CONVICTED (2021) | Mark Scott, born 3 May 2001, of Hillsview Avenue, Fawdon, Newcastle – failed to intervene in his brother’s mistreatment of multiple pets at the home they shared

Mark Scott did nothing to ensure his brother Steven Scott, whose own cruelty case concluded in April 2021, properly fed animals at the property they shared in Vine Street, South Shields, in early 2020.

Although he gave his sibling £30 a month for pet food, the pair’s cats remained underfed and lost around 20% of their body weight.

One cat – three-year-old Shadow – was 1.1kgs below his optimum healthy weight, while female tabby Tiger was also visibly thin.

Two other cats, Cuddles and Shankly, died. One had effectively starved to death, and one was euthanised.

A dog named Lara along with two further cats had to be nursed back to health.

Last month, Steven Scott pleaded guilty to five charges of animal cruelty and was handed an indefinite ban from owning or looking after animals.

Now warehouse worker Mark Scott has pleaded guilty to a single charge of failing to prevent another person causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

RSPCA prosecutor Alex Bousfield told magistrates Mark Scott had been “let down” by his brother in the month from January 4, 2020.

He said: “Mark Scott and his brother were living at the address with several animals. Steven Scott was responsible for a number of cats and a dog.

“Mark Scott had a lot of problems in his life and was able to live at an address where the cats were allowed to stay.

“He felt obliged to give these animals to his brother to look after. He said in interview that he gave £30 a month for food to his brother.

“To be fair, his brother seems to have let Mark down, but it became clear during the investigation that Mark has allowed the suffering of these animals to continue.

“To give him his credit, he said as much as that in interview. He knew that there were problems and had tried to get his brother to sort it out.”

Mr Bousfield said it was not possible to attach an optimum weight to Tiger due to her youth.

But he revealed both cats, who have been rehomed, had rated at two out of nine on the RSPCA’s health score chart – and both had flea issues.

David Forrester, defending, said: “He has no previous convictions.
“He’s not alleged to have deliberately underfed them, but he was in the house between December and when the RSPCA came in.

“In effect, the cats were 20% below their body weight.

“When he was interviewed he gave a full account, in contrast to his brother, who basically ran away from giving a full account.

“The first thing he says was, ‘I was giving the money to my brother to feed them, and thought that he was.’

“His cats were undernourished therefore he’s culpable in law for his brother not feeding them properly.”

Magistrates told Mark Scott, who had initially denied the charge but pleaded guilty on the day of trial, he could apply for his ban to be lifted after two years.

Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £796 in fines, costs and charges. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years but can appeal after two years.

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