CONVICTED (2021) | Benny Joe Eastwood, born 20 May 2002, of 2 Acre Farm, Ropers Green Lane, High Halstow, Rochester ME3 8QP – for cruelty to two “hunting” dogs.
Eastwood pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act relating to two dogs; a bull lurcher called Max and a terrier called Skip.
RSPCA officers and Kent Police went to an address in High Halstow on 14 April 2021, after receiving information from social media that suggested dogs were being used in wildlife crimes.
RSPCA Special Operations Unit spokesperson, Will Mitchell said two dogs who were suffering from injuries, consistent with encounters with a fox or badger, were taken away.
Officers said they also found two dogs living in a wooden kennel block. A black and white lurcher, called Max, who was curled up in a corner had “obvious facial scarring”. A black and tan terrier, called Skip, had its top lip missing.
Eastwood admitted that both dogs belonged to him.
Eastwood told investigators that the terrier had had a fight with another dog but enquiries disproved this account.
An independent vet who assessed both dogs and assisted with the investigation said the lurcher weighed 25kgs and that his ribs, spine and bones of the pelvis were easily visible.
In his witness statement, he said: “There were multiple scars on the muzzle, head and ears. The scars on the head were at different stages of healing and it appeared that the injuries…were not the result of a single incident.”
Skip was found to have multiple scars on the muzzle and head. His ears had no hair and had multiple cuts.
The terrier also had part of his jaw missing and the vet said he couldn’t see there had been “any attempt to treat this substantial injury.”
The vet concluded that both dogs had suffered unnecessarily for an estimated period of approximately two weeks.
The court heard that Eastwood was young and vulnerable, but accepted wrongdoing and was remorseful.
Sergeant Darren Walshaw of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said: “We work closely with the RSPCA on a range of animal welfare issues. In this instance we carried out a warrant on behalf of the charity to allow them to gather evidence which led to a successful conviction for offences under the Animal Welfare Act. The offender’s actions were not only criminal but barbaric and cruel. “
Sentencing: 12 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, and a community order with 200 hours of unpaid work; £485 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping all animals for life.
A Naturewatch Foundation press release uploaded to pressat.co.uk on 21/12/2021 (but since deleted) highlighted the fact that Eastwood exposes his primary-school-age brother to illegal hunting activities including lamping foxes, hare coursing and digging out badgers.
Eastwood shared incriminating images and video footage on social media, including photographs of:
- his young sibling proudly displaying a dead rabbit
- both brothers at a dug-out badger sett with two dogs and a shovel
- the pair smiling as they posed in a field with three dogs and a dead hare
- two dogs playing ‘tug-of-war’ with a fox
- a lurcher-type dog with a bloodied hare
Naturewatch Foundation’s wildlife crime campaign manager, Kate Parker, said: “It has been seen that, in some families, animal cruelty is somewhat of a family affair, with youngsters exposed to it and encouraged to take part in activities, such as illegal hunting, before they are old enough to understand the consequences. These practices are normalised, and passed on as a generational tradition, regardless of how barbaric and cruel it is. There is clearly a blatant disregard for the welfare of wildlife, their own animals and, ultimately, the children, being exposed to such cruelty.
“This investigation was a great result for all involved. I thank Kent Police for actioning our investigation package and the RSPCA for taking on the prosecution. We will continue to target those who choose to hunt wildlife with dogs and will not rest until the punishment suits the crime.”
One of Naturewatch Foundation’s other campaigns involves training police internationally on the link between human and animal abuse, and how witnessing cruelty to animals can affect young children.
Mark Randell, campaign manager for the charity’s police training programme, said: “There is a growing recognition of the impact that witnessing violence to animals has on a child’s development, and subsequent propensity to become involved in violent crime themselves.
“In Ukraine, where we train the police and others about the importance of animal abuse, the Criminal Code raises the maximum jail term to eight years when animal cruelty is committed in front of children. This sets an example to the rest of the world – including the UK. Treating animal abuse with the seriousness it deserves creates safer communities for both animals and people.”
Additional Information
Eastwood has multiple Facebook accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069140946143
https://www.facebook.com/bennyjoe.eastwood.52
https://www.facebook.com/bennyjoe.eastwood.5
What A Sad Mentally Disturbed Young Man.
At least now his face is out there, and everyone knows who he is.
He won’t have no luck for what he has done.
He has brought shame to his Family.
If them two Dogs are in that kind of state.
Imagine the state of The Poor Suffering Wildlife, that them Dogs have been Forced To Attack, and how long has he got away with this, before he has been caught.
Bit of work he wants. He wouldn’t have the energy to go out Lamping or Hunting, or whatever else he has been up to.
This is a Very Disturbed Young Scum.
Take a look at his Facebook, it is Full Of Animal Cruelty.