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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Raptor Persecution (blog)
Angus World
Courier
BBC News
ITV News

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Additional Information

*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.

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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.

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