CONVICTED (2019) | John Knibbs, born 04/02/64, most recently of Polyanthus Drive, Sleaford NG34 7HS, Stephen Gardner, born c. 1961, of Willows End, Bloxholm, Lincoln LN4 3QF, Adam Scott, born 29 April 1984 of Aber Eilian Bach, Llaneilian, Amlwch, Anglesey LL68 9LR and Kimberleigh Steele, also known as Kim Donaghy, born 24/02/88, of Downfield Walk, Plymouth PL7 2DT
The RSPCA prosecution case against a vicious dog-fighting gang who tried to breed the “ultimate dog” has been heard in court. Three members of the gang didn’t even bother to show up for their hearing and were convicted in their absence.
The court heard police and RSPCA investigators found eight dogs during a raid on a premises in Sleaford, including an American bulldog, a Bully Kutta cross Presa Canario and a pitbull terrier. Some of the dogs had horrific injuries, were scarred from fighting and in poor physical health.
The searches uncovered paraphernalia commonly used by people involved in dog fighting, including a ‘flirt pole’, a long pole with a rope attached and a ‘break stick’, a tool commonly used to break up a dog fight.
Serial dog fighter John Herbert Knibbs (who also uses the surname Donaghy), who was already banned for life from keeping animals, was the ringleader of the gang. His latest cruelty relates to when he was living in Sleaford with Kimberleigh Joanne Steele, but he has also stayed at addresses in Grantham, Barnsley, Stamford and Halifax.
Knibbs was convicted in his absence on charges which included keeping and training dogs for fighting, ear cropping and causing unnecessary suffering to a bull terrier called Baddy and another called Panther by failing to provide veterinary care for their injuries.
Distressing footage found on Knibbs’ mobile phone showed dogs being forced to fight for up to 45 minutes and being trained on treadmills. One video showed a dog tied to a treadmill and forced to run – a common training technique used to build up strength for fighting dogs.
Text messages exchanged between ring members indicated that one fight lasted 45 minutes and had ended when a terrified Presa Canario jumped out of a window to escape pitbull terrier Baddy as the latter dog went in for the kill.
Another text made reference to one dog being able to crush another’s bones with one bite.
Knibbs was first prosecuted for dog fighting by the RSPCA in 2009 when he was disqualified from keeping animals for life. He was then convicted of breaching his ban in 2016 ahead of the raid in Sleaford in September 2017.
Though his current whereabouts are unconfirmed, Knibbs is rumoured to have fled to Southern Ireland.
Knibbs’ partner Kimberleigh Joanne Steele was also convicted in absence for aiding and abetting him in evading his ban. She was sentenced in April 2019. Details here.
Messages and photos on Knibbs’ phone led investigators to two other addresses: Stephen Gardner’s home in Willows End, Bloxholm, and a luxury property with its own swimming pool in Anglesey, Wales, where backyard breeder of Presa Canarios Adam Scott resides with partner, Rachel Pearce (she was also originally charged but claims to have been acquitted). A badly scarred dog named Panther was found at Scott’s address.
Scott was convicted for having in his possession two pitbull terrier-type dogs contrary to Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, as well as aiding and abetting a disqualification order for Knibbs.
RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Withnall, from the charity’s Special Operations Unit who investigated, said: “Some of these dogs had been trained to fight and some of them had been left suffering with horrible injuries from fighting.
“Although we never found the body of Baddy, the pictures and subsequent text messages about the fight revealed that there were severe puncture wounds to his head and the enforced fight between Baddy and a much larger Presa Canario was gruelling, lasting a total of 45 minutes.
“The videos also showed further evidence of this cruel and barbaric practice and the suffering of these dogs would have been horrendous.”
Inspector Withnall added: “This was an organisation involved in keeping and breeding of dogs for fighting, owned and run by Mr Knibbs, a convicted dog fighter who had changed his name to John Donaghy to try and remain undetected.
“The court heard that this group were set on breeding a very large dog, possibly for fighting which they referred to as the ‘ultimate dog’.”
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Stephen John Gardner, who failed to attend court.
Sentencing | Adam Scott was ordered to pay £3,000 in costs plus £80 victim surcharge; 100 hours of unpaid community work.
Sick evil cruel cunts I hope they all suffer a painful death them and their kin
There r NO words to describe these EVIL SICK BASTARDS!!! Where’s the justice for these poor dogs wen these bastards dont even get a ban from keeping animals again!!!! The fines they were given r a joke!!! ????They’ve probably got more money than sense from fighting these poor dogs to near death!!!! ????Wot these poor helpless dogs went through so these EVIL SICK BASTARDS cud live in luxury homes and a comfortable life is just unimaginable!!! ???? And which ever JUDGE sentenced these EVIL SICK BASTARDS with a slap on the wrist needs hanging by his balls!!!! Justice has gone to HELL!! This world is full of EVIL!! They ALL need locking up forever!! FACT!!!! ????????????????
No banning order makes sentencing look a joke
If the guy who turned up in court, and hos girlfriednn who WAS acquited, were actually part of the gang why would they not flee to Ireland like the rest of the gang? Something here smells of bad practice on the part of the RSPCA, doesn’t it? Vigilantism in response to an over zealous but badly trained RSPCA officer and bad journalism isn’t the answer.
Knibbs already led a nomadic lifestyle whereas this Adam Scott fella has two school-age children. It wouldn’t be quite so easy for him to just up and leave. Knibbs more than likely already had ties to Ireland. I’d be interested to know how Scott and Knibbs knew each other. Sorry, but this guy’s FB profile and the people on his friends list screams dog-fighter to me.
Not a bit surprised looking at the mug shots, none of these lumps of shite look as if they have a brain cell between them. WHY it took the RSPCA so long to get them charged and convicted, beats me. That bastard from SLEAFORD was banned from keeping dogs in 2009!! That’s 9 YEARS ago!!! How much suffering has been caused in those 10 years. I hope the parents are proud of their offspring, gutter snipes that they are.
This sentence is not good enough ,the punishment needs to be EXTREME , the laws need to be EXTREME, for this needs to end now .That gudge should be ashamed for the lack of punishment . What a disgusting world we have to raise are children in !
Drop the lot of them in with the Lions at a safari park. Evil bastards don’t deserve to live, let them have a slow, painful death like these innocent dogs.