly Coco was taken into their care for breeding.

“Clearly they should have taken proper care of Coco.

“All are equally culpable for the distress and suffering to the poor animal.”

Regarding Leanne Brookshaw, Mr Mitchell said: “She is very sorry, she does express deep remorse and she does have empathy for the loss of Coco. She does try her best but has clearly failed immensely in Coco’s welfare.”

He explained she was caring for her ill father at the time, including visiting him in hospital.

Similarly, Mr Mitchell said Jon Brookshaw was “extremely devastated by the impact of what has happened in this case”, and was “ashamed and embarrassed”.

Jon Brookshaw’s dog Molly was found to have a skin condition, but has now been safely rehomed.

Sentencing | 18 weeks; imprisonment each, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work each; rehabilitation activity requirement; a total of £628 in costs and surcharge. A FIVE-year ban on owning an animal (expires January 2028).

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Kyle Stephen Moore of Oldfield Road, Ellesmere Port, was charged and pleaded guilty to the same charges. Details of his sentencing here.

Liverpool Echo