CONVICTED (2014) | serial wildlife persecutors Reece Welsh aka Reece Murphy (20/07/1991) of Romer Road, Liverpool L6 6DH; Ryan Kennedy (born 17/09/1989 but deceased) from Liverpool; John ‘Jay’ Daly aka Jay Jones (17/08/1983) of Breeze Hill, Liverpool L9 1DY and Daniel Ratchford (09/12/1984) of Stratford St, Standish, Wigan WN6 7AH – goaded a dog into brutally mauling a fox to death and interfered with a badgers’ sett
The gang of four men watched gleefully as the dog carry out a sickening attack on a helpless fox while they claimed they were “rabbiting” in the Cheshire countryside.
The men were jailed for their roles in the incident after each pleaded guilty to animal cruelty offences.
Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, Kevin Worthington told the court the footage of the attack – which was obtained by an expert on behalf of the animal charity – “spoke for itself” and was one of the worst videos he had ever seen.
The horrific video captured a fox screaming in pain as a lurcher shakes it around in its mouth, while other terrier-type dogs and the group of men look on.
He said that none of the defendants had stepped in to stop the fox being attacked, and that mobile phones had also been placed down badger setts.
Locator collars, dog cages and spades had also been found in the van the group had arrived in.
The men were charged with offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and admitted their guilt earlier in 2014.
Daly pleaded guilty to two charges of interfering with badger setts, and one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to his female lurcher, Sadie, who was the dog seen attacking the fox in the film.
He was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison for the suffering caused to his dog, plus a further four weeks for each of the charges of interfering with a badger sett.
Welsh pleaded guilty to one charge of interfering with badger setts and one charge of being a “responsible person failing to prevent the causing of unnecessary suffering to an animal”. He was sentenced to a total of 16 weeks in prison.
Kennedy and Ratchford also pleaded guilty to being a “responsible person” in relation to the lurcher and its suffering and were both sentenced to 12 weeks.
Each of the men was ordered to pay £200 towards the RSPCA’s costs.
They were disqualified from keeping, or being involved in the care and transportation, of dogs for life.
DJ Knight said there was “overwhelming evidence” that badger setts had been interfered with, adding that the six-month maximum prison term for that offence was “perhaps something Parliament should consider looking at again”.
Anthony Joynes, the RSPCA officer who helped bring the four men to justice, added: “There’s no other way to describe these men other than thugs of the countryside – wildlife criminals”.
Additional information
John Daly is now calling himself Jay Jones. He is founder and sole director of a transportation business named Trailer Recovery Northwest Ltd.
Reece Welsh, who’s now known as Reece Murphy, is a backyard breeder and also offers a canine fertilisation service to other breeders under the name ‘The Dog Business’, based at Unit 5, Wilson Road, Huyton, Liverpool L36 6AF.
He has uploaded several photos publicly to his Facebook profile in which he’s shown digging up fox dens / badger sets while in the company of one of his very young sons.
One recent photo shows a dog with horrific facial scarring consistent with animal fighting. And all of this despite a lifetime ban on having anything to do with dogs.
In May 2021 Daniel Ratchford was jailed for 12 weeks and made the subject of a court order preventing him from entering large parts of West Lancashire and Sefton districts. His latest sentence came after he was convicted of offences including animal poaching and hunting wild animals with dogs. Five dogs were found at Ratchford’s home, in breach of his lifetime disqualification
Please Please Don’t Buy A Puppy From This Scum, or use His Grooming or Dog Business Full Stop. The Sad thing is He is bringing his young Son up to think that this is Normal Behaviour.
Social Services need to be informed of this action, surely this is Not Normal Behaviour, when these have done time in Prison for this. The Law needs to be Tightened Regarding Wild Life Crime. The only ones that can really sort this is Parliament, if they get 6 Months, they are out in 3. The Law is a joke where Wildlife Crimes are concerned. Isn’t there some kind of Partition we could start, where All Decent People Can Sign and put it to Parliament, regarding the Tightening of the Law and Longer Sentences for Animal and Wildlife Crime.
Wildlife have the right to be left alone and live their lives in Peace.
Bit of Work the Scum want, they wouldn’t have the energy to go Lamping in the nights, or whatever else they call it. Absolutely Heart Breaking.
This is my son you have no right and no permission from me to upload a photo of my son who is a minor! You are a disgrace he is a child!
Boo hoo, poor you.
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Won’t be hard to unblur his photo, we will soon find you and your son