#MostEvil | Billy Wilson (aka David Butcher), born 3 November 1978, of Green Lane Travellers Site, Bishop Auckland, Durham DL14 6RS – filmed repeatedly flogging a horse until he collapses, while accomplice Mark Melvyn Walker, born c. 1981, of the travellers site in Ash Green Way, Bishop Auckland DL14 6RJ assists in the cruelty.

Billy Wilson and Mark Walker were prosecuted in relation to a disturbing incident captured on film and uploaded to Youtube.

The footage shows Bishop Auckland man Billy Wilson sitting in a trap and repeatedly flogging a horse called Marble until he falls to ihis knees in what prosecutors called “an act of wanton cruelty”.

During the incident, the clearly-distressed horse is constantly harried by a barking dog while Wilson’s co-accused, farmhand Walker is seen running back and forth in front of the horse and a third man heckles from behind the camera.

The pair pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal but chair of the bench, Jill Richardson, said the incident did not indicate prolonged neglect and refused to issue a ban on keeping animals.

Sentencing the pair, Ms Richardson said: “That video was distressing and you know you didn’t do what you should have done to protect that horse.

“It was a poor decision but there is no evidence of long term, wilful neglect or cruelty to any of your animals.”

Wilson was also sentenced in relation to four other animal welfare charges.

He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a lurcher dog by failing to have an infected wound checked; keeping ferrets in a dirty cage with a rabbit carcass and no water; keeping a lurcher in a cage covered in excrement and failing to ensure a West Highland terrier who had injuries to his mouth was protected from suffering.

Robin Ford, mitigating, said the incident with Marble had been a regrettable one-off, inspired by the heckling of his brother behind the camera.

He said Wilson – who apologised for his actions – was responsible for more than 100 horses and other animals whose welfare was not at risk.

Mitigating in relation to the other matters, Simon Walker said the ferrets had belonged to Wilson’s son, the lurcher’s injury was being treated at home and that excrement was fresh and had not been cleaned due to the 7.30am timing of the raid.

A third man, John Watson Harrop, of Green Lane caravan site, Bishop Auckland, was believed to be the man who filmed the incident and uploaded it.

He was also charged but Kevin Campbell, for the RSPCA, said the charity was dropping the case against him because he has already been banned for keeping horses as well as incurring a jail term, a further five-year animal ban and a community sentence for other animal welfare offences.

Sentencing |
Walker: 100 hours of unpaid work, 12-month community order and fines totalling £400.

Wilson: 250 hours of unpaid work with a 12-month community order and fines totalling £1,000.

Northern Echo