CONVICTED (2023) | repeat offender Nigel John Foster, born May 1967, of 6 Whiterock Road, Killinchy, Newtownards BT23 6PR – for cruelty to pigs found in appalling conditions.
Nigel Foster, who owns a farm in Drumcaw Road, Clough, Downpatrick, admitted 10 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and one charge of failing to dispose of animal carcasses in November 2019.
The court heard that inspectors found approximately 70 animals on the farm. Some were dead, others were “profoundly emaciated” and three were in such bad condition that they had to be euthanised.
Some of the live animals were feeding on the carcases of the dead pigs. Many of the pigs had no access to food while others were being fed flour. None of the animals, which were kept in pens, had access to bedding material or dry, lined areas.
Leaking pipes meant there was a build-up of water faeces.
When Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) inspectors contacted Foster, he claimed the animals were suffering from disease so he couldn’t sell them for fear of it spreading.
Foster further claimed to the inspectors that the pigs were under veterinary treatment.
Foster was ordered to dispose of the carcasses but they were still there a week later when inspectors returned.
The court was told that Foster was suffering from a broken left foot at the time of the latest offences, and told inspectors he had “made alternative arrangements” for the animals’ care.
During an earlier hearing the court heard that Nigel Foster was a declared bankrupt and he and his wife were facing having their home repossessed.
Imprisoning Foster, Judge Gordon Kerr KC said the offences amounted to a “very bad case” of animal suffering.
“The scene, as described, is absolutely appalling. No animals should be kept in this condition and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour,” said the judge, revealing that it was the third time Foster had been in court for animal welfare offences.
Sentencing | jailed for seven and a half months with the same period on licence; compensation order for £7,500. Banned from keeping animals for seven years (expires 2030).
In December 2006 Nigel Foster received a two-month suspended sentence and was fined £1,400 after he was convicted over cruelty to sows and piglets.
He was banned from keeping livestock for two years and received a two-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.
Foster was convicted of permitting unnecessary suffering to a sow and permitting unnecessary pain or distress to five piglets.
He was also convicted on three counts of failing to provide access to an adequate water supply, two of failing to provide access to a well-maintained lying area with dry bedding and one count of failing to provide pigs with a wholesome diet.
CONVICTED (2023) | David Fryers, born c. 1964, of Seagoe Road, Portadown, Craigavon BT63 5HW – for the chronic neglect of two dogs kept in filthy conditions.
One of two neglected dogs found in squalor at the home of alleged paedophile* David Fryers.
David Fryers, aka Robert Fryers, was fined and given a one-year ban after the unnamed dogs were found at his home in a neglected state and living in filth.
Fryers was investigated by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in November 2020 after they received a complaint about the welfare of his two dogs.
A council Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) visited Fryers’ home on several occasions and also wrote to him, but he failed to make contact.
The AWO therefore obtained a warrant and, accompanied by police officers and a vet, forced entry to the property.
The two dogs were found in the kitchen in extremely poor and filthy conditions. The floor was soiled and there was an overpowering smell of dog faeces and urine throughout the property.
The outdoor area was littered with faecal matter and a pile of wood with exposed nails was considered to pose a risk of injury to both animals.
Veterinary examination showed that both dogs had overgrown and unkempt coats, skin lesions and overgrown nails indicating chronic neglect and lack of exercise.
They were taken into council care and successfully rehomed in October 2021.
In court, Fryers pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and failing to ensure the welfare of two dogs in his care.
Sentencing | fined £200 and ordered to pay a further £157 in legal and court fees including a £15 offender’s levy. ONE-year ban (expires February 2024).
CONVICTED (2023) | Abby Mulhearn, age unknown, of Bank Square, Southport PR9 0DG – left her dog in agony with untreated skin and ear infections.
Mother-of-two Abby Mulhearn was prosecuted by the RSPCA in relation to Staffordshire bull terrier Luna after she failed to follow their advice to seek veterinary treatment for the dog’s painful ear and skin infection. The charity even gave Mulhearn a voucher to cover part of the cost. But on a return visit inspector Leanne Cooper found Luna “yelping and screaming” in agony after scratching herself sore.
In a statement to the court, inspector Cooper said she attended Mulhearn’s flat on March 30, 2022 to investigate a report of a dog with sore ears. She found that Luna’s ears were thickened and dirty and in need of urgent veterinary treatment. Mulhearn told the inspector she would take her to the vets herself.
Inspector Cooper said: “She told me that she didn’t get her money for another nine days, so I agreed to give her a welfare voucher covering £50 of veterinary costs to help get Luna seen as soon as possible and I issued her with a warning notice advising that was done by April 4.”
On a return visit, Mulhearn told inspector Cooper she had booked Luna in to see the vet the following week. But after assessing the dog’s condition, the inspector took her to Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for treatment.
The inspector said she thought the dog had lost weight and added: “I could hear Luna yelping and screaming before I had even entered the flat. She had scratched herself sore around her ears and the ears looked inflamed inside, while she also had sore pink-coloured front paws.”
A vet’s expert report stated that both Luna’s left and right ears were ulcerated and there was lichenification, a thickening which is the sign of a chronic disease. The ear canals were narrowed and there was a dark discharge in both ears and the vet said the dog was in pain.
The vet concluded that Luna had been suffering for at least two weeks and added that she “had developed irreversible changes in her skin and ears, which leads to chronic skin and ear disease for the rest of her life. This may or may not be possible to manage medically, but she may require major ear surgery.”
Luna received ectoparasite and corticosteroids treatments, but her condition did not improve and her overall health deteriorated. Sadly a vet made the difficult decision to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
In mitigation, the court was told that Mulhearn was unemployed and had just separated from her partner.
Mulhearn pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Luna by failing to seek veterinary advice under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and received a suspended prison sentence.
Speaking after the sentencing, inspector Cooper said: “Luna’s owner should have got vet treatment for her at the first signs of illness. The dog had ongoing issues with her skin and we tried to work with the defendant by giving her time to get Luna to a vet.”
Sentencing | 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for two years; a total of £654 in costs and victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expires February 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Aaron Johnson born c. 1985, of Buckingham Grove, Kingswinford, Dudley DY6, and Emma Bayliss, born c. 1986, of Flavells Lane, Lower Dornall, Dudley DY3 – abandoned their home, leaving behind snakes, tortoises, spiders and fish.
Liars: Aaron Johnson and Emma Baylis claimed to visit the animals in their former home but RSPCA inspectors established there was at least a two-week period when no-one entered, due to unbroken seals they had placed on the doors.
Emma Bayliss and partner Aaron Johnson claimed they fled the property at Buckingham Grove, Kingswinford after receiving death threats.
The couple told RSPCA inspectors they returned to the property every other day to check on the animals, which they described as being like their “children”. But they were caught out lying when the RSPCA placed seals on their doors, which were unbroken for two weeks.
Two Royal Python snakes rescued from the property had untreated medical conditions with one of the reptiles having a mouth infection while the other was unable to shed its skin.
Pictures taken at the property where animals were left to their fate by their heartless owners show animal tanks piled on top of each other
Elle-May Macey, defending, told the court both Bayliss and Johnson had a number of mental health issues which impacted their “consequential thinking”.
She said: “They stated they returned at least two times a week.
“The reason they left was not out of choice it was a case of them receiving threats to kill them, their house to be petrol bombed, Mr Johnson’s throat to be slit and Ms Bayliss’ uterus to be shoved down it.
“They had reported it to the police and had taken necessary steps however as the police were unhelpful they felt like they were really unsafe.
“They went to stay with the defendant’s sister.
“In the time they had been attending, they were concerned about the welfare of the snakes, they were their children in some regards.
“But in those moments they had been at the home they were being threatened.
“They were doing the necessary changing of water, cleaning out the enclosures and making sure the electricity was still on.”
She added that the couple did not notice any issues with the snakes due to the “urgency” of the circumstances when they returned.
Ms Macey also told the court that wounds on the snakes were already present after the defendants had purchased them from someone online, who had found them in a bin.
Baylis and Johnson each admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation activity; £334 in fine, costs and surcharge. 10-year ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2023) | Jamie Straugheir (aka Jamie-Lee Straugheir), born 17 March 2022, of Victoria Road, Darlington but with strong links to Ipswich and Felixstowe in Suffolk – bit the head off a live hamster.
Straugheir admitted biting the head off a domestic pet hamster on Christmas Eve 2022.
He also pleaded guilty to charges of failing to surrender to police and failing to appear in court when he was expected on February 6, 2023.
Sentencing | 26 weeks’ imprisonment. Disqualified from owning, keeping or participating in keeping pets for a period of 10 years but may apply for the order to be terminated as early as 2028.
CONVICTED (2023) | Louis Mason, born 27 May 2004, of 10 Coppice Wood Crescent, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7LG – battered a guinea pig to death.
Mason admitted inflicting blunt force trauma on a white and tan guinea pig known as Bun Bun, causing the animal to suffer extensive fatal injuries.
The incident took place at Eliot Grove in Guiseley, Leeds, on March 17, 2022.
The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA.
Sentencing | 50 hours of unpaid work; 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days; supervision; £195 towards the RSPCA’s costs of £3,000 plus victim surcharge. Banned from owning any animal for life.
CONVICTED (2023) | Henry Lee Dearsley, born June 1986, of Old School Close, Spring Road, St Osyth, Clacton-on-Sea CO16 8QW – launched a vicious attack on his girlfriend’s chihuahua in an act of jealousy.
Pathetic thug Henry Dearsley beat the dog, called Boris, after becoming jealous of the attention his girlfriend gave the chihuahua. The brutal attack on Boris, which continued even after the dog fell unconscious, left him with missing teeth and irreversible brain damage. At one point Dearsley even forced a twig down the terrified dog’s throat.
Tragically the dog’s injuries were so severe he had to be put to sleep.
Lauren Bond, prosecuting, said Dearsley’s partner woke up on the morning of April 3, 2022, and found her dog “floppy but alive”.
“She picked it up and its eyes were bulging, it had loose teeth and there was blood coming through the mouth,” said Ms Bond.
The prosecutor said blood was found on the carpet, on the sofa, on wet wipes in the bin and on Dearsley’s clothes.
She continued: “Mr Dearsley would get jealous of the dog if [his girlfriend] paid it attention and he would throw it off the sofa.”
The court heard the dog was taken to the vets and euthanised due to the brain and head injuries he had suffered.
A post mortem examination showed evidence of Boris struggling in a fight and suffering a torn liver, with at least five incidents of sustained blunt force trauma.
A report read to the court said the dog would have been in “fear, distress and pain for several minutes, possibly longer,” as the attack was carried out.
Dearsley admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to protect its welfare.
Selena Dines, mitigating, said Dearsley was struggling with his mental health at the time and had not realised the impact self-medicating with cannabis was having on him.
But Judge Christopher Williams said he felt the defendant must serve time behind bars.
He said: “You did cause completely unnecessary suffering. You acted out of jealousy towards the dog.
“It was particularly nasty and evil what you did.
“Boris suffered sustained and relentless violence.”
Sentencing | Jailed for one year. Banned from owning any animal for ten years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Sam Hussain, born c. 1951, of The Tanglewoods, Bridge Close, Airmyn, Goole DN14 8SA – for the cruel mistreatment of two terminally ill German Shepherds.
Tina (pictured) and another dog called Tyson were both put to sleep to end their pain and suffering at the hands of despicable Sam Hussain from Goole, Yorkshire
Vile pensioner Sam Hussain was disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years after his disgusting treatment of two German Shepherds led to them being put to sleep.
He admitted failing to get veterinary treatment for the dogs’ long-standing painful medical conditions and failing to meet the needs of one of the dogs.
RSPCA visited Hussain’s premises in January 2022 and found the poorly dogs – a female named Tina and elderly male called Tyson – living in filthy, hazardous and inadequate conditions.
Tyson (pictured) and Tina had a miserable life filled with pain and suffering while in the care of Sam Hussain
Tyson was found in a dilapidated outbuilding with no doors, filled with old machinery, tools, cars and scrap. He was tethered to a metal pillar with a chain and was curled up in a ball on a pile of rubble.
Tina had a thick matted coat and was very smelly. She was losing lots of hair but the hair on her back was matted and clumped. She was inappropriately tethered with a heavy chain and had only a 7ft circular area to walk in.
Hussain would only agree to signing over Tyson to the RSPCA initially.
Veterinary examination of Tyson uncovered an untreated and painful tumour along with other debilitating medical conditions. Very sadly it was decided to euthanise him to end his obvious suffering.
Tina was also found to have an untreated painful tumour. After Hussain finally agreed to sign her over to the RSPCA she was also put to sleep on humane grounds.
RSPCA deputy chief inspector Claire Mitchell said: “It was this individual’s legal responsibility to care for his dogs and he failed to do this. There was no excuse for not providing those two poor dogs with their basic needs and failing to seek veterinary care for them when it was abundantly clear that they so desperately needed it.
“These were tragic cases and simply shouldn’t have happened. The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their pet to ask for help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”
Inspector Mitchell added: “In my opinion both dogs were living in bare, desolate conditions which were wholly inappropriate for them, especially taking into consideration their age.”
Sentencing | 24 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months; ordered to pay £800 in costs (£400 for each dog) and £128 victim surcharge. A 10-year ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2023) | professional dog-sitter Janine Maloney, aka Janine Malone, born 27 May 1974, of Maesteg Road, Tondu, Bridgend CF32 0DP – caused the deaths of two dogs in her care by leaving them in a hot vehicle.
Maloney, owner of Pet Patrol Club, left four-year-old French bulldogs Lila and Phab in her car, believed to be a Kia Sorento, where they died from heat stroke or heat stress.
The two dogs died in temperatures of between 16C and 22C.
In a statement from the RSPCA, deputy chief inspector Gemma Black said she met with the owner of the two dogs who was “very emotional about what had happened.”
Janine Maloney caused the death of Lila and Phab by leaving them in her car for hours without water and closed windows on a hot sunny day
DCI Black added: “She (the owner) told me that Ms Maloney had returned to her address on Sunday 5 September 2021 with the dogs dead.
“She told me that Ms Maloney claimed to have left them in the car during the Sunday, during hot weather and she believed this was how they died.”
On the day, temperatures ranged between 16C at 10am and 22C at 5pm, with the dogs dying sometime during that timeframe.
The dogs had been left in the car without water or air conditioning and without any windows left open.
In written evidence, a vet said they believed the dogs “have been caused to suffer” and their needs “have not been met to the extent required by good practice”.
The evidence described how the two dogs had been left in the car without any access to water, with no windows open or air conditioning.
The statement added: “The post mortem evidence showed that both dogs were found to have pathology changes consistent with having died via a mechanism of heat stroke/stress, having a number of haemorrhagic areas in the body.
“Both dogs were French Bulldogs having a shortened nose anatomy (brachycephalic) that had also been affected by Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). They were also both overweight which likely contributed to their susceptibility to heat stress.
“Undoubtedly the two dogs would have suffered as a consequence of excessive heat in the car under the circumstances of an external environmental temperature above 20C, poor ventilation and no access to water.
“Suffering will have been experienced by these two dogs via a mechanism of escalating respiratory distress and an inability to effectively dissipate body heat.”
In court, Maloney pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs and failing to meet their needs.
The court heard she has since closed the business.
The District Judge said there was a “blatant lack of care” on the part of Maloney who had done nothing on the day and did not check on the dogs.
Speaking after sentencing DCI Black, said: “I would like to thank my colleagues, inspector Julie Fadden and deputy chief inspector Gemma Cooper, for their work on this heart-breaking case – and all of our thoughts go out to the owner of Lila and Phab.
“We hope this tragic case reminds people that the risk to the lives of animals is so high.
“Our message is simple: never leave a dog in a hot car – ‘not long’ is too long, and if you see a dog in a hot car, call 999 immediately.”
Sentencing | 16-week suspended prison sentence; 15 day Rehabilitation Activity requirement; six month alcohol programme; £500 in costs and £500 compensation to the dog owner. Disqualified from keeping dogs for five years.
Maloney appeared again at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on February 20, 2024, after she pleaded guilty to breaching a ban between May and July 2023 and again in December 2023.
The RSPCA, prosecuting, told the court it had obtained evidence that Maloney was breaching her ban by owning a dog and was also caring for other people’s dogs.
Maloney, now of Bridgend Road, Aberkenfig, received 18 weeks’ custody and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154. An order was put in place for her dog Badger to be rehomed within 14 days. She is also banned from keeping dogs from February 6, 2023.
Bridgend woman jailed for 18 weeks after breaching disqualification order
RSPCA obtained evidence showing she had dogs in her care
A Bridgend woman has been jailed after she admitted breaching a disqualification order where she had been banned from keeping dogs for five years.
Janine Maloney (d.o.b 27/05/1974) of Bridgend Road, Aberkenfig, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 20 February after previously pleading guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act on 15 December 2023.
The first offence related to a breach of ban between 21 May and 6 July 2023 – the second offence related to a further breach on 9 December 2023. The court heard that the RSPCA obtained evidence that she was breaching her ban by owning a dog and was also caring for other people’s dogs.
Maloney was seen having a dog with her whilst having a meeting, she was seen accepting two dogs and all their belongings from a third party before driving off with them in her car, and was seen walking a dog believed to be hers from a car to a flat.
Maloney was handed a disqualification order in respect to dogs for five years by Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on 6 February 2023.
She was also handed a suspended sentence order back in 2023, which at the sentencing hearing on 20 February, was activated in part, which resulted in Maloney having a 12 week custodial sentence imposed.
She was also sentenced to a further four weeks custody – to run consecutively for the first offence – and another two weeks custody for the second offence. Therefore the total custodial sentence was 18 weeks.
Maloney was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 and an order for her dog Badger was made depriving her ownership. A family friend was appointed to rehome Badger within 14 days.
In addition, a new disqualification order banning her from keeping dogs for five years was imposed, with the time to contest the order made at three years.
In mitigation it was heard that she had a dependence on dogs for emotional support which has developed over years and there was no actual harm caused in the two breach cases. The court heard that she now understands the order.
In sentencing, the judge in the case said: “My view is this is a flagrant and deliberate breach where you have chosen to deliberately ignore the order. Your offending continued even after a summons was served upon you.”
RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Gemma Cooper said: “We’d like to thank those who helped us in our investigations.
“It is important to reiterate to the public that we rely on them to tell us if someone has breached a ban. We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and we take breaches of bans very seriously – as do the courts.”
Additional Information
On 28 February 2024 – the same day that Janine Maloney was finally put behind bars – Steph Pendleton, the owner of Lila and Phab, wrote the following post on Facebook alleging that the prosecution case against Maloney was essentially the tip of the iceberg.
She said: “The RSPCA press release about JM [Janine Maloney] today can only report the overview and custodial sentence. There is a much wider picture here.
“My girls were never coming home but I knew this woman was a danger to families and pets. It was about doing the right thing:: justice, protection, prevention and awareness.
“She has never shown any remorse, quite the opposite, and we were subject to indirect and direct bullying, intimidation and harassment in order to drop the case.
“She is a master at manipulation and lying.
“I shall answer below the most asked questions.
JM s elderly mother who she blamed for the death of my dogs is safe and being well looked after now as JM was her carer.
The death of my girls was no accident. They suffered as the autopsies showed. The cruelty and neglect started as soon as they were put into her care under the trading name of Pet Patrol. In reality they were kept where the other animals were rescued from.
She pleaded guilty to 2 offences under the Animal Welfare Act,the evidence was overwhelming remember.
Obtaining animals by deception has been done under Jo Byrne, one of the names she uses.
One parrot a family had possessed for 35 years and they had been searching for her for months.
Polly was rescued from JMs home traumatised and hungry. She sleeps a lot at the mo but shes home now.🤞for her recovery.
When she started a new company Move my Horse using the name Jo Byrne the calls started to come in: – obtaining money and not turning up – childs pony injured – driving while under the influence etc etc.
Defra and the police have ongoing criminal investigations.
She continued to flout the law, working and keeping dogs, contrary to probation conditions.
She claimed at her last court appearance to have one dog still in her care which breached her conditions. But on Friday after a call by the family friend to the RSPCA they were asked to rescue her other animals!! ?? What animals ?
At her home in terrible filthy conditions, floors, walls, you could barely breath were 8 dogs, sliders and a parrot in various conditions. Starving and thirsty of course.
They then had to rescue her horses and sheep.
Gemma Cooper of the RSPCA has worked tirelessly to ensure that justice mattered for the girls and that other animals have been protected.
You also have other families and pets that have been affected by her actions but its not for me to name them but to thank our community for doing the right thing 👍
I’m sure she will return to her old ways and use another name when released from prison. She does not care about anyone, anything or the law so we need to make people aware of her.”
CONVICTED (2023) | Cherry Nesbitt (née Cherry McGaughey), born 8 September (tbc), of Orangefield Crescent, Armagh BT60 1DS – sold an emaciated pony so unwell he had to be immediately euthanised.
Nesbitt, a mother-of-three, was found guilty in her absence of causing unnecessary suffering to the unnamed white pony.
The pony was kept by Nesbitt at Barkston Livery Yard in Cloghramer Road, Newry, but became unwell. Nesbitt failed to provide the animal with veterinary care and sold him to a new owner.
When the new owner went to collect the pony they found him to be severely emaciated and unable to stand. A vet attended and euthanised the pony on welfare grounds.
The court heard that Nesbitt provided the animal with over the counter medication some months earlier, but failed to have him assessed by a vet when he became poorly. Furthermore, she refused to co-operate with investigations by the local authority’s Animal Welfare officer.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £567.00 in fine, costs and surcharge. Two-year disqualification order (expires February 2025).
