CONVICTED (2012) | Richard Alan Atkins, born 12 June 1967, of 178 Oversetts Road, Newhall, Swadlincote DE11 0SW – bred dogs to hunt and kill foxes and badgers
Richard Atkins was jailed after he bred dogs to hunt down and kill foxes and badgers so he could film it for a sick thrill.
Atkins was sentenced to 24 weeks behind bars after a photo showed him smiling with glee as he held a still live fox by the throat.
The father admitted nine charges including causing animals to fight, keeping dogs for the purpose of animal fighting, causing unnecessary suffering and animal welfare offences. when he appeared at Burton upon Trent magistrates on 29 June 2012
Atkins also received a lifetime ban on keeping all animals and the forfeiture of all his dogs and equipment used for baiting and hunting.
Atkins trained his terriers to hunt down and attack wild animals. He then filmed the sickening attacks on a digital video camera which he showed to his equally twisted associates.
The RSPCA were able to successfully bring the prosecution to court when forensic examination of badger baiting footage seized from a digital video camera proved a voice heard in the background was that of Atkins.
The court saw graphic footage of Atkins’s black Patterdale terrier, later named as Pudding (pictured above) and bull lurcher-type dogs carrying out attacks on two badgers and a fox in separate incidents.
In another clip a badger is seen having its leg torn off, while men – including Atkins – can be heard laughing in the background.
As well as the harrowing clips which showed the wild animals being attacked, the dogs used by Atkins also suffered sickening injuries during the fights.
The defendant admitted that he would attempt to treat his dogs’ injuries at home, rather than take them to a vet and raise suspicion.
Both the Patterdale terrier and bull lurcher seen in the footage were found at Atkins’ home when a warrant was carried out by police and the RSPCA.
The Patterdale terrier had suffered huge injuries to her jaw and she was partially blind in one eye. Four other dogs – also believed to have been bred for fighting and hunting – were seized during the warrant, along with paraphernalia, digging equipment and search lights.
Atkins had a similar conviction from 1999 when he was found guilty of digging for a badger in 1999 alongside Lee Robert Burton of Tower Road, Hartshorne.
Three dogs were found on the site and they all had scratches on their faces. A dead badger was found at the scene and the body was still warm. When they were taken back to their house there was a concrete badger on the front garden which all three dogs immediately attacked.
Both men were sentenced to two months in prison.
Magistrates ordered all equipment recovered by police to be destroyed and disqualified both men from owning a dog for three years.
The three dogs were found new homes.
Sentencing (2012): jailed for 24 weeks and banned from keeping all animals for life.
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Daily Mail
Update August 2021
In August 2021 Atkins was jailed for 22 months after ramming a car and stabbing two brothers following a bitter family feud. The crazed attack on the men – Atkins brothers-in-law – was witnessed by the 12-year-old son of one of the victims, as well as members of the public.
The court heard how Atkins rammed the men’s vehicle from behind as they drove home.
He then mounted a pavement, got in front of them to block them in, got out and stabbed both men as they tried to defend themselves.
He then told one of them “I told you, you were going to have it” before going on to say he “didn’t care” if he ended up in prison.
Jailing him for 22 months, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “It was a horrific incident that could have led to more serious injuries.
“The red mist descended.
As well as the prison sentence, Judge Bennett handed Atkins a seven-year restraining order not to contact the victims and a third named individual.
This man has now moved house and he lives with dogs in there home how is this allowed when he’s banned?
He’s not. He’s banned from keeping animals for life. Please email me his current address in confidence: contact@ukanimalcrueltyfiles.org
He was holding that poor dying fox don’t foxes carry a risk of rabies horrible evil man
Richard Atkins has a lifetime animal ban. He’s out of prison living on rose Croft gardens, Swadlincote. With his family and they have dogs at the address. His other daughters also keep dogs at there adress in newhall for him
He’s out of prison and living with French bulldogs
He still has dogs now
How the hell has this man got animals now !!! I suggest this gets sorted right away
Bastard! Should be in jail for a very very long term not bloody 24 weeks!,, not enough, set lions on him and see how he likes it!!
The animal is out and living and keeping dogs again
This arsehole is out of prison now and living the same life as he was before. He lives at ROSE CROFT GARDENS, SWADLINCOTE. He has dogs at the property. I believe they are breeding French Bulldogs there. He has 2 older daughters and they keep dogs for him at their homes in NEWHALL. This monster needs to be stopped in his tracks before more innocent lives are lost! Who is there to enforce the ban??
Is he still at the same address, Leah? Although he was given a lifetime ban, he might’ve appealed. Also he will probably get round it by saying the dogs are his wife’s responsibility. Is there any evidence that he’s still hunting with dogs?
Surely a lifetime ban means can’t live with any animals in his home wither they are his wife’s or daughters he’s living with them which surely not right ? And not fair on the poor animals.