CONVICTED (2011) | Jeffrey Johnson aka JJ Johnson, born c. 1977, of 37 Forfar Street, Burnley BB11 4ER – convicted of hunting badgers with dogs.
Jeff ‘JJ’ Johnson with Leanne ‘LB’ Buck/Johnson
Johnson told the court that he had been digging close to a badger sett in Altham because his terrier had got trapped after chasing a rabbit down a hole. He denied having any interest in badgers but was convicted after a trial.
Johnson, a part-time window cleaner and father of three, was seen stood in a three foot deep hole with a spade in his hand by a badger enthusiast.
The enthusiast challenged Johnson and another man as to what they were doing and Johnson said something about digging for a fox.
He said they then ran off before the police arrived.
Johnson told the court he was walking his dogs, the terrier and a lurcher, in the area and they had been chasing rabbits. He said the dogs ran off and he found the lurcher near the entrance to what he now knew to be the badger sett.
Johnson could hear his dog crying underground and when she did not respond to his calls decided to go home for a spade so he could try and dig her out. He said he blocked the entrance to the sett so the dog would not get out and run away in his absence.
Johnson said he came back with a friend and while he was digging the dog emerged from the sett and his friend caught her.
Magistrates did not believe his version of events, however. Finding him guilty they fined him £270 and ordered him to pay £265 in costs.
CONVICTED (2011) | Craig Alan Edwards, born June 1984, of 69 Jacksmere Lane, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk L40 9RT – left his dog with a large infected open wound believed to have been caused by a badger.
Edwards, who previously ran a pub in Buxton, High Peak, Derbyshire, was found guilty after a trial of six animal cruelty charges in relation to the unnamed dog.
Magistrates heard the dog had been kept in the upstairs accommodation which was bare, had mould, rubbish, an uncarpeted floor and dog mess everywhere.
Vets found two large substantial wounds to the lower jaw were infected and covered in a substantial amount of pus discharge. Surgery was not an option as the wound was too extensive and too infected.
Expert opinion was that the wound had been sustained in a fight with a badger.
Sentencing | jailed for 12 weeks. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years with the right of appeal after five (ban expired 2021).
CONVICTED (2011) | barbaric wildlife criminals Wayne “Podge” Lumsdon, born 8 December 1987, of 53 Park Road, Lynemouth, Morpeth NE61 5XJ and Connor Charles Patterson, born 18 June 1987, formerly of The Hope, Whitfield, Hexham, but as of April 2020 residing at Little Kenny Farm, Lintrathen, Kirriemuir, Angus DD8 5JD – forced animals to fight to the death and posted the footage on the internet
Wayne Lumsdon (left) and Connor Patterson got their kicks from watching animals tearing each other apart
Wayne Lumsdon and Connor Patterson were jailed for offences relating to badgers, foxes, dogs, cats and cockerels. The pair were also banned from keeping animals for 15 and eight years respectively after boasting about their antics in text messages and keeping photos.
Lumsdon pleaded guilty to willfully killing a badger and two counts of causing an animal fight to take place.
Apprentice gamekeeper Patterson pleaded guilty to two counts of causing an animal fight to take place.
Lumsdon is banned from keeping animals until 2026
Magistrates were read a series of texts exchanged by the pair in which Lumsdon bragged of “killing a badger” with his and another dog – something he described as “mint”.
The court was then shown a video of the badger being attacked by the two dogs, then footage of cocks fighting and again men’s voices could be heard encouraging them.
Magistrates heard clothes seen in the video were later traced to Lumsdon and that a text message of his referred to spurs used in cock fighting.
2022 image of Wayne Lumsdon with partner Madison Armstrong
Further footage was shown to the court of a fox which had been snared being attacked by a dog. A stick was thrust into the fox’s mouth and a boot – which was later traced to Patterson – was shown on its neck. Again, men could be heard laughing and encouraging the dog with cries of “kill it”.
In the final bit of footage, a fox was shown in a cage with a dog. The animals are seen fighting with men’s voices encouraging them and hands shown holding the fox’s ears through the cage.
In interview, Patterson admitted he had been an apprentice gamekeeper and had a national diploma in countryside and game management. While studying for this, he had learnt how to use snares and traps.
On 25 March 2011 Wayne Lumsdon and Connor Patterson had their jail sentences cut because of a legal technicality. Judges at Newcastle Crown Court were forced to cut their prison sentences because the pair had not been given credit for pleading guilty at an earlier hearing. Patterson had his sentence reduced to 16 weeks. Lumsdon’s 26 weeks was cut to 21 by a judge at a separate hearing.
In November 2012 Connor Patterson was convicted of further cruelty to animals alongside wife Caroline Patterson (aka Caroline Jordan) after a search warrant was executed at their cottage in Whitfield by Northumbria Police and RSPCA inspectors. A total of 55 animals including dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, turkeys, ducks and chickens were seized from the couple.
Connor Patterson and now ex-wife Caroline Patterson (now Caroline Jordan) outside court
The court heard animals had been left without a constant supply of fresh drinking water and some were underweight.
Dogs at the property were suffering from dental disease, while a turkey was left with an untreated lump in its ear.
Patterson was found to be in breach of his disqualification order although this and the cruelty charge were later overturned on appeal on the grounds that the animals were the responsibility of his wife.
Caroline Patterson was given a conditional discharge and was not banned from keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2011) | former gamekeeper Steven Metcalfe, born 2 May 1978, of Wensleydale Avenue, West Burton, Leyburn DL8 5SD – filmed a horrific attack by two dogs on a trapped fox.
The footage taken by Metcalfe on his mobile phone was so distressing that it made one of the magistrates cry when viewed in court.
The married father-of-two claimed he was not directly involved in the attack, but refused to name the two other men involved.
Kevin Campbell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the unidentified men had caught the fox and were keeping it in a sack with its mouth bound.
He said they told Metcalfe they wanted him to film their dogs attacking it “for training”.
The fox was then held down by its neck by one of the men, with its mouth still tied, as the dogs repeatedly tore into it at the unnamed location. It was later shot dead by one of the men, who are both known to Metcalfe.
When questioned by officers, he replied: “I didn’t think it was wrong – it’s just a dog killing a fox. It’s vermin.”
He had previously worked as a gamekeeper for four years and was trained in humane methods of killing animals.
Metcalfe admitted causing unnecessary suffering and being present at an animal fight.
Granville Rooley, mitigating, told the court that Metcalfe felt intimidated by the other two men and was not directly responsible for the incident.
“What he should have done was simply walked away from it once he realised what was going on,”
He added: “He did not because anyone who can set up this kind of thing are not the type of people you want to get on the wrong side of.”
Speaking afterwards, RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson, said: “The video is extremely shocking and shows a deliberate and callous attack of great cruelty towards the fox.”
Sentencing | 16 weeks in prison. Banned from keeping dogs for ten years (expired 2021).
CONVICTED (2011) | wildlife persecutors Mark Anthony Tiffin, born 2 September 1990, of 79 Downland Crescent, Knottingley WF11 0EJ, Ben Scott Lloyd Galsworthy, born 26 February 1978, of 1 Derwent Place, Knottingley WF11 0NL and Neil Burlingham, born c. 1975, of Clifford in Wetherby – caught hunting with dogs.
Mark Tiffen (left) and Ben Galsworthy
The trio, who were represented by Clive Rees, were found guilty of hunting a wild mammal with a dog but walked free from court with a conditional discharge.
All three men were arrested in Gateforth, Selby, in January 2010 after members of Selby Badger Watch reported seeing three men with dogs and shovels close to a badger sett which they were monitoring. The men denied they were hunting a wild mammal with a dog.
Tiffin told the court he had travelled with the other two men to look for rabbits, then to Hambleton Hough to “get rats out of mounds of muck”, before one of the dogs had run away.
The judge told the men that their stories were inconsistent whilst witnesses for the prosecution were credible and concise.
Tiffin, who at the time of his conviction was serving a 12-month prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving, received a two-year conditional discharge.
Galsworthy and Burlingham also received two-year conditional discharges, and were ordered to pay costs of £500 each.
The two dogs, which had been examined by a vet at a cost of £2,092 were confiscated by the police but were later taken from the kennels by persons unknown.
Mark Tiffin was due to appear at Selby Magistrates Court on 24th March 2011 charged with being present at an animal fight. It is alleged that Tiffin used his mobile phone to record images of the animal fight and he faces a number of charges relating to this incident. Unfortunately no further details are available
Source: York Anti-Hunt League
Tiffin reportedly works as a ‘terrierman’ with the combined York and Ainsty South/Badsworth & Bramham Moor Hunt. Members of the York Anti-Hunt League took photographs of Tiffin, whose official role is to mend fences and open gates, during a “cubbing” meet.
Source: York Anti-Hunt League
He was pictured on a quad bike with spades clearly visible on the front of the vehicle. One disturbing image captured Tiffin literally with blood on his hands.
CONVICTED (2011) | persistent wildlife persecutor Christian Latcham, born c. 1987, of Morton Terrace, Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF40 2DP
Barbaric Christian Latcham set his dogs on badgers, foxes and deer . He is shown here with regular digging mate Jamie Rush. Rush was exposed alongside Latcham in a 2018 BBC Wales documentary entitled ‘ The Secret World of Badger Baiters’
Blood sports enthusiast Latcham – a father of six – pleaded guilty to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act and six charges under the Badger Act.
Latcham was told that his actions amounted to “unspeakable cruelty” but still avoided jail
The serial abuser was prosecuted after evidence of sickening cruelty towards badgers, foxes and deer were discovered on his mobile phone.
Prosecuting, Geraint Richards described to the court the disturbing pictures of a severed badger head, a photo of Latcham’s dogs savaging a badger and an image of a bloodstained Latcham holding up animal carcasses.
Latcham with two of his six children
The court heard how, on being arrested in 2009 for a separate offence, Latcham had aroused officers’ suspicion as he hurried to conceal his mobile phone.
When the police seized his phone they viewed images of the defendant holding up the carcasses of foxes, deer and badgers.
Clive Rees, defending, said the defendant lacked empathy and had limited social skills.
He said: “He has been unable to put himself in the place of the animals he was dealing with and to think and see through the things he was doing.”
Chairman of the bench Mike Hanley said: “These were deliberate and unprovoked actions which speak of unspeakable cruelty.”
Two dogs used to savage the badgers were taken away from Latcham.
RSPCA inspector Simon Evans said badger baiting had become a prevalent problem in South Wales.
He said: “Offending evidence in this type of case is rare, but this isn’t a one off.”
Sentencing: Five-month prison sentence, suspended for one year; 250 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 costs. Disqualified indefinitely from keeping dogs.
Despite having been banned indefinitely from keeping dogs Christian Latcham featured in an episode of BBC Wales Investigates entitled ‘The Secret World of Badger Baiters’.
The episode showed that Latcham not only had dogs but was still actively engaged in badger baiting alongside Jamie Rush. Other associates include Tomas Young and Ryan Harrison, who were jailed for badger baiting in June 2019. Young’s cruelty included skinning a badger cub alive before feeding it to his dogs.
CONVICTED (2010) | badger baiters Shaun Chapman, born 12/08/1981, of Rishworth Close, Bransholme, Hull HU7 5BG, Garry Arthur Douglas, born 21/07/1970, most recent known address Railway Cottages, Newport Road, Great Bridgeford ST18 9PR, and Terry Murray, born 1962 but now deceased, from Ottringham
L-R Shaun Chapman, Terry Murray, Garry Douglas
Shaun Chapman, Garry Douglas and Terry Murray were found guilty of a charge of interfering with a badger sett under section 3 of the Protection of Badgers’ Act 1992 following a one-day a trial at Hull Magistrates’ Court in September 2010.
The vile trio had denied disturbing the sett at Sunk Island, East Yorkshire, and claimed they were “bushing” for foxes and rabbits.
They were armed with two shovels, three terriers and an electronic dog collar locator when caught by Humberside Police.
2022 image of badger baiter Shaun Chapman
Chapman said his dog, a black Patterdale terrier, had gone into one of the holes of the sett after a fox.
He said he used a digital locator to follow his dog and the men used two spades to dig above the sett.
Douglas had his English bull terrier with him when arrested by the police. He said he had gone to East Yorkshire on invitation having met Chapman at a Welsh game fair. He said he didn’t go anywhere without his dog.
“I went out bushing to bolt a few foxes and rabbits,” said Douglas. “I didn’t dig.” Asked why not he laughed: “I’m too lazy.”
Douglas threw one of the spades away before the men left the area.
Humberside Police helicopter arrived at the scene and officers on the ground arrested the three defendants.
Their activities were captured on the force helicopter’s camera.
District Judge Frederick Rutherford told the men: “I found you approached a live sett knowing at the time it to be active.
“Your intention was to bait or kill animals by digging out the sett with the sole purpose of causing terror to a protected species.
“You had intended to cause extreme cruelty to the animals in this sett.”
The men were defended by Clive Rees.
Sentencing: 12-week suspended jail sentences; 200 hours of unpaid work; £2,000 each in costs.
CONVICTED (2010) | huntsman Alistair Thomas Robinson, born April 1962, of 1 Essendy House, Bampton Grange, Penrith CA10 2QR – flushed a fox from her den and beat her to death with a stick.
Robinson denied using dogs to hunt a fox but was convicted after a trial.
League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) members Ed Shephard and Paul Tillsey showed the court film footage of Robinson’s actions as an Ullswater Foxhounds ‘drag’ hunt passed Hartsop on October 26, 2009. The film showed the defendant take a fox from the ground where his two terriers had been running in tunnels.
The hunt was intended to be a legal ‘drag’, where dogs follow a scent planted by members. Robinson was filmed putting his black terrier into a hole in the area where a fox had been spotted.
Oliver King, prosecuting, said Robinson was seen by LACS members digging with a stick in the area where the fox had run underground, after the hunt moved on.
Robinson later admitted, in interview, he had killed the animal and buried her carcass in a dry stone wall, where LACS members later retrieved it. He claimed he did not intend to use dogs to kill the animal.
A post-mortem examination on the vixen was carried out by Stephen Harris at Bristol University. The examination revealed she had been attacked for ‘a prolonged period’ by dogs and received extensive injuries. The court heard that there were bite wounds to the fox’s face and she had a partially crushed skull.
Stephen Welford, defending, said Robinson had only sent his terrier underground to help track and bring out a four-year-old dog that had accidentally escaped its lead and run in.
When interviewed by Cumbria police, after his arrest, Robinson said: “The fox was in a bit of a state, so I gave it a couple of knocks to finish it off. It wouldn’t have survived.”
Sentencing | fined £250, ordered to pay £900 costs and a £15 surcharge.
CONVICTED (2009) | Shane Paul Burt, born c. 1989, of 10 Deans Avenue, Connah’s Quay, Deeside CH5 4QF – filmed his dog trying to kill a badger.
Burt was found guilty of wilfully attempting to kill a badger after being prosecuted under the Badgers Act 1992.
The court heard the horrible attack happened in Dock Road, Connah’s Quay, sometime between September 30 and November 26, 2008.
Acting on information there was mobile phone footage that would incriminate Burt, police executed a search warrant on his home.
They seized the phone, which was found to have about 30-seconds of sickening footage showing the dog attacking the badger.
The footage ends with the badger leaving the scene.
Burt told police his dog had been injured in the attack and that he had washed the injuries with warm, salted water.
He said that the dog – a lurcher/Staffy named Hooch – had since been put down.
After the case, North Wales Police Wildlife and Environmental Officer Sgt Rob Taylor said: “I am very pleased with the result. It was a callous and sick act.”
Sentencing | 150 hours of community service; £250 costs. Three-year ban on keeping animals (expired 2012).
CONVICTED (2008) | Simon Evans, born 4 December 1967, of Pencader, Carmarthenshire, and Peter William McGuigan, born 14 May 1970 of Moelhedog Isaf, Pontsian, Llandysul SA44 4UB – caught badger-baiting with dogs
Badger baiters Simon Evans (left) and Peter McGuigan
Evans and McGuigan went equipped with dogs, nets and tracking devices to hunt badgers in October 2006.
A nearby landowner heard a commotion and called police.
When officers arrived a limp badger was found in the mouth of a lurcher dog belonging to them and a metre-deep hole had been dug close to a badger sett.
It was claimed the men had flushed out a badger and then watched for sport as their dogs fought it.
The pair were found guilty of four out of five charges brought by the RSPCA.
Simon Evans
Sentencing the duo, district judge Mark Layton said the matters were so serious only a custodial sentence was justified.
He said the only explanation as to why they had gone badger baiting at woodland near Boncath, Pembrokeshire, on 14 October 2006 was “for some sort of enjoyment”.
But he said how anyone could enjoy such “sickening and appalling acts of cruelty” was “quite incomprehensible”.
Sentencing: six-month suspended jail sentence; 240 hours of community work. £4,000 each in costs. Banned from keeping dogs for seven years (expired April 2015).
