Category Archives: County Antrim

Animal Abandonment, County Antrim, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Serial Animal Abusers, Starvation / Malnutrition, Unfit Living Conditions

Antrim, County Antrim: Aleshia McLaverty & Jason Gallagher

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Two adults standing outside a building, each holding a child whose face is pixelated. Both adults are dressed in casual formal clothing.
Serial animal abuser Aleshia McLaverty with boyfriend Jason Gallagher — photographed together years before a terrier was found starving, dehydrated and living in squalor inside their home.

Case Summary

In September 2026, Aleshia McLaverty — previously convicted in 2015 for abandoning a five‑month‑old puppy whose starved, maggot‑infested body was found hanging from blinds — returned to court after another dog was discovered living in filthy, faeces‑strewn conditions with no access to water and a body condition score of 1/5.

A small dog with light brown fur standing on a dirty carpet covered in debris and torn material. A stained mattress is visible in the background.
The terrier-cross inside the property — surrounded by debris, filth and torn material. Officers confirmed he had no access to water.

The terrier‑cross, severely underweight at 6.9kg, was seized by officers from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and gained more than a kilo shortly afterwards.

Deputy District Judge Austin Kennedy described the room the dog was kept in as “quite simply, appalling” and the treatment of the animal as “disgraceful.”

McLaverty and co‑defendant Jason Gallagher pleaded guilty to dog welfare offences.

Offender Overview

Aleshia Frances McLaverty

McLaverty standing inside a church, while holding a child with a pixelated face. Candles and floral arrangements are visible behind them.
  • Born: 10 January 1992
  • Age at 2026 Conviction: 34
  • Last Known Address: Islandbawn Drive, Antrim BT41 1JE
  • Occupation: Unknown
  • Previous Convictions:
    • 2015: Convicted of animal cruelty after abandoning puppy Sam, who died of dehydration and starvation; found hanging from blind cords.
    • Received a 2‑month suspended sentence and 5‑year ban (expired 2020).
  • Additional Information: Reoffended within six years of ban expiry; repeated pattern of neglect involving starvation, dehydration, and confinement in filthy conditions.

Jason Gallagher

  • Address: Islandbawn Drive, Antrim BT41 1JE
  • Offending Role: Failed to ensure the terrier’s welfare; co‑resident at the property.

Incident Details

Police reported concerns after seeing a dog living in dirty conditions and appearing underweight. Council Animal Welfare Officers attended the property the same day and found:

  • A wheaten‑coloured terrier‑cross, approx. one year old
  • Severely underweight at 6.9kg
  • Body condition score 1/5
  • Overgrown nails
  • Bedding and floor strewn with faeces
  • No access to water
  • Property had been superficially cleaned before officers arrived, but police body‑worn footage showed the true conditions
A cluttered, dirty bedroom with rubbish, food containers and debris scattered across the floor. A bare mattress sits against the wall and the room appears severely neglected.
The squalid room where the terrier was kept — faeces, rubbish, food waste and a bare mattress. Officers said the conditions were “appalling”.

The Council vet certified the dog as suffering due to malnutrition, inadequate environment, and unsanitary conditions.

A small wet dog standing in a stainless steel sink while two people wash him. The dog wears a red collar and looks alert.
The terrier-cross was underweight, dehydrated, and suffering, but finally safe.

After seizure, the dog gained over a kilo in a short period and has since been successfully rehomed.

Sentence

Antrim Magistrates’ Court — 11 September 2026

Jason Gallagher

  • 2‑month custodial sentence, suspended for 2 years
  • 5‑year disqualification from owning/keeping animals (expires September 2031)
  • £300 fine
  • £250 legal costs
  • £45 court costs
  • £150 veterinary costs

Aleshia McLaverty

  • 5‑month custodial sentence, suspended for 2 years
  • 5‑year disqualification from owning/keeping animals (expires September 2031)
  • £500 fine
  • £250 legal costs
  • £45 court costs
  • £150 veterinary costs

Mitigation: Guilty pleas

Judge’s Remarks: Offences described as “disgraceful”; photographs showed the dog must have been kept in the room for “quite some time.”

Council Statement

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council emphasised their commitment to rigorous enforcement and stated they hoped the case would serve as a warning to anyone who fails to care for animals.

Antrim Guardian

UKACF Commentary

What was the point of issuing another five‑year ban when Aleshia McLaverty has already proven — twice — that she is incapable of caring for an animal?

An emaciated black dog lying deceased on a concrete surface, wearing a collar. A pair of human legs is visible in the background.
Sam, the five‑month‑old puppy from the 2015 case. Starved, dehydrated, and found dead hanging from blind cords. This is the cruelty McLaverty was already capable of.

The 2015 case wasn’t a warning; it was a blueprint. Sam died alone, starving, tangled in blinds, in conditions described as “the worst photos ever seen.”

And yet, once her ban expired, McLaverty went straight back to the same pattern: starvation, dehydration, confinement, filth.

Serial animal abuser Aleshia McLaverty from Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The only difference this time was luck. Luck that the terrier was found. Luck that police body‑worn footage captured the real conditions before the property was cleaned. Luck that he didn’t die trying to escape, the way Sam did.

A suspended sentence and five-year ban in 2015 didn’t protect Sam. The same ‘punishment’ in 2026 won’t protect the next dog either.

County Antrim, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Physical Violence

Ballymena, County Antrim: Dan Hustiu

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CONVICTED (2026) | Dan Hustiu, age unknown, from Ballymena BT43 – caught on video beating his rescue dog.

Council prosecution of Ballymena man Dan Hustiu for the violent mistreatment of a young collie.

Romanian national Hustiu pleaded guilty to cruelty to an unnamed collie-type dog following a prosecution by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Video footage obtained by a council animal welfare officer showed Hustiu punching the dog repeatedly then grabbing her by the muzzle and wrenching her neck back.

The officer applied for a search warrant and executed this at the property.

Council prosecution of Ballymena man Dan Hustiu for the violent mistreatment of a young collie.

A young collie was found to be tethered inside the property to a fridge by a short lead.

The dog was removed and transported to the council vet for examination.

She was found to have a laceration on her tongue and neck pain from the incident.

The council vet described the harrowing contents of the footage, comprising two separate clips:

Council prosecution of Ballymena man Dan Hustiu for the violent mistreatment of a young collie.

They said: “In the first video, he grabbed the dog, held her mouth shut while twisting her neck and repeatedly punched her with a closed fist. In the videos you can hear the dog yelping in pain as the man punches her.

“In the second video the man is holding the dog by her neck and slamming her down to the ground. He then proceeds to again hold her mouth shut and twist her neck and then shakes her in position. Again in this footage her yelps of pain are audible and she tries to pull away from him.

“When she does get away from him she cowers under the table outside away from the man”.

Sentencing | 240-hour community service order; costs of £155 and £32 of court costs. 10 -year disqualification order (expires June 2036).

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Love Ballymena

County Antrim, Denial of Veterinary Treatment, Dogs, Lifers, Livestock Abuse, Northern Ireland, Physical Violence, Psychological Abuse, Starvation / Malnutrition, Wildlife, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports, Worst of the Worst

Randalstown, County Antrim: Ciaran McCafferty

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CONVICTED (2026) | bloodsports lunatic Ciaran Patrick McCafferty, born 30 December 1996, of Greenan Road, Randalstown, Antrim BT41 3LP but with links to Ballymena – repeatedly assaulted a gundog, causing her to suffer a dislocated hip; starved her and a second dog and terrorised both of them.

Convicted for dog cruelty: Ciaran McCafferty, a bloodsports fanatic from Randalstown, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

In a vile act described in court as “gratuitous violence”, Ciaran McCafferty (misspelt Kieran McCafferty in mainstream media reports) launched a vicious assault on Golden Labrador Lily at a pheasant shoot, leaving her with injuries similar to those sustained in a road collision.

McCafferty, who works as a school caretaker and farmer, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Lily by kicking and punching her. It was found that he had also swung her by her lead onto rocks at the shoreline, struck her with the butt of his gun, and body-slammed her into the ground. He admitted failing to meet the needs of a second dog, found terrified and starved at his home.

A Newton hearing (mini trial without a jury) was held at Ballymena Magistrates Court during which two witnesses gave evidence against McCafferty.

The first witness described seeing McCafferty become angry when Lily appeared to disobey him. He said he saw the defendant kick the dog to the stomach while shouting at her angrily and pulling sharply on her lead.

The same witness said that McCafferty then picked the dog up off the ground by the lead “and swung it 360 degrees” before Lily “landed heavily on the ground.”

McCafferty then “struck her with the butt of his shotgun,” causing her to yelp loudly.

The witness spoke to him and commented that “you are a bit sore on that dog, Ciaran” to which he apparently replied, “it needs it.”

A short time later, at the Lough Shore, a second witness saw Lily being subjected to further abuse by her volatile owner.

Convicted for dog cruelty: Ciaran McCafferty, a bloodsports fanatic from Randalstown, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

McCafferty had shot a pheasant and Lily brought it back before going into the undergrowth. The defendant then “became angry and was shouting and guldering at the dog until it returned.”

When she did come back, McCafferty grabbed her before leaning over and punching her three or four times.

The witness told the court he saw McCafferty pick the dog up by the lead and “swung it in a full circle over his head and did a body slam of the dog which landed on rocky shingles beside the water’s edge.”

Describing how Lily was “squealing,” he added that McCafferty wrapped Lily in a coat and carried her away, giving a false story when he was challenged about his behaviour.

The court heard that five days later, a council Animal Welfare Officer attended McCafferty’s family home.

Their investigations established that the defendant had taken Lily to the vet the same day where she was x-rayed and treated for a dislocated hip and sent home with a sling.

When the AWO and the vet were at McCafferty’s home, they noted that Lily was still in pain and was not wearing her sling.

It also transpired that she had a poor body-score of two out of nine, as did a second dog, a black labrador called Flo.

The court also heard that Flo was “timid” and urinated as the vet and the AWO approached.

The vet opined that both dogs were malnourished so they were both seized.

While McCafferty surrendered Lily that day, he refused to sign Flo over for several months.

Both dogs have since been successfully re-homed, but Lily is no longer able to work as a gundog due to the extent of the abuse she has suffered.

Convicted for dog cruelty: Ciaran McCafferty, a bloodsports fanatic from Randalstown, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Giving evidence, McCafferty claimed that Lily was injured after her leg became trapped in rocks on the shoreline and she tried to free herself.

A vet told the court that while this version of events was not impossible it was extremely unlikely given the nature of the injuries and the twisting and pulling forces required.

Instead, she equated the injuries to those “you would see in a road traffic collision” or if Lily had been dropped from a significant height.

In his ruling, Judge Broderick said he was “entirely satisfied” on the basis of the evidence put before him that McCafferty had swung Lily, had body-slammed her and had struck her with his gun.

Having heard that part of McCafferty’s livelihood comes from farming cattle and chickens, Judge Broderick banned the defendant for life, from keeping or owning any animal with the exception of cattle and chickens.

Following a defence application, McCafferty was freed on bail pending an appeal.

Sentencing | six-month immediate custodial (later suspended on appeal*) with McCafferty freed pending an appeal; ordered to pay a total of £798.67 itowards costs. Banned for life from keeping or owning any animal with the exception of cattle and chickens.

Inside the Courtroom NI

*Update | 14 May 2026

Inside the Courtroom NI reports that Ciaran McCafferty has had his six-month prison sentence suspended on appeal.

Judge Sandra Crawford said while she fully understood the reasons why the District Judge had originally jailed McCafferty, she had been provided with further information which was not available to the lower court.

Describing his actions as “horrendous and wholly appalling,” the Antrim County Court judge said she was persuaded to suspend his six-month prison sentence for three years.

County Antrim, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Physical Violence

Newtownabbey, County Antrim: Lorraine Lee

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CONVICTED (2026) | Lorraine Lee, born c. 1977, of the Monkstown estate, Newtownabbey BT37 – kicked a Labrador puppy in feud with neighbour.

Animal abuser Lorraine Lee from Monkstown, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, who booted a Labrador assistance dog in a fit of anger.
Unhinged Lorraine Lee booted an assistance dog in a fit of rage.

Airport worker Lorraine Lee was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 18-month-old assistance dog Beau. Lee also admitted the common assault of her neighbour, Alison Wilson, who was looking after Beau for her daughter at the time.

Beau suffered painful brusing after he was kicked in the stomach by Lorraine Lee from Newtownabbey, Armagh.
Beau suffered painful brusing after he was kicked in the stomach by Lorraine Lee.

Alison, an animal rescue volunteer, told the court she had taken the puppy for a walk when she was confronted by Lee, who was angry because she believed that Alison had complained to the council about her dachshund biting another dog.

She told the court: “My daughter was away, so I was taking Beau for a walk and was passing Lorraine’s house when her dogs started barking. I heard all this yelling and effing and blinding all over the street and she said ‘Imagine reporting that’, pointing at her dachshund. I didn’t report her dog.

“She told me my dog needed to be on the lead, and I told her she needed to clean her house as she’s plenty of time on her hands and it’s an absolute dive.

“She shouted she was going to kill me and came running up to me, shaking her hands in my face before booting the dog in the stomach and shoving me.

“I pulled her hair and told her this would be the last time she kicks a dog. I absolutely did not cover myself in glory.

“My daughter came home on the next plane from England and was distraught.

“That dog kept her tail between her legs for two days straight and we had to delay getting her spayed due to the bruising.”

Lee told the court that she had only moved Beau aside with her foot.

“It got really personal and hurtful,” she said. “She called me and my child ‘nutjobs’ and called my daughter a drug addict, which she is not. That was when I got defensive.

“Those kind of accusations about my child are dangerous.

“I did not threaten to kill her. I was in her personal space, which I regret. The dog came towards me and I thought it was going to attack, so I moved it aside with my foot.

“I then got trailed and punched in the head.

“I am distraught to be here. I tried to take my own life over this.”

Alison accepted a community resolution order for her part in the scrap.

Sentencing | fined a total of £800. An application to have Lee banned from keeping animals was rejected by the court.

Belfast Telegraph (archived link)

County Antrim, Denial of Veterinary Treatment, Dogs, Lifers, Northern Ireland, Pet Sitters, Dog Walkers, Boarding Kennels, Dog Trainers, Starvation / Malnutrition, Unfit Living Conditions, Worst of the Worst

Newtownabbey, County Antrim: Paula McIvor

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CONVICTED (2025) | pet hotel owner Paula McIvor aka Paula Hamilton Stewart, born December 1981, of 9 Glenwell Grove, Newtownabbey BT36 7TB – for the shocking neglect of 39 dogs in her care, leading to one being put to sleep.

Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Paula McIvor, who failed to care for animals boarding at Waggies Pet Hotel

McIvor, sole director of Waggies Pet Hotel Ltd (since dissolved) and a second newly founded firm called Bark Kennels Ltd, pleaded guilty to six charges committed between 12 July and 29 August 2023.

The court heard McIvor failed to meet the needs of a golden retriever called Sam, Tonks a border collie, Steve a bichon frisé/poodle cross, and 36 other unnamed dogs.

Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Paula McIvor, who failed to care for animals boarding at Waggies Pet Hotel. Tonks (pictured) was put to sleep as a result of her shocking neglect
Tonks had to be put to sleep after developing multiple health conditions while in Paula McIvor’s so-called care.

Alongside charges of failure to ensure the animals’ needs were met, McIvor also admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to Tonks who had to be put to sleep due to multiple health conditions which were developed while in her care.

A prosecuting lawyer said concerns were first raised on 8 August 2023, when Steve was picked up by his owner.

He had stayed at the kennels for 10 days, and his owners said he had lost weight, smelt of urine and his eyes were “gunged-up”.

This sparked an investigation by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) and Lisburn City and Castlereagh Council.

Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Paula McIvor (pictured outside court), who failed to care for animals boarding at Waggies Pet Hotel

The prosecution said the inspection found faeces and bags of rubbish lying around, a strong urine smell, dogs mixing freely, no light in the kennels and no access to water.

It also discovered that the dogs had access to potential hazardous chemicals, sharp edges and bare nails.

Further reports were also received by the owners of Sam, the golden retriever.

When he was collected his coat was matted, he had lost weight, his eyes were gummy and he was thirsty.

The prosecution outlined that when Tonks the border collie was collected, he was lethargic, smelly and had bloody discharge in his eyes and nose.

He also suffered from “dark diarrhoea” and “significant weight loss”, the court heard.

Tonks was put to sleep after being diagnosed with renal failure.

Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Paula McIvor, who failed to care for animals boarding at Waggies Pet Hotel

Sentencing McIvor, District Judge Rosie Watters told her: “It’s an absolutely shocking case…it’s certainly one of the most shocking cases I have ever dealt with”.

She said that McIvor had taken in people’s beloved pets but instead of caring for them properly, her business was effectively, “a licence to print money”

With many of the owners looking on from the public gallery, Judge Watters told McIvor her offending was made all the worse because despite being told to close her business on August 11, she continued for another three weeks.

Judge Watters concluded: “People trusted you with their animals and their pets…and you have to understand how people feel about their pets”.

Sentencing | suspended 10-month prison sentence; ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to Tonks’ owner and a further £500 to the owners of Sam and Steve. Banned from keeping, owning or caring for any animal for life,

BBC News
Belfast Live

Animal Abandonment, County Antrim, Denial of Veterinary Treatment, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Starvation / Malnutrition, Unfit Living Conditions

Larne, County Antrim: Emma Diamond

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CONVICTED (2025) | Emma Diamond, born c. 1988, most recently of Circular Road, Larne BT40 – left her injured dog without food and water in a property strewn with dog faeces, rubbish and broken glass.

Animal abuser! Emma Diamond from Larne, County Antrim - starved her dog and neglected her needs.

Diamond was convicted in her absence of failing to meet the needs of the unnamed dog at her former home on Circular Road, Larne.

On 27 March 2025, Diamond’s neighbour contacted the council with concerns that she had abandoned her dog.

Animal abuser! Emma Diamond from Larne, County Antrim - starved her dog and neglected her needs.

An Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) went to Diamond’s home, but found the windows were all broken and she was unable to gain access.

The AWO went back the next day with a warrant and managed to get inside.

In a statement to the court the AWO said: “On entering I noticed dog faeces and rubbish strewn all over the room and there was broken glass on the floor”.

When the mixed breed dog came downstairs she was both underweight and lame.

Animal abuser! Emma Diamond from Larne, County Antrim - starved her dog and neglected her needs.

Diamond was present and said the dog was hers. When the AWO told her she was concerned about the unsanitary conditions and the dog being so underweight, Diamond “became violent and volatile and was punching the walls.”

Diamond “went upstairs and refused to engage” so the AWO took the dog to the council vet who certified that she was likely suffering.

Assessed as having a body score of three out of nine, the dog was ravenous and very thirsty when she was given food and water.

The court heard that Diamond had been attacked by vigilantes as a result of her animal cruelty and was now “effectively sofa surfing”.

The dog was rehomed but no further details are available.

Sentencing | ordered to pay a fine of £250 and vet costs of £71.32 over 26 weeks. Banned from owning or keeping any animal for TWO years (expires September 2027).

Sunday World
Inside the Courtroom NI (Facebook page)

Animal Abandonment, County Antrim, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Pet Profiteering, Reptiles / Exotics, Starvation / Malnutrition, Unfit Living Conditions

Newtownabbey, County Antrim: Audra Town

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CONVICTED (2025) | Audra Town aka Audra Town Goodall, age unknown, of Kernan Drive, Newtownabbey BT36 7XG – abandoned two adult dogs, a litter of puppies and a gecko.

Animal abuser. Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Audra Town, who abandoned several dogs and a gecko.
Audra Town kept her kept dogs and a gecko in rooms covered in rubbish, faeces and hazardous objects.

Town admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure their needs were met. The offences dated from around 11 October 2023 when neighbours alerted local authority animal welfare officers. Shockingly the animals were only removed almost a month later, on 6 November 2023.

A prosecuting lawyer said an animal welfare officer heard dogs inside the property when she called at Town’s house, only to receive no answer.

A warrant to enter the home was finally obtained after several unsuccessful visits and complaints from neighbours about continual barking,

Animal abuser. Prosecution of Newtownabbey woman Audra Town, who abandoned several dogs and a gecko.

It was then discovered the dogs and puppies were living in rooms “covered in faeces and rubbish,” including some that were “potentially dangerous”.

The animals were so desperate for food they had chewed on tin cans.

The gecko also had no access to food or water.

A defence lawyer told the court Town had been getting help with her “mental health” and the property had been renovated.

The judge said while her offences merited a jail sentence, he was suspending it because of the matters raised in mitigation.

Sentencing | six-month custodial sentence, suspended for a year; £124 in costs. Banned from having animals for 10 years (expires August 2035).

Belfast Telegraph (archive link)

Animal Abandonment, County Antrim, Denial of Veterinary Treatment, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Pet Profiteering, Starvation / Malnutrition, Unfit Living Conditions, Wildlife

Newtownabbey, County Antrim: Jack Graham

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CONVICTED (2025) | backyard breeder and wildlife persecutor Jack Graham, born c. 2000, of 57 Queens Avenue, Newtownabbey BT36 5HX – kept six starving dogs in filthy pens.

Animal abuser! Newtownabbey backyard breeder Jack Graham was jailed for the starvation and neglect of six dogs.

In June 2025 Graham was given a six-month custodial sentence and 15-year ban for animal cruelty offences, which included causing unnecessary suffering to a Staffy cross puppy and failing to meet the needs of five other dogs. He was also convicted of other offences including assaulting police officers, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage.

He appealed the sentence but in August 2025 this was dismissed with Judge Patricia Smyth telling Graham his offending had been “truly appalling, disgraceful and shocking.”

Animal abuser! Newtownabbey backyard breeder Jack Graham was jailed for the starvation and neglect of six dogs.
The pup seized from Graham. It was reported that he and the other dogs seized from Graham recovered and have been rehomed.

Graham’s first offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a puppy, arose in December 2022. A council animal welfare officer (AWO) found two dogs at his home in separate pens outside, but both pens had “an unacceptable amount of dog faeces”.

Graham was questioned about the filthy conditions and claimed he could not clean the garden due to a broken hose.

Animal abuser! Newtownabbey backyard breeder Jack Graham was jailed for the starvation and neglect of six dogs.

He refused the officer further access to inspect dogs inside the house, stating that he had a sore tooth and was tired. But after obtaining a search warrant, the authorities seized a Staffordshire Terrier pup for treatment due to his subdued and underweight condition.

Veterinary experts assessed the animal as having a body score of two out nine.

In May 2023 the authorities received further complaints about the filthy conditions at Graham’s home.

Animal welfare officers gained entry and discovered the property covered in faeces, rubbish and smelling of ammonia, with five dogs kept in dirty pens. The breeds included two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, a saluki, lurcher and bully types.

Four of the dogs were immediately seized and found to be underweight, with the ribs and spines visible and fur missing. Graham was initially permitted to keep the remaining animal after agreeing to clean up the house.

Animal abuser! Newtownabbey backyard breeder Jack Graham was jailed for the starvation and neglect of six dogs.

A week later, however, there was no answer when an officer called at the address to check if improvements had been carried out.

Neighbours disclosed that Graham had not been at home for several days, while the dog remained inside. Obtaining a search warrant and returning with a locksmith, the officer discovered nothing had been cleaned inside the house.

“The dog was locked in the living room in the dark, there was no access to food or water and the floor was covered in urine and faeces,” a prosecution lawyer said.

Veterinary examinations confirmed he was also underweight, with overgrown nails as part of the neglect.

Graham was convicted of the offences in his absence last year before a warrant was issued for his arrest.

His lawyer told the court his client was “struggling financially and could not afford to feed the dogs as regularly as he should have been, nor to take them to the vets when they needed treatment.”

He added that Graham’s mental health had deteriorated following the death of his mother in 2023.

Sentencing | six-month immediate custodial. Banned from having, keeping or controlling any animal for the next 15 years (expires June 2040).

Belfast Telegraph

Animal Torture, Cats, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Physical Violence, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Newtownabbey, County Antrim: Joshua McClurg

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CONVICTED (2025) | Joshua McClurg, born 16 February 2004, of 24 Fairview Lane, Newtownabbey BT36 6FP – broke a kitten’s back after hurling her at a wall.

Cat killer Joshua McClurg from Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

Animal welfare officers at Belfast City Council were alerted on December 3, 2024, after the unnamed kitten was brought into a veterinary clinic suffering from a spinal fracture. She was found to be paraplegic and in a state of shock and distress.

Staff were informed that Joshua McClurg had inflicted the injuries in an attack captured on doorbell camera footage.

Due to the severity of the blunt-force trauma suffered by the tiny animal, a decision was taken to humanely euthanise her.

During interviews McClurg admitted that he had thrown the household pet against a wall.

“He was aware the cat was injured and believed he had broken its legs,” a prosecution lawyer said.

“There was a further incident where he can be seen on CCTV picking the cat up aggressively by the scruff, and another admission that he dropped the cat to the floor from a small height, even though he was aware it was injured.

“This could have caused further distress and suffering to the kitten, according to the vet.”

The court heard that one of the incidents was witnessed by a four-year girl at the property.

McClurg subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to the cat.

In mitigation, McClurg’s lawyer said that at the time his client was heavily abusing cannabis but that he has since “stopped cold turkey” and is seeing his GP “trying to address his emotional issues.”

Revealing that McClurg and the kitten’s owner “are still together,” the lawyer asked the court to keep in mind that he is on benefits and hadentered a guilty plea.

Sentencing | 10-month custodial suspended for two years. Banned from owing or keeping animals for 20 years.

The Irish News

Birds, County Antrim, Denial of Veterinary Treatment, Dogs, Northern Ireland, Pet Profiteering, Unfit Living Conditions

Ballymena, County Antrim: Nigel Hunter

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CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder Nigel John Hunter, born c. 1986, of 39 Woodside Road, Broughshane, Ballymena BT42 4QH – failed to meet the basic needs of dozens of dogs.

Prosecution of backyard breeder Nigel Hunter from Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Hunter admitted six charges of causing animals to suffer unnecessarily, 23 charges of failing to meet the needs of animals and one of operating a dog breeding establishment without a licence.

Proceedings followed an investigation by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council after the local authority received a report of pups being bred and sold in poor conditions. Animal welfare officers searched the premises in Woodside Road under warrant and found dogs and pups living in unacceptable conditions.

A vet attended and certified a large number of pups and dogs as suffering or likely to suffer and they were removed from the address.

Breeds included German Shepherds, collies, spaniels, poodles, British bulldogs, a Golden Retriever, Yorkshire terrier, Bernese Mountain dog and a St Bernard as well as two hens.

A large quantity of the dogs were signed over but Hunter was allowed to keep four or five dogs “as family pets”.

Sentencing | three-month custodial, suspended for two years; legal and vet costs of £1,710.70. No mention of a ban.

Ballymena Guardian
Northern Ireland World