CONVICTED (2024) | convicted child rapist Benjamin Thomas, born c. 1991, most recently of a holiday park in Looe, Cornwall, but originally from the West Midlands – went on the run and left his cats behind to starve.
In 2012 at Worcester Crown Court Thomas was jailed for five years and made subject to a sexual harm order after being convicted of child rape.
Following his release he has failed on numerous occasions to adhere to the terms of his sex offenders registration which oblige him to keep police informed of any change of address.
In June 2023 Thomas was living in a flat in Lancashire with his girlfriend but vacated the property after falling behind on rent, leaving two cats behind.
When contacted by the property manager, he explained there’d been a bereavement and claimed he had returned to feed the cats. However, when the property manager attended there was no sign anybody had returned and the cats were feeding off scraps. The pets were taken into RSPCA care.
Thomas had fled to Cornwall but was soon apprehended by police and charged with failure to comply with notification requirements as a sex offender between August and December 2023.
Representing Thomas, Barry Hilliard said his client “made an error of judgement”.
Sentencing Thomas, Recorder Richard Stead said Thomas has “numerous previous convictions for failing to comply”.
He added: “You seem to fail to understand the extreme seriousness of the first offence of rape and reasons you’re subject to the requirements of the sex offenders’ register. If you did you’d ensure you provided police with the new address when you moved.”
CONVICTED (2024) | Kevin Vivers, born 1965, with a last known address of Dalling Avenue, Bathgate EH48 2SB – for a catalogue of animal cruelty offences, rapes and sexual assaults over 36 years.
Vivers originally denied a series of charges, but was convicted of 27 crimes, including five animal cruelty offences alongside nine rape charges, seven assaults, and four sexual assaults.
His crimes in West Lothian and Stirlingshire spanned from when he was still a teenager in 1985 until 2021.
Vivers killed animals and subjected seven female victims, including a minor aged 13/14, to assaults, sexual assaults and rapes.
His first episode of animal cruelty was in 1985 when he began repeatedly punching a dog and kicking a cat.
In or around 2012 he attacked two dogs by lifting them by their collars, hitting them with sticks and kicking them.
In or around 1993 in Bathgate he killed two dogs by shooting one animal and slitting the throat of the other.
Vivers also apparently used dogs to hunt rabbits, deer and foxes and also allegedly drowned dogs.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh imposed a lifelong restriction order on Vivers and said he must serve a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Lord Lake told Vivers: “I must make it clear this does not mean you will be released automatically at the end of that period.”
He told the sex offender he would only ever be freed from jail if parole authorities were satisfied his release would not endanger public safety.
Expert reports prepared on Vivers concluded that he presented a high risk.
Lord Lake told him: “Your offences are of a serious kind, even when taken individually. When considered together they show a depraved course of conduct.”
He told the court via a video link to prison: “I have been penalised for something that is well and truly unproved.”
Det Ch Insp Steven McMillan said: “This was a difficult case due to the horrendous nature of Vivers’s crimes and the sickening animal abuse, which spanned so many years.
“I want to make it clear to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse that there is no time limit on when you can report these crimes. I would encourage any victims to come forward and report it to police.”
Vivers has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Lord Lake also made orders prohibiting Vivers from directly or indirectly contacting his victims.
Sentencing | lifelong restriction order with minimum 10 years to be served behind bars.
CONVICTED (2023) | Luke Frewin, born c. 1996, of Ebor Paddock, Calne SN11 0JY – caught with a huge collection of images depicting sexual abuse of animals and children.
Sexual deviant Luke Brewin from Calne in Wiltshire. Image credit: Wiltshire999S
Frewin, who is apparently a father, initially denied four sex offences but changed his pleas to guilty a few days before his trial.
He also admitted possessing 57 extreme images involving sexual activity with animals.
He also admitted possessing 750 indecent images of children, including 239 described as being in category A – involving penetration.
Frewin was sentenced to 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was told to complete 60 rehabilitation days.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed to run alongside it.
CONVICTED (2023) | Kurtis Nichols, born 5 July 1996, of Old Stables East Meon Road, Langrish, Petersfield GU32 1RN – caught with disturbing images of animal rape and child sexual abuse.
Sexual deviant Kurtis Nichols escaped a prison sentence despite being caught with images showing vile animal and child sexual abuse
Nichols was hauled before Portsmouth Crown Court after police found vile images on his devices at his previous address in Havant in February 2020.
The images included those of the worst kind and featured babies of six to 12 months being abused, as well as sexual activity with animals.
Nichols admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, possessing an extreme pornographic image, and possessing a prohibited image of a child. The offending period stretched into 2021.
The court heard that Nichols, of previous good character, suffered with “neuro diversity” issues with ADHD and mild autism and found it “difficult to connect with people”.
It was the defendant’s “desire to fit in” that had led him down the path of child abuse imagery with people in the online gaming community.
Nichols had not reoffended in the three-plus years since his foray into child abuse imagery – which judge Richard Shepherd said was an indication this was a temporary blip.
“In the years up to 2020 you were part of an online gaming community where the sexual abuse of children was discussed and you were given many still and moving images (of child abuse),” he said.
“The thing to remember is that every image you receive is a real child who has been sexually abused. Even worse, these children often know they have been pictured and filmed and even as adults they know these are still out there.
The judge said “very young children and animals were involved” with them in “distress”.
But judge Shepherd said Nichols had shown “genuine remorse” and referring to the defendant’s neuro diversity, added: “You joined the group to feel part of something.”
The judge opted to spare the defendant jail due to him having “good prospects of rehabilitation” and having not offended for over three years.
Sentencing | two-year jail term suspended for two years; told to complete a thinking skills program; 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days; £425 in costs; subject to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Malcolm J Leask, born 17 September 1987, from Stromness, Orkney Islands – committed a decade-long campaign of violence and cruelty towards animals, women and children.
Rapist, woman beater and child abuser Leask also caused suffering to animals by kicking, punching and choking two pet dogs and a puppy
Malcolm Leask, originally from Orkney but with links to Alva in Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Hartlepool, was convicted of three offences of animal cruelty alongside six assault offences, six of rape, one of attempted murder, two of threatening or abusive behaviour and one breach of the peace.
The crimes were committed at addresses in Orkney and Clackmannanshire between 2008 and 2019.
The former butcher and amateur musician subjected a family Labrador to repeated brutality, punching and kicking the animal on her head and body, kneeling on her stomach, deliberately blowing smoke in her face, putting his hands round her throat and choking her.
He kicked a border collie in the head and side, breaking one of his ribs. He also put a black bin bag over the dog’s head and tried to suffocate him.
Another time he picked the “scared and yelping” collie up by his armpits and threw him onto the floor, leaving him with permanent damage to his back legs.
He also attacked an eight-month-old German Shepherd puppy, punching him on the head and ribs and “stamping” on his head.
The dog’s owner said she once came in to find Leask “strangling” him.
Leask told her the pup “had been bad and needed to be punished”.
An allegation that he had battered two terrapins to death with a hammer was withdrawn by the prosecution.
Leask, nicknamed Beefy, because he previously weighed 31 stone, raped two women and tried to murder one of the victims by holding her head under water. He used his enormous weight to pin down one of his rape victims.
One woman told the court that she was repeatedly raped by Leask and subjected to physical violence when he punched, kneed and choked her.
He also lifted her toddler daughter and threw her on to a chair.
A second woman said she was subjected to “pure nastiness” by Leask.
He had shouted and swore at her young daughter and chased and grabbed her son.
Leask, now married, denied 19 charges but was convicted following a trial.
Defence counsel Gordon Jackson KC said Leask had no previous convictions and suffered traumatic experiences earlier in his life.
Sentencing Leask, Judge Lord Scott told him that his offences show “a serious, violent and abusive course of conduct.” The judge also remarked that he was “unrepentant” and lacking in insight into the considerable damage he caused.
Sentencing | 12 years’ imprisonment with eight years of supervision following his release. Placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2023) | Ross Clifford, born February 1979, of Quicksilver Way, Andover SP11 6TT – kept injured birds and hedgehogs in unsuitable conditions.
Paedophile Ross Clifford kept injured birds and hedgehogs in squalid containers without food and water.
Convicted serial paedophile Ross Clifford operated a makeshift wildlife rescue centre from his home but was investigated by the RSPCA after they were alerted to dead and dying animals on the premises.
A vet examined the animals in Clifford’s care and found pigeons without their needs being met, including one severely injured pigeon that had been kept in a wicker basket with heavily solid newspaper on the base. There was no food or water or anywhere to perch.
Another pigeon was housed in a wardrobe in the bedroom, also without food or water.
A juvenile wood pigeon was found in a collapsible crate, with another collapsible crate used as a lid. A towel lined the base of the crate, and this was very heavily soiled with multiple faecal deposits, some fresh and others older and drying. No food or water was found in the crate.
Hedgehogs were also found in unsuitable conditions, including one found in a plastic cat carrier alongside a small quantity of dried food but no water.
The hedgehog was very lethargic and dehydrated with sunken eyes and pale mucous membranes as a result.
Two juvenile hedgehogs were found together in a collapsible crate which had wet shredded newspaper and tissue alongside food which appeared to be mouldy. They were both very lethargic and were lying motionless.
Another hedgehog, who had to be put to sleep because of the severity of his condition, was found in a plastic hamster cage without food and water with wet bedding which smelled of stale urine with an unsurvivable injury and dehydration.
In mitigation, the court heard that Clifford’s intentions in setting up a wildlife rescue at his home were good. He acknowledged that his premises were not set up to deal with wildlife rescue and that he fell short of the standards required by good practice.
Speaking about the case RSPCA Inspector Miranda Albinson said: “Injured captive wildlife is completely reliant on those providing care to ensure their needs are met. Sadly, in this instance, that responsibility was not fulfilled.”
Sentencing | 12-week custodial sentence to run concurrently to an existing sentence for unrelated offences.
CONVICTED (2023) | horse rapist and paedophile Phillip Henry, born c. 1987, of Auckland Crescent, Dover CT16 2JR
Phillip Henry, a known pervert with previous convictions for possession of child porn and sexual assault of two underage girls, pleaded guilty to bestiality in relation to a cob pony named Betty.
The construction worker was heard “giggling” while he forced himself upon the animal, with his trousers around his ankles, in a field at a private stable in Dover on April 16, 2021.
He was caught red-handed by a stable-hand and fled the scene, but was arrested when his DNA was found in a sample taken from the horse.
Henry initially denied bestiality, claiming that the horse had been contaminated with sperm inadvertently after he ejaculated in the field.
But he later pleaded guilty to intentionally having sex with a living animal, namely a horse, which carries a maximum sentence of two years.
Opening the case, prosecutor Don Ramble explained: “On April 16, 2021, at about 4.30pm in the afternoon, [the stable-hand] was working at Longhill Livery in Dover.
“She noticed that one of the horses was missing, and when she looked around the field, it was then that she saw the defendant, [who was] not known to her.
“He was standing behind the horse that was missing from the others, and so [the stable-hand] went over to investigate, and not long after she saw clearly what was happening.
“The defendant was wearing yellow high-visibility trousers, and these were down by his ankles. He was thrusting back and forth from behind the horse. She did not run away – she instead screamed at the defendant.
“She described in her statement the defendant’s reaction to being caught having sex with a horse.
“He casually pulled up his trousers, still exposing himself, and then [she] bravely gave chase and ran towards the defendant.
“He then began running away. She pursued him by a nearby field but he was too fast and he managed to escape.
“She then notified the owner of the horse … who had the wherewithal to immediately call his vet to attend – specifically so swabs could be taken.”
Forensic results recovered from the horse’s vagina contained the defendant’s DNA, Mr Ramble explained.
Police attended Henry’s address where they also recovered 13.3 grams of cannabis.
He was arrested for possession of cannabis and intercourse with a horse.
The court heard no harm came to Betty, while the method Henry used to restrain the cob – a breed which can weigh as much as 50 stone – remains unknown.
Mitigating, John O’Connor, said Henry receives “full support” from his mother and step-father, who attended his sentencing hearing.
“They find it very difficult to understand what happened two years ago,” he said.
Henry believes he violated the horse after becoming stressed at work, while suffering bereavement following the loss of two family members.
Mr O’Connor argued Henry has a “real prospect of rehabilitation,” while he’s fit for unpaid work at weekends.
And he said the defendant would benefit from a programme designed to help rehabilitate sex offenders, while his partner also wishes for him to attend.
Mr O’Connor stressed if Henry was jailed immediately his partner would struggle with mortgage payments, potentially risking her home.
Urging the judge to suspend a spell in custody, he said the nature of Henry’s job means “there is no reason for him to be near liveries, stables or horses at all.”
Judge Douglas Marks Moore was unconvinced, however, and sent Henry to jail while branding his actions “beyond contemplation – reprehensible, appalling, disgusting”.
He added: “In my judgement there is sometimes an offence of such a nature that courts must mark society’s disapproval and abhorrence. And in my view this is such a case.”
After Judge Moore passed sentence, Henry could be heard saying: “Oh, that’s not good – I love you mum.”
Sentencing | jailed for eight months. Prohibited from being at any stable or place where equine animals are housed permanently, or to have any contact with horses unsupervised.
CONVICTED (2022) | Chris Maginn, born 30 August 1946, from Leith in Edinburgh but with strong links to Tarbert in Argyll – tormented and killed animals and also committed gross acts of sexual and physical child abuse.
In a years-long campaign of historic animal and child abuse Maginn, described on his various social media profiles as “an actor, educator, community worker and sculptor”, kicked pet cats, threw a kitten at a door and drove nails into a goat’s head. He also forced a girl to kill her pet gerbil with an axe.
Maginn also sexually abused a boy and a girl and mistreated them and another girl. He abused them mentally, leaving them scared, alarmed and anxious.
He denied doing anything wrong, forcing his victims, who are now adults, to give evidence against him in a trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court. He was convicted of five charges spanning 1981 to 1987 and jailed for just three years.
He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.
Maginn began abusing the children in March 1981, at addresses in Argyll and Bute villages. He “wilfully ill-treated” the trio, assaulted the boy, sexually abused him, and sexually abused one girl.
He treated the “children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health.”
The court heard he also attacked them, grabbing the boy and younger girl by the throat and pushing and throwing the boy about. He sexually abused the girl, making “inappropriate and sexual comments”, having sex in front of her and making her see him naked.
She was also assaulted by him in a swimming pool in Oban, Argyll and Bute, being held against a wall, and touched by him, with him pressing his body against her. She was also made to strip and wash in front of him, was stared at while she was naked, and was touched inappropriately, before he put cream on her body.
When she was older, he continued to make inappropriate and sexual comments, stripped in front of her and made her strip. He also told her to perform sex acts on herself, tried to make her bathe with him, touched her inappropriately, tried to get her to simulate breastfeeding another child, and kissed her.
He also repeatedly sexually abused the boy, when he was aged between 10 and 13, causing the youngster to see him naked, masturbating in front of him and offering him a semen sample to view under his microscope.
Maginn also beat the boy on a number of occasions, hitting him on the head and body, leaving him injured.
CONVICTED (2022) | zoophile Peter F Edwards, 36, from South Perrott, Beaminster, Dorset – raped his black Labrador and encouraged another pervert to sexually abuse the same dog
Depraved Peter Edwards pictured outside court
Edwards was found to have abused the Labrador, Max, and encouraged or allowed another man, Jonathan Barton from Yeovil, Somerset, to commit bestiality with his pet as well.
Black Lab Max: victim of his owner’s twisted sexual predilections, Source: Twitter
The pair were caught out when police examined Edwards’ mobile and computer devices and found vile videos showing the abuse of the dog.
A court heard that after he was arrested Edwards expressed concern about what would happen to Max, who has since been rehomed.
Edwards with Max as a puppy. Source: Facebook
An investigation was carried out and photos and videos were found on his devices, including child pornography and extreme pornography involving animals. Officers then discovered some of the images were of sexual activity with his own dog.
Edwards pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual intercourse with an animal, one count of encouraging or assisting with the commission of an offence as well as three counts of making indecent image of a child and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard reports showed Edwards had autistic traits and a high level of intelligence but showed ‘bizarre attitudes and behaviours’.
John Dyer, representing Edwards, said he had become very isolated, was signed off work and suffered with anxiety and depression.
Despite being an obvious danger to animals and children Edwards walked free from court with a community sentence
Judge Climie told Edwards: “Concerns were expressed to the police that were proved well-founded. There were extreme pornographic images in relation to animals, some of those proved to be sexual activity involving you and your own dog and also Mr Barton, who had also become involved in that sexual activity.
“You will be subject to a community order for the next three years. That may seem like you have avoided the ultimate punishment of going to prison, but I must consider the extent to which rehabilitation can be achieved in a custodial setting.
“Because of your peculiarities, I don’t mean that in an offensive manner, you would be highly vulnerable as a prisoner. You would be subjected not just to taunting but also some degree of violence from other inmates and that would achieve very little in rehabilitating you.”
Sentencing | three-year community order with up to 60 rehabilitation activity days and a three-month curfew between 8pm and 6am. Five-year criminal behaviour order that Edwards shall not own, possess or look after any dog unless whilst in the company of that dog’s owner. Sexual harm prevention order. Ordered to sign sex offenders’ register for five years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Bradley Simpson, born 3 January 1998, of Watson Avenue, St Andrews KY16 8JE but with links to Honeygreen Road, Dundee DD4 8BG – stabbed his mother’s pet dog to death with a screwdriver.
Bradley Simpson stabbed a dog to death with a screwdriver and buried his burned remains in a local park.
Violent career criminal and drug abuser Simpson walked free from court with a 33-month ban on keeping animals and a social work referral after admitting repeatedly stabbing the German shepherd, called Buddy, with a screwdriver in Dundee.
Simpson formed part of the search party after Buddy was reported missing, before telling his mother: “You will never see him again. I’ve killed him.”
The remains of Buddy the German Shepherd were found burned and buried in a shallow grave.
The much-loved family pet had been in the family home when they went to bed but was missing the next morning. An alert was posted for the missing animal on a locally-targeted social media site and a search was carried out by a number of people.
Meanwhile, Simpson’s mother saw a pool of blood at the door of her home and splashes of blood within the living room and kitchen area. When she went outside to investigate further she saw more blood spattering on the side of the house.
Simpson was quizzed about what had happened and made comments about killing the dog and telling his family they would never see him again.
The search for Buddy came to an end when a horrified dog walker in a local park saw a scorched patch of ground close to a mound of disturbed soil which looked like it had been recently dug. When the mound was scraped back it revealed the charred remains of a dog, which was subsequently confirmed to be missing Buddy.
Simpson later spoke about being inspired to carry out the horrific slaying of the family pet after watching a Netflix series based around rescue dogs.
He admitted causing a protected animal unnecessary suffering. A not guilty plea to burning and dumping the dog in the park to conceal his crime was accepted by the Crown.
Solicitor Theo Finlay, defending, told the court: his client had been misusing drugs and this “has had a pretty catastrophic effect on him mentally.”
The dog killer had previously complained he had become “a target” during a period of remand in prison.
Simpson has a number of previous convictions, including for domestic abuse, under-age sex offending, theft and assault to permanent disfigurement.
Sentencing | three-year social work supervision order. Disqualified from owning or keeping any animal for just 33 months.
