CONVICTED (2022) | Amy Page aka Amy Stanley, born 25 January 1984, of Whitebeam Road, Durrington, Worthing BN13 3PJ – for starving two dogs, one of whom had already died.
Page, who is a traveller and alleged backyard breeder, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the two dogs named Prince and Princess.
The court heard that after the RSPCA had received an anonymous call about one dead dog and another very emaciated live dog at Page’s address, Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Marie Stevens had visited the property and asked to check on the dogs. Page refused, but ARO Stevens then spotted the defendant dragging the lifeless body of an extremely thin black dog from the garden towards the back door of the house.
Evil Amy Page starved Princess to emaciation. Happily she recovered in the RSPCA’s care.
Marie Stevens said: “Despite what I had observed, Ms Page repeatedly denied there was a dead dog on her property, but did take me through the house into the rear garden to show me a live, very emaciated tan and white dog, named Princess. The dog was cowering and appeared frightened. I could clearly see all of her ribs, spine and hip bones. There appeared to be no food or drink available for the dog.
“After pressing her repeatedly about the dead dog I had seen her dragging, she eventually admitted to me that her dog Prince had died and was upstairs in the bathroom. I found Prince – lifeless – under a sheet.
“He was extremely thin, with ribs, backbone, hips and shoulders all clearly visible and it was clear he had also been suffering from a bad ear infection.”
Prince pictured looking fit and healthy before he was starved by Amy StanleyPrince had already died before he could be rescued.
Page agreed to sign both dogs over to the RSPCA, and ARO Stevens took the animals to a local vet. On examination, the vet discovered that the live dog, Princess, was emaciated, with an extremely low body condition score of one (out of nine). Her ribs and bones of the pelvis and spine were very visible and she appeared depressed though responsive. When Princess was offered food she ate voraciously.
The vet reported that the body of Prince was also emaciated; his ribs, pelvic bones and spine were easily visible. A blood sample showed significant changes in the liver and kidney, suggesting organ failure. This dog was transferred to Royal Veterinary College for a post mortem examination.
Speaking after the hearing, ARO Stevens said: “Prince and Princess were dependent on their keeper and Ms Page broke that trust by leaving them to suffer and one to die. Page could have asked for help or handed them over to an animal charity to be rehomed but instead decided to simply neglect them, leading to a period of prolonged suffering and in the case of one of the dogs, death.”
Princess has made a full recovery and has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | 16-week suspended prison sentence; 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days; a total of £528 in costs and victim surcharge. Disqualified indefinitely from keeping animals.
Amy Stanley has links to Portsmouth, Littlehampton and Angmering.
It is believed that Prince and Princess belonged to Amy Stanley’s ex husband Graham Page. In 2018 he was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison after being convicted of wounding with intent, affray and breaching the terms of a previous suspended sentence imposed for a driving offence.
CONVICTED (2022) | Paul Carrick, born 19 December 1979, previously of Gurlish West, Coundon. Bishop Auckland* – caught on camera viciously battering a cat multiple times against a wall before stamping on him repeatedly.
Paul Carrick received suspended prison sentence and lifetime ban on keeping animals.
This horrific act of animal cruelty, which took place in December 2021, hasn’t yet made the papers and we don’t want to risk it going under the radar, so here’s what we know.
A neighbour was woken up to the sound of an animal in immense pain and distress and looked out her window to see Carrick attacking a terrified cat.
Victim: although his body has never been found, it is believed that the cat, apparently named Felix (pictured), did not survive.
She ran downstairs immediately to confront Carrick, who told her that his girlfriend was pregnant and the cat was “spraying everywhere”. He claimed he had scared the cat away and denied killing him.
The woman couldn’t see any trace of the cat but spoke to another neighbour the next day, who provided her with CCTV footage showing exactly what had happened.
The witness saw Carrick take rolls of carpet away that same day and believes he may have hidden the cat’s body inside one of those.
Carrick, who works as a roads maintenance worker, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates on 25 August 2022 and was given a 23-week suspended prison sentence. He was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and participate in a 30-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement. He must pay a total of £2,452 in costs and victim surcharge. He was disqualified from keeping any animals for life.
Magistrates decided not to impose a custodial sentence after Carrick said he was a carer for his girlfriend who supposedly has mental health issues.
Update 8 September 2022
BBC News have now covered the case here. It states that Carrick is now living in the village of Annfield Plain, County Durham.
County Durham and Darlington Magistrates’ Court was told RSPCA inspector Christine Nisbet went to an address in Gurlish Terrace, Coundon, after a complaint from a member of the public.
She was shown a copy of CCTV footage, taken from a security camera nearby, and when she went to his home “immediately recognised” him as the man in the film.
The inspector searched two wheelie bins in Carrick’s yard, and the yard of a neighbouring property, but could not find any trace of the cat.
However, a vet who was asked to review video clips from the footage said that it was “very likely” that the cat had died as a result of the attack.
Carrick admitted hitting the cat against a wall but denied stamping on it.
Magistrates heard a statement from the vet which said: “It can be clearly seen on the footage that [the cat] was slammed into a wall with considerable force and was thrown to the ground.
“Once the cat was on the ground we cannot see him, but given the man leans on the wall where the cat landed and stamps in the same position three times, disappears from view and reappears to stamp in the same place again I think it is reasonable to assume he was stamping on the cat.”
Update October 2022
*According to an anonymous source Carrick is now living in Horden, Peterlee with his girlfriend, Gemma Gray (aka Jemima Doherty). He may also be found in Clavering Place, Annfield Plain, County Durham DH9 7XD, where his parents live.
The source alleges that his girlfriend was never pregnant. She is said to be a heavy cannabis user. Claims in court that he is a carer for her are allegedly false as he works away from home.
Carrick works as a site supervisor for groundworks companies all over the UK, but has recently been based mostly in Reading.
Carrick and his girlfriend have/had a couple of dogs, including a pug who died last year. The cause of the dog’s death isn’t known.
CONVICTED (2022) | animal hoarder Mark Dean Blazey, born c. 1967, of Clayton Close, Weymouth DT3 6QZ – drowned 10 cats and dumped their bodies.
Mark Blazey was found guilty of two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two counts of failing to undertake the duty of a person responsible for an animal to ensure its welfare during a two-day trial earlier.
The court heard that Blazey was responsible for the cats and ‘purposefully and forcibly’ drowned them by submerging them in a body of water.
He dumped five of them in two suitcases at Weymouth Recycling Centre on February 8, 2021. He returned to the same tip a week later and dumped five more dead cats in a black bin bag.
Blazey, who was said to have around 40 cats in his one-bedroom flat at the time of the incident, told the court that the cats were like his ‘family’. Despite offers from a neighbour to help him take them off his hands, he was reluctant to give them away because he wanted to know that they could be looked after.
When asked by prosecutor Rowan Morton about a bucket and tarpaulin found in his bathroom, he said that the bucket was used to create a make-shift water fountain for his cats to drink and play with, using a pump.
The defendant said that there was a possibility that the cats were poisoned and said that on one occasion, prior to the cats’ deaths, blue pills in an open envelope were posted through his letter box, which he believed made the cats ate, causing them to become sick. He said he could not remember if the cats survived. He said he fixed a cage on the inside of his letter box to stop anymore letters posted from dropping on the floor.
Blazey said he did not know how the cats died, or if they were found dead weeks before going to the tip with their bodies. He said he could not remember if all 10 cats had died all together or in two lots of five.
He said he wrapped the cats in a towel, to keep them ‘nice’, and put them in the bathtub. The bathtub was said to have also been used as a toilet by the cats and Blazey said he would often use the shower head to wash away faeces and urine, and did so while the dead cats were in there, causing them to be wet.
When asked why he didn’t call a vet, Blazey said he didn’t call because he was ‘scared’ and said he was reluctant to talk to police because he was worried his cats would be taken off of him. He said the reason he gave a largely no comment interview was because he was following the advice from his duty solicitor.
They court heard that the RSPCA inspector involved in the case, Patrick Bailey, noticed an overwhelming smell of urine when visiting Blazey’s address.
Prosecutors said the crime had “some level of pre-meditation” and said: “they (the cats) did suffer. The heart would have stopped beating after around five-to-ten minutes”.
Max Owen, mitigating, said Blazey was “clearly someone who loves animals” and suggested his client, living on universal credit, had sacrificed himself ‘almost everything’ to take care of the cats.
Mr Owen described Blazey as “very fond of his cats… they were of normal body weight, well-fed and seemed to be well cared for albeit in a very small flat.”
He said: “The reality is that losing his cats is going to be a devastating for him and a much greater punishment than any the court could give.”
The assistant manager of the recycling centre confirmed that he found five ‘sopping wet’ cats on both occasions.
At the conclusion of the trial, chair of the bench Mr Davidge said that they found Blazey guilty of drowning the cats and causing them unnecessary suffering.
Sentencing | 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days; £395 in fine, costs and victim surcharge. Disqualified from owning any animal for five years (expires August 2027) with the cats still in his possession to be removed within 24 hours.
CONVICTED (2022) | Jamie Martin Bowen, born 27 April 1993, of 363 Violet Close, Newtown SY16 1HN – killed his girlfriend’s two cats by “punching them repeatedly”.
The injuries caused to Nala and Fuego by Bowen were so severe that the vet who treated them thought they could have only been caused by being hit by a vehicle.
Bowen admitted attacking the cats while “in a rage” and the court heard he had been through a period of mental health difficulties preceding the incident.
Two of Bowen’s cats. It’s not known if these are the cats that died.
One cat was already dead when Bowen and his partner took them to the veterinary practice, while the other had to be euthanised. He deemed both had been killed by blunt force trauma to the head and chest.
Bowen was said to have “become hysterical” and subsequently confessed to killing them both. He initially denied causing unnecessary suffering to the cats but later changed both pleas to guilty.
Prosecutor David Mainstone said the vet who treated Nala and Fuego became suspicious.
“The defendant and his partner had taken the two cats to Hafren Vets in Newtown, where the lead vet immediately saw one was dead, while the other was close to death,” he said.
“He spoke with the defendant and his partner to obtain consent to euthanise the cat as attempts to revive it were unsuccessful.
“The defendant said he had been struggling with his mental health and he admitted he’d killed the cats. The vet believed the cats must have been killed by being hit by a vehicle as their injuries were consistent with that sort of injury.”
He said the living cat had a fractured skull and injuries to its limbs.
Bowen later admitted he had punched the cats repeatedly in the head before calling his partner home to help him take them to the vets.
“He said he did not know why he’d done it and was not under the influence of drink or drugs at the time,” Mr Mainstone added.
“He said he had not taken his prescribed medication and this would have contributed to his actions. He said he did not intend to kill them.”
Bowen’s lawyer said his client had an “extremely gentle” side to his character. He told the court the couple have other cats, who are being cared for by the sister of Bowen’s partner.
Sentencing | eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Community mental health treatment requirement; 20 rehabilitation days; £656 in costs and charges. Banned from owning animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Craig James Wilson, born c. 1993, of Beverly Road, Hull HU3 – starved a dog to death over a month.
In a rare decision by the courts, Craig ‘Craigy’ Wilson was given a prison term for causing the death of a Staffy named Marshall.
Wilson appeared confused when he was suddenly flanked by two prison officers as Hull magistrates delivered their sentence. He was clearly not expecting to be jailed but the magistrates said the case was so serious it merited a custodial term.
RSPCA prosecutor Philip Brown told the court how Wilson never took Marshall to the vets despite his desperate state.
He said: “Marshall came to the attention of the RSPCA in December last year. The animal was taken to a vets and examined.
“The owner said the dog had collapsed and was not moving. By the time he was taken to the vets, Marshall had sadly passed away.
“The owner was clearly concerned about the cost of treatment when on the phone to the vets but they told him to bring the dog in and then a fee could be discussed later.
Marshall was dead on arrival and, when he was weighed he was just 6.8kg. The average weight of a male Staffordshire bull terrier is between 13-17kg. The vet noted there was very little body fat at all.
Mr Brown said: “When the owner was told the animal had passed away there was no reaction. He said the dog was always skinny.
“Mr Wilson insisted Marshall was in a decent condition in the days before the animal died.”
At that point it was unclear if Marshall had actually starved to death or if there was an underlying condition which had caused the malnutrition.
But Mr Brown said: “A post-mortem was carried out and it was found Marshall had suffered considerably. There was no medical reason for the weight loss and he had starved to death. It was evident he had suffered for a number of weeks and at least a month.”
Mike Farr, mitigating, told the court Wilson had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has no previous convictions.
He said: “My client is not someone who intentionally caused the animal to suffer. Ignorance has played a part here.
“He was brought up in the care system and had to fend for himself from the age of 16. He took on the animal as a favour but he had never had a pet before and was not prepared for the animal’s day-to-day requirements. He now realises looking after a dog is a huge commitment.
“He would not take issue with being disqualified from owning an animal in the future. He has no intention of doing so.”
After viewing all the medical evidence and the photographs, magistrates were left so shocked they felt there was no alternative but to jail Wilson. The chairman of the bench said there is no way this was accidental and that “custody was the only option”.
Wilson tried talking over the Chairman of the Bench as he delivered sentence but was told to be quiet.
Sentencing | jailed for 12 weeks. Banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Tristian Paul Pearson, born 2 April 1978, of 69 West Street, Bargoed CF81 8SA – poisoned two cats belonging to his neighbours.
Victims Bailey and Luna
Pearson admitted causing cats Luna and Bailey to take ethylene glycol, a substance which is highly poisonous to felines. The poisonings took place in early September 2021.
Vet statements supplied to the court confirmed the kidney tubules of both cats were consistent with ethylene glycol poisoning.
The cats belonged to a father and daughter who lived in two separate properties near Pearson’s West Street home.
Bailey’s owner reported that his cat, a Persian named Bailey, became unwell on 3 September, and appeared weak and wobbly. He was due to attend a vet but died before this took place.
On 7 September, Luna, a female domestic short hair, appeared very wobbly on her back legs. Her symptoms escalated, and vets found her to also have a high heart rate while her muscles were twitching. Sadly, vet tests confirmed Luna had kidney failure and she was put to sleep on humane grounds.
Following the deaths of their pets, the owners looked in the rear garden of their neighbour’s property and spotted two pots. One contained a bright blue liquid, and the other a food mix, including meat. These were retrieved, and passed to the RSPCA.
Some of the meat-type substance found in one of the pots was also found in the garden of Luna’s owner.
Tests later confirmed substances found in the pots contained a high concentration of ethylene glycol, one of which appeared to have been mixed with tuna fish.
An expert veterinary witness report concluded that it is “very highly likely that this was the source of ethylene glycol that caused the death of Luna and Bailey”.
The report said that the “effects of ethylene glycol poisoning cause a cat to suffer via the mechanism of dehydration with subsequent headaches, nausea, disorientation, weakness and collapse”.
Tubs containing the poison ethylene glycol which were found at the bottom of Pearson’s garden.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Simon Evans, who investigated, said: “These poor cats were deliberately tempted into digesting a substance that is incredibly dangerous for cats and ultimately proved fatal to them both.
“One cat died before he could even be taken to the vets, while another had to be put to sleep to prevent suffering. Vets found clear evidence of the harm the ethylene glycol had done.
“The two dishes found in the defendant’s garden contained a high concentration of the dangerous substance – and he admitted in court that he caused them to consume it, causing them to suffer unnecessarily.
“We hope this shocking, landmark case sends a clear message to anyone thinking of targeting cats in this way – this is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated.”
The case had originally been heard at Cwmbran Magistrates Court, where Pearson pleaded guilty – but was referred to Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing. The RSPCA believes this is the first such case to be referred in this way, following the coming into force of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 last year; demonstrating the seriousness of the offence.
Sentencing | eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months; 150 hours of unpaid work; £2,000 in costs. Disqualified from keeping all animals for five years but may appeal after four years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Akeel Bavington-Allen, born c. 2003, formerly of Great Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire – tortured the family cat and stabbed a chicken to death.
Bavington-Allen’s animal cruelty came to light after one of his family’s chickens was found dead. When CCTV was checked the teenager could be seen chasing after the animals with a garden fork and stabbing one of the chickens several times. When questioned, Bavington-Allen showed no empathy and said he didn’t feel anything at the time.
His mobile phone contained a video of him stabbing the family cat with the footage posted on Snapchat. It’s not known if the cat survived.
Bavington-Allen was said to have been showing a fascination for knives, gang culture and drill music when he was caught with a knife on him while he was attending Shipley College in April 2021.
He admitted having “a shank” on him when he was challenged and claimed he was carrying the knife because he had been assaulted by a group from Leeds.
Bavington-Allen, who had stopped taking his ADHD medication, also poured bleach into the family toothpaste tube at his home, but the corrosive substance was discovered before it caused any harm to anyone.
While on remand at HMP Doncaster Bavington-Allen made threats to kill his parents accusing them of being “snitches”.
Bavington-Allen admitted a series of offences including threats to kill, possession of a bladed article, animal cruelty and attempting to administer a noxious substance.
Sentencing | 42 months in a young offenders institution. Banned from going within 100 metres of his family home for the next five years. Banned from having direct or indirect contact with his mother. Five-year disqualification on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | James Spencer, born c. 1989, of Lindon Road, Brownhills, Walsall WS8 7DD – repeatedly beat his Labrador puppy.
So vulnerable … violent puppy abuser James Spencer is pictured outside court
Spencer was filmed striking the dog, named Budd, before picking him up and ‘throwing’ him in his van where he proceeded to rain down further blows.
Witnesses observed five separate, but similar, incidents outside his home in Lindon Road, Brownhills in Walsall.
The incidents took place between June 1 and July 25, 2021, typically in the parking area near his home.
Prosecutor Sara Pratt stated one witness saw Spencer strike the dog on three separate occasions but was ‘ready’ on the third when she filmed the incident.
She said: “The defendant was seen to be calling to Budd who didn’t come to him. He only approached when the defendant lay on the floor.
“This defendant picked the dog up struck him, then repeatedly slapped him in the van. The dog was thrown into the van and he was seen to repeatedly punch the dog. The footage was sent to the RSPCA.
“The defendant was heard to say ‘do you want to be punched again do you? Do you want to be punched again?’.”
Spencer voluntarily surrendered the puppy who was examined in September and found to be ‘bright, alert and friendly’. Although the pup was also observed to be ‘passive’ when picked up possibly due to a ‘history of negative encounters’, the prosecutor added.
Spencer initially claimed he would only smack Budd once to the nose if he was ‘naughty’ before confessing to the full extent of the abuse.
District Judge Jonathan Straw said: “I have watched the video. What was evident was a significant degree of inadequacy on part of the defendant.
“He initially was seen using conventional methods to call and cajole the dog. Then when unsurprisingly the dog didn’t obey his commands he became frustrated, which spiraled to anger and he meted physical chastisement by way of punches.
“This wasn’t cruelty from the start. It was a consequence of him simply not having the skills to deal with or cope with a puppy or any dog and becoming angry and frustrated as a consequence of the dog not obeying him.”
Pallo Bailey, defending, confirmed Spencer had a number of ‘difficulties’ and was currently unable to work after falling from a ladder.
Judge Straw described the assaults as ‘appalling, cruel and violent’ but acknowledged the defendant’s own ‘vulnerabilities’.
Sentencing | 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 20 rehabilitation days, £500 in costs. Banned from keeping animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Rhys Owen Davies, born 12 December 1993, of Bwthyn Grug, Llanbedrog, Pwllheli LL53 7HN – kept five dogs for animal fighting and failed to treat their injuries.
Davies, who has now returned to his home town of Llanbedrog in North Wales, admitted keeping and training five Patterdale Terriers to fight animals, as well as failing to seek veterinary treatment for two which had sustained injuries from fighting.
Davies, a former gamekeeper at the Millden shooting estate* in Glenesk, Brechin, Angus DD9, also pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions of his firearms licence by having unsecured firearms and ammunition in his then home in Turnabrae House.
Davies kept trophy photos of dogs he used to fight and bait wild animals
The court heard that an employee of a photo print company contacted the SSPCA with serious concerns about the welfare of several dogs pictured in an order for 58 images placed by Davies.
Many of the dogs showed progressively more serious facial injuries over the period the images were taken and several males posing and digging into what looked like badger setts or fox dens. There were numerous images showing dead foxes.
Many of the images showed injured dogs and dead foxes.One horrific image showed a terrier latched onto a bleeding badger
The SSPCA identified them as ‘trophy’ photographs showing a group of males engaging in the organised fighting and killing of wild animals over an extended period. Davies was easily identifiable in many of the images.
Inspectors from the SSPCA and officers from Police Scotland went to Davies’ home in Brechin with a warrant on the morning of October 8, 2019. Police found a Benelli shotgun propped against a wall near the front door, two rifles were also found, a Tikka .243 rifle on the sofa and a CZ rifle in the hall cupboard next to the open gun cabinet.
An assortment of ammunition, including 23 bullets in a pot on the floor, five in a carrier bag behind the front door and one on top of a bed were seized by police.
Davies was pictured alongside others posing after digging into fox dens or badger setts.
Eleven dogs were found within kennels on the property. Five Patterdale Terrier dogs had obvious signs of injury.
Two of the terriers, Lola and Tuck, had fresh injuries. Lola’s were to her mouth and lower jaw and Tuck had part of his lower face missing and fresh injuries which produced an obvious smell when near the dog. There were also healing wounds to his forelegs.
All the dogs were taken to Scottish SPCA facilities for examination and treatment.
Inspectors found equipment on the property linked to illegal animal fighting including, locator collars, medication, needles and syringes and a staple gun used to staple up injuries.
Badger DNA was found on a red locator collar following forensic examination.
Photobooks were recovered from the property like the print order placed by Davies.
The dogs had been used repeatedly for fighting, resulting in serious disfigurement
Davies was interviewed under caution and admitted that the dogs had not received veterinary treatment in the time that he had owned them. He denied using the dogs to fight or kill foxes or badgers and claimed they had sustained injury from legal ratting and foxing.
Davies agreed to sign all the terrier dogs over to the Scottish SPCA for rehoming.
The injured dogs were examined by specialist vets. Their expert opinion was that the dogs had been kept for the purposes of animal fighting and their injuries were sustained from face-to-face combat with badgers or foxes.
Another dog is left disfigured after being trained to fight badgers and foxes for the entertainment of her sick owner
Davies’ phone was seized during the search and images of him engaged in digging activities and the dogs with fresh wounds were found. There were also numerous conversations with associates referencing digging activities and sharing photographs showing dogs pulling badgers out of setts.
A number of voice messages with associates were also found where they discussed digging with the dogs. In one message, Davies’ asks an individual about the size of photographs to print to make a digging album. Davies states, “And if I do get the knock for it at least everything’s all in the one place for them to find”.
GPS location data from Davies’ phone also placed him in two rural locations on 21 September 2019 where he was found to have had a conversation with the same associate about meeting to bait and later that night his associate sent an image of Davies standing in a large hole holding one of the terrier dogs.
Speaking after the sentencing, Karon Rollo, Head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit of COPFS said: “Animal fighting is a cruel illegal activity which causes terrible and unnecessary suffering to animals.
“The evidence clearly shows the scope of the involvement Rhys Davies had with an organised group that took pleasure in killing wild animals in such a wicked and inhumane manner.
“I welcome the sentence and the granting of the order preventing him from keeping animals for 15 years. I would like to thank Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“Hopefully this prosecution and the sentence will serve as a message to others who would cause such suffering that there are consequences and that they will be held to account for their actions and could also lose their liberty.
“COPFS will continue to work to ensure those who participate in these barbaric practices are prosecuted and would encourage anyone who may have information on animal fighting to contact Police Scotland or the Scottish SPCA.”
Sentencing | eight months in prison; £1,800 fine for firearms offences. Banned from owning or keeping animals for 15 years.
*The Millden Estate is one of a number of shooting estates in the Angus Glens. According to the insightful blog Raptor Persecution UK, the estate is “long- known amongst conservationists as a raptor persecution hotspot” where in 2009 a poisoned golden eagle named Alma was found, with a golden buzzard meeting a similar fate in the same year.
Another blogger, former police officer Alan Stewart aka the Wildlife Detective, described a “catalogue of criminality” taking place on the estate, with incidents including a working collie being poisoned in 2006. He continues:
Around the same time the eggs of a nesting hen harrier disappeared and two fresh shotgun cartridge cases were found near the nest. Despite DNA tests on the cartridge cases and the shotguns of the keepers being taken for comparison with the mark on the cartridge cases made by the firing pin no charges could be brought.
… in 2009 a dead otter was found in a fox snare.
In 2010 an egg tray and nitrile gloves, all with traces of pesticide, were recovered buried on the estate. It is likely that eggs baited with pesticide had been set out.
In 2011 a buzzard was seen being shot. The person doing the shooting drove off in a Land Rover. Neither the vehicle nor the person shooting could be identified. Despite a search on a rocky hill face, we were unable to recover the dead buzzard.
In 2012 … a satellite-tagged golden eagle probably caught in a spring trap, mysteriously moved overnight from Millden Estate and was found dumped, still alive and with two broken legs, on Deeside.
No one has ever been prosecuted for any of these alleged offences and Millden Estate has denied any responsibility.
On 1 November 2022 the Daily Record published an article revealing Rhys Davies’ links to other convicted wildlife persecutors Anthony Holloway (who’s also involved in dog fighting) and Liam Taylor.
CONVICTED (2022) | Callum Ruane, born 8 June 2001, of 10 Bewsey Road, Bewsey, Warrington WA2 7LW – blamed steroid addiction for his systematic abuse of a puppy.
Ruane was seen on multiple occasions punching, kicking and throwing the four-month-old American Bully dog, called Dice, at his then home in Savannah Place, Great Sankey, Warrington. Disturbing and upsetting mobile phone footage was captured by horrified neighbour Susie Perry who passed it on to the RSPCA.
Victim Dice – notice the cropped ears.
Liverpool Crown Court heard when inspectors interviewed Ruane at his mum’s home, he became tearful and told them he attacked Dice because he had “just completed a cycle of steroids and his head was fucked”.
Ruane admitted a charge of cruelty to a protected animal but initially claimed he had only abused Dice on one occasion. The RSPCA rejected his basis of plea and he later admitted the full facts of the prosecution case.
He was also charged with cruelty to another dog, Kilo, which he denied, but the prosecution allowed that charge to lie on the file in light of his guilty pleas.
Carmel Wilde, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told the court Ms Perry and another neighbour, Kerry Liggett, first became concerned on September 25, 2021, when they heard the sounds of a dog “screaming”. Ms Perry ran to look out of an upstairs window which overlooked the patio door of the defendant’s property, offering a view into the kitchen area.
Ms Wilde said: “She could see Dice in his crate and the defendant was punching Dice to the head. Kerry Liggett, the same day, heard a horrible yelping sound lasting 10 seconds at least, and thought it was odd.
“Her neighbour called round 10 minutes later saying the defendant had strangled the dog by putting it in a headlock and punched it. They reported matters to the RSPCA and were advised by the control room to try and obtain videos of the abuse.”
On October 3, Ms Perry noticed that Dice had got out of his crate and had chewed a bag, some money and a pair of sunglasses in Ruane’s kitchen. Fearing his reaction, Ms Perry began filming on her mobile phone.
Dice’s owner Phoebe Jones allowed her pet to be abused by her steroid-addicted boyfriend
Initially Ruane’s then partner and the owner of Dice, Phoebe Jones, came into the room and began cleaning up the mess. The court heard Ms Perry thought Miss Jones “looked worried”.
A short time later Ms Perry heard Dice “screaming” so ran to the window again. Ms Wilde told the court: “She described the defendant beating the dog. She became petrified and shaky and could not understand why Miss Jones was not stopping it.”
Ms Perry heard the dog yelping and spotted Ruane holding Dice fully off the floor by his head and neck. The couple’s other dog, Kilo, was also present and was “spinning around agitated”.
Ms Wilde said: “The defendant could be seen throwing Dice into the crate. He then gets into the crate with the dog and can be seen hitting it. The dog can be heard yelping.”
Ruane left the dog in the crate, but not before aiming a kick at it as it cried.
Later that day Ms Perry captured another video showing Ruane using “random objects” to jab and poke Dice, although the crate was covered with a blanket which obscured the full extent of the abuse.
Perhaps most disturbingly, further footage captured by Ms Perry showed Ruane luring Dice out of his crate by pretending to offer him affection, only to punch him and throw him back into the crate by his throat.
Juice-head Ruane pictured outside court
RSPCA inspectors attended Ruane’s address and confronted him with the footage. He confirmed he was the man in the video and admitted his behaviour was unacceptable, blaming steroids for making his head “fucked”. The court heard he became tearful and said “if I could change it I would”.
Both Dice and Kilo were removed and Dice showed behavioural problems which experts said were linked to the abuse. Vets also noted he was slouching and struggled walking, leading to a diagnosis of hip dysplasia caused by an underlying genetic disorder.
Dice and Kilo
The court heard the RSPCA believed the long-lasting behavioural issues caused by the abuse were a danger in a dog capable of causing life-changing injuries to humans and other dogs, and combined with the suffering caused by his pre-existing conditions, a decision was made to put Dice to sleep. The court heard the abuse did not directly cause severe injuries leading to Dice’s death, however.
Peter Gilmore, defending, highlighted his client had no previous convictions for violence or animal cruelty and was a young man. He said: “This offending was out of character for him. It occurred at a time when he was abusing steroids; that’s not an excuse but it is an explanation as to why he was unable to control his anger at that time.
“His anger was unfairly and wrongly directed at the dog; that he regrets and is horrified by. He’s no longer using steroids and he realises now on reflection they changed him and his behaviour was worse when he took them.”
Mr Gilmore said “as hard as it is to believe” Ruane’s relationship with the dogs had “another side” and he “loved them”. He said his client had experienced an emotional toll over losing them because of his own behaviour.
The judge, Recorder Richard Leiper, QC, said: “It was harrowing to see Dice being lured out of his crate by you purporting to offer affection only to abuse him. It was a complete betrayal of a young puppy seeking comfort. I am told you were capable of being loving and caring towards the dogs, but that would make your conduct towards Dice all the more distressing towards the dog.”
However Judge Leiper said in an pre-sentence assessment by the Probation Service an officer had suggested there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation” and prison could store up more problems by exposing Ruane to “more sophisticated offenders”.
He said the defendant’s guilty plea, remorse and lack of previous convictions meant he could spare him immediate jail time.
Sentencing | 16-week prison term, suspended for 12 month; 150 hours of unpaid work; 20 Rehabilitation Activity days with the Probation Service; £1,800 in prosecution costs. Banned from owning or controlling any animal for five years unless a court lifted the disqualification order, which could not be for a minimum of two years.
Callum Ruane is the son of Paul Ruane, who in October 2019, was charged alongside others in relation to the import of class A and B drugs. He was said to be part of the UK’s biggest drugs and organised crime gang. The outcome of the case has not been reported and it may still be ongoing.
Phoebe Jones, who based on the evidence presented in court was complicit in her boyfriend’s routine dog abuse and was seen by a witness to do nothing to intervene, owns a beauty salon named Enhance by Phoebe Jones. The shop is located at 141 Bury New Rd, Whitefield, Manchester M45 6AA. She has over 21,000 followers on her (now private) Instagram account ‘Faces by Phe‘. Facebook business page (also currently deactivated) is here and her website is here.
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