CONVICTED (2023) | April Foulds, born c. 1991, of Drummond Road, Skegness PE25 3EH – breached a 10-year ban on keeping animals.
Foulds was given the 10-year disqualification order in December 2021 after being convicted of failing to take reasonable steps to meet the basic needs of animals. No details of the original conviction have been published online.
On 24 August 2022 police officers, acting on a tip-off, discovered two cats at Foulds’ home.
Prosecutor Lottie Tyler told magistrates : “Officers were unable to gain entry. They saw two cats that didn’t look malnourished,”
The cats were seized by the RSPCA on September 14, 2022.
Foulds, who admitting breaching the disqualification, said in interview that they had been bought by her then partner whom she lived with at the time.
Mike Alexander, mitigating, said his client had had some personal issues and an alcohol problem.
“[The former boyfriend] was responsible for getting the cats, despite her having the ban.
“He insisted they would be good for her mental health.
“He didn’t look after the cats and let her look after them. The cats were looked after but it was a situation effectively forced upon her.”
He added: “In the circumstances that she explained to me I don’t think she has a great culpability.”
Sentencing | 18-month conditional discharge; ordered to pay £121 in costs and victim surcharge. Original 10-year ban expires December 2031.
Luckily The 2 Cats are fine and rescued and looked after.