Category Archives: badger baiting

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, foxes, hunting with dogs, hunts, Organised Animal Crime, Serial Animal Abusers, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Knottingley / Wetherby, West Yorkshire: Mark Tiffin, Ben Galsworthy and Neil Burlingham

February 12, 2011 misanthropic 1 Comment

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.

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.

When not terrorising wildlife, Tiffin participates in bareknuckle boxing matches

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.

Wildlife Guardian

Additional Information

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

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.

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.

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, deer, Dogs, foxes, hunting with dogs, Multiple Species, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, Serial Animal Abusers, service and working dogs, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Tonypandy, South Wales: Christian Latcham

January 15, 2011 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2011) | persistent wildlife persecutor Christian Latcham, born c. 1987, of Morton Terrace, Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF40 2DP

Serial persecutor of badgers, foxes and deer Christian Latcham of Tonypandy, South Wales — 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.

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.

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.

Wales Online
BBC News

Update 2018

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.

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, foxes, hunting with dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Kingston Upon Hull / Great Bridgeford / Ottringham: Shaun Chapman, Garry Douglas and Terrance Murray

November 2, 2010 misanthropic 1 Comment

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.

BBC News
Wildlife Guardian

Update 2020

Shaun Chapman, who has links to Doncaster, is a self-employed plasterer trading under the name Chapman Contractors.

In December 2011 Terry Murray was killed in a car crash after the vehicle he was travelling in skidded on black ice.

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, hunting with dogs, Multiple Species, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Connah’s Quay, Flintshire: Shane Burt

November 12, 2009 misanthropic 1 Comment

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).

North Wales Live

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, hunting with dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Mid-Wales: badger baiters Simon Evans and Peter McGuigan

April 3, 2008 misanthropic 2 Comments

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 William McGuigan from Pencader and Llandysul respectively — 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.

Badger baiter Simon Evans from Pencader, Wales. Picture: Facebook — 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).

BBC News

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, Dogs, hunting with dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Hawick, Scottish Borders: Sean Dodds and Kyle Lawrie

January 18, 2008 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2008) | badger baiters Sean Dodds, born 01/08/1990, most recently of Queens Drive, Hawick TD9 8EP and Kyle Lawrie, born c. 1989, most recently of Church Lane, Hawick TD9 8DL

Badger baiters Sean Dodds and Kyle Lawrie from Hawick, Scottish borders — Sean Dodds (left) and Kyle Lawrie

Dodds and Lawrie were told that any civilised human being could only wonder at the “barbaric mindset” of people who saw the “warped activity”of badger baiting as entertainment or sport.

Both pleaded guilty to digging at a badger’s sett, which carries a jail sentence of up to three years.

Dodds admitted on another occasion wilfully killing a badger with a dog – the first conviction of its kind in Scotland – while at the same time Lawrie was digging at the sett.

They watched along with others as Dodds’ pet dog fought with a badger pulled from a sett for up to 20 minutes before the animal died.

The court was told police suspected Dodds was involved in badger-baiting after he posted an image of a dog killing the protected animal on his Bebo profile and later confessed his crimes to officers.

Several homes in the town were searched and a number of dogs, some which had injuries, were seized and handed over to the Scottish SPCA.

It led to six people from Hawick being charged with badger-baiting offences, but only Dodds and Lawrie were convicted.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond commented: “It is plain that there are persons, including these two accused, who have been engaging in badger digging in the Hawick area.

“Any civilised human being listening to the account of dogs being put down the badger setts wearing locator collars to drag badgers by their teeth to the waiting spectators where the badgers were kicked, abused, set upon by dogs and killed over a period, described on one account as lasting up to 15-20 minutes, can only wonder at the barbaric mindset of such people which sees this warped activity as entertainment or sport.

“That Dodds should then consider the activity appropriate to post a photograph on an internet site of a dog grappling with a badger tells us something of Mr Dodds’ state of mind.

“Had it not been for the assistance which Dodds provided to the police and his remorse which I have accepted in this case, I would have dealt with this by imprisonment.”

Lawyers for both youths claimed they had been influenced by others involved in the activity.

After the verdict, Superintendent Mike Flynn of the SSPCA said: “They were given a sentence which is a direct alternative to jail, so that is encouraging.

“It is also pleasing they have been banned from keeping dogs for five years.”

Ian Hutchison, species protection officer with Scottish Badgers, commented: “The sheriff has sent a clear message that this kind of cruelty will not be tolerated.

“A lot of work has gone into getting these convictions and hopefully those who were engaging in this practice will now be dissuaded.”

Inspector John Scott of Lothian and Borders Police, based in Hawick, said: “One of the attractive things about living in the Borders is the countryside, so it is important it is protected from activities like this.

“Quite often these are hidden crimes, so it is a positive result.

“It was not only the cruelty to the badgers, but the dangers they were putting their own pet dogs in as well.”

Sentencing:
Dodds was ordered to carry out 200 hours community service as a direct alternative to custody, with Lawrie sentenced to 160 hours. Disqualified from having custody of a dog for a period of five years (expired January 2013).

BBC News
The Scotsman

UK Animal Cruelty Files