CONVICTED (2024) | serial animal abuser Pamela Mary Brown, born 7 November 1954, of 16 Browney Lane, Browney, Durham DH7 8HT – for the neglect of two horses.
Pamela Brown, a traveller and repeat offender*, has been given an 11-week curfew for causing unnecessary suffering to horses Rosealee and Topsy between January and May 2023..
She pleaded guilty to ineffective equine dentistry care, inadequate investigation, or addressing of the horses’ underweight and poor bodily conditions.
She was ordered to comply with curfew from 9pm to 7am daily at her caravan.
The order lasts until May 21, 2024, includes electronic monitoring, and allows three metres of movement for toilet visits.
She is also disqualified from dealing with horses for ten years and must pay a £114 victim services surcharge and £300 in costs, at £20 per month starting April 3.
*In February 2015 Pamela Brown was given an 18-month supervision order and five-year ban on keeping horses for neglecting one equine so severely he had to be immediately destroyed.
The unnamed horse, who was kept in a field with 12 others in Langley Moor, Durham, was underweight with an overgrown and deformed hoof. Other horses in the herd had skin diseases and lice.
Serial horse abuser Pamela Brown with daughter Louise Nicholson, aka Louise Doherty, co-defendant in the 2015 RSPCA prosecution and co-owner with husband Patrick Doherty of Doherty Stud Yard.
Speaking about the horse that was euthanised, Kevin Campbell for the RSPCA said the animal had “poor body condition .. poor feet, poor living environment and effectively it is difficult to see anything worse that could have been done to to the horse”.
Brown’s co-accused, daughter Louise Nicholson aka Louise Doherty or NickyLouise Dior Doherty, born October 1988, and also of 16 Browney Lane, was cleared of five charges of failing to ensure an animal’s welfare, relating to a pony called Tiny and another unnamed horse.
In mitigation for Pamela Brown, solicitor David Ward described her as “a very robust lady who is the matriarch …”
He added that his client “has some difficulty in reading and writing as they all seem to do, but it is unlikely that this lady will be involved in any further offending“.
In addition to the supervision order and five-year ban, Brown was ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeder Marcus Walsh, born 25 August 1982, of Plantation Close, Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 9LN – owner/in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
Convicted drug dealer and backyard breeder of XL bullies Marcus Walsh, from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, failed to keep his dogs under control
Convicted Class A drug dealer and prolific backyard breeder Marcus Walsh was not present when Rachel Millard was attacked by two XL bullies in Barry on March 20, 2022. She was left with puncture marks to her leg and finger, after placing herself over her puppy.
Ms Millard was walking along Coronation Street, Barry, with her boxer puppy when she saw two young girls open the front door of a house. One of the girls was screaming and the two dogs ran out of the property.
The whereabouts and fate of Walsh’s XL bullies (pictured – note cropped ears on one of them), from whom he’d produced and sold at least one litter, are unconfirmed
The victim described the dogs as “excited” as they ran straight at her and her 15-week-old puppy, saying they were “fixated and focused” and thought they were “running to attack”.
In order to protect her dog she dropped to the floor and wrapped her arms around her puppy as the XL bullies tried to get at the puppy under her arms.
One of the dogs managed to get hold of the puppy but Ms Millard shouted “No” which deterred the dogs. She was screaming out for help and people looked on but did not intervene, the court heard. The victim attempted to stand up but the dogs jumped up on her and pinned her down on the floor.
Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said the attack lasted around seven minutes until she was able to get up and run from the dogs, adding whichever way she ran, the dogs ran after her.
The woman was able to seek refuge after a work colleague called her name and invited her into her house, as others tried to get the dogs back in the property they came from.
Ms Millard and her partner were taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff by Walsh’s partner where she received treatment for injuries to her leg which bled on her jeans. There were seven puncture wounds to her left leg, a few inches above the ankle, and there were superficial cuts to her right index finger.
The puppy had superficial scratches and patches of bald fur.
After the incident, Walsh’s partner contacted Ms Millard and asked how she was. The defendant messaged apologising and told her not to ring the police.
He said: “Hiya love, so sorry this has happened. My daughter feels terrible for opening the door. Please don’t ring the police, I haven’t got the dogs now to stop them from being put down, it breaks my heart and the kids’. If you need help let us know.”
Walsh later attended her property bringing flowers and apologising, saying there was concern around him being on licence and having been banned from owning dogs. He said it was “pointless” contacting the police because the dogs had been given away.
Walsh attended a voluntary interview with police and made no comment. He later pleaded guilty to being the owner/in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
The court heard Walsh has 121 previous convictions, including an identical offence in 2016 when a dog he owned named Otto injured a person trying to stop the dog from attacking his dog, resulting in puncture wounds to his hands and wrists, and a cracked rib.
This was Walsh’s second prosecution in relation to Otto. He was jailed for eight months in 2015 for affray after setting the dog on a former friend.
Despite being banned from keeping dogs until 2023, Marcus Walsh openly shared photos of his two dogs and advertised multiple litters of puppies for sale on social media
Walsh was disqualified from owning a dog for five years, and was still banned at the time of the latest offence. He was also on licence for an offence of supplying heroin in 2019, for which he was jailed for 49 months.
In mitigation, Victoria Maud said her client, a roofer, is a “hard working” man and was not present when the dogs escaped from his partner’s house. She said the animals acted “out of character” and said the incident “came out of nowhere”.
When asked by Judge Daniel Williams if Walsh would divulge the location of the dogs, Ms Maud said the defendant believes one of the dogs is being put down and the other dog is living with a friend in “the Valleys” and would be willing to find out the address. The judge said: “He’s had ample time to do that.”
Sentencing, Judge Williams said: “You claimed you were forced to look after the dogs after you were bullied into paying off a debt. The dogs produced a litter and puppies were sold.”
He said aggravating features included the defendant’s previous convictions, the fact there were two dogs, he was on licence and moved the dogs out of reach of the authorities to avoid them being destroyed.
Sentencing |18 months’ imprisonment. Disqualified from having the custody of a dog for 10 years (expires October 2033).
CONVICTED (2023) | Edward G Casey, born 14 May 1985, of 21 Ebenezer Street, Ilkeston DE7 8JG – hit a dog so hard he injured his own hand.
Repeat offender: Eddy Casey was already banned from keeping animals for life following a 2015 conviction for horrific cruelty to an elderly King Charles spaniel
Casey was seen viciously kicking the Staffy, Patch, before punching him with such force that he need hospital treatment to his hand. The ill-tempered thug was caught on camera shouting at the dog on two occasions following the attacks in June 2022.
In an upsetting video sent to the RSPCA, Casey was shown screaming at the dog before kicking him under the chin and immediately punching him with his right hand so hard that the defendant was left wincing in pain.
Patch endured regular beatings while in the care of serial animal abuser Eddy Casey
The RSPCA was later told that Casey was hospitalised for tissue damage treatment claiming food cans had fallen on his hand.
Another video showed Patch waiting at a partially opened door and, as Casey told the dog to go to his bed, he was seen to “very forcefully” kick him twice as the poor animal fled the room.
A court heard Casey was already in breach on a previous order not to keep animals when he attacked Patch.
The friendly Staffy was nursed back to health in the RSPCA’s care and has been rehomed
A vet who examined Patch said he was “quiet and nervous” and reluctant to allow a hand to go over his head. She described how, viewing the footage, when Patch was punched he appeared to “know that he can not get away and stays in position”.
She added: “He appears to, in my opinion, expect the act of punishment and waits for it, knowing that whatever he does the outcome will be the same.
“In my professional opinion the person in the video footage is causing unnecessary distress and suffering to the dog by causing him to be fearful and anxious in the first instance.
“I would not expect a normal owner to treat any dog in this manner. It is a fundamental part of dog husbandry that an owner or person responsible for a dog should not hit or beat them or physically punish them in this way.”
Casey admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was given a 26-week custodial term.
Patch has since been re-homed at Block Fen Animal Centre. Centre manager Sally Jones said: “Patch had been through a terrible ordeal but he was such a happy, friendly and resilient boy.”
Sentencing | jailed for 26 weeks. Casey is already banned for life from keeping animals following a conviction in April 2015 in relation to an elderly King Charles spaniel found crawling with fleas and unable to stand.
CONVICTED (2019) | horse dealer and serial offender David Wilkinson, born c. 1974, from the village of Low Moor, Bradford BD12 – for the neglect of two horses with overgrown hooves and untreated health issues
Traveller Wilkinson was the owner of an Appaloosa mare, who had overgrown hooves and had received inadequate dental care, and a Skewbald mare, found with a lice infestation and a bilateral nasal discharge, at Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria.
Wilkinson was charged with three animal welfare offences by the RSPCA and pleaded guilty.
This was Wilkinson’s second similar offence within four years. .
In November 2015 he was ordered to pay more than £2,000 and carry out 135 hours of unpaid work in the community after neglecting a horse at Soulby. The skewbald mare, known as Annie, was left in unsuitable conditions and not given proper care.
The court heard that Wilkinson failed to adequately investigate and treat the cause of the mare’s poor body condition. He also admitted failing to protect her from pain, suffering, injury and disease, by leaving her rugged in an unsuitable environment.
A third charge of failing to provide adequate veterinary care and attention to a uterine infection was dismissed after no evidence was offered by the prosecution.
He was not banned from keeping horses for the 2015 offence as at that point he had no previous convictions and was “of good character”. The loss of livelihood and impact on his family were also taken into consideration by magistrates.
Following his latest conviction, however, Wilkinson WAS given a disqualification order.
Sentencing: 12 month community order with 200 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £1,411.72 costs. Banned from owning, keeping, participating in keeping or transporting horses for eight years (expires September 2027).
Source (removed): Cumberland & Westmorland Herald Source for the 2015 offence was also the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald but their article has been removed from their website.
CONVICTED (2017) | Donna Glenister (aka Donna Ward), born 06/12/1972, of Tapping Road, High Wycombe HP14 3DY – for horse cruelty; repeatedly breaching ban on keeping horses
Glenister was first banned from owning horses in 2012 and was later hauled in front of magistrates in June 2015 after RSPCA investigators found she had bought two horses and was keeping them in stables in Henley-on-Thames.
In January 2016 Glenister was ordered to pay almost £2,000 after being caught breaking the court’s disqualification order for a second time in less than a year. That offence was discovered just a week after the 2015 hearing, with a member of the public tipping off the RSPCA over suggestions she had bought another horse.
Then in July 2017 after being caught breaching her ban for a third time, Glenister was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay costs of £750 and a £115 victim surcharge. Her disqualification order on keeping horses was extended for a further seven years and will now expire in 2024.
CONVICTED (2016) | Amanda Adams previously of Lynton Road, Walcott, in Norwich – a notorious pet peddlar, backyard breeder and serial animal abuser
In August 2015 Adams – a backyard breeder of large-breed dogs such as wolfhounds and Newfoundlands – was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a three-week-old puppy called Hope, whom she left in agony for five days with a fractured rear leg.
A second dog in Adams’ care, wolfhound Rina, was left with a large open wound for three days before receiving veterinary treatment.
Unemployed Adams was disqualified from keeping dogs for five years and ordered to pay £500 in costs.
Weeks later an RSPCA inspector visited Adams’ property with a warrant to seize the dogs and discovered her passing puppies across a fence in an attempt to avoid her ban on keeping dogs. Other dogs and puppies were found inside the property.
Three rabbits living in appalling conditions in a filthy shed were also found at the property. One of the rabbits was injured.
This time she was given a six-week suspended prison sentence plus a 10-year ban which she breached again.
Sentence: six-week prison sentence, suspended for 2 years; £1,000 in costs plus £80 victim surcharge. 10-year ban.
The BBC reported that Adams had fled to Ireland to evade the justice system.
She was accused of keeping Irish wolfhounds despite being given two previous banning orders.
The RSPCA withdrew the charge when she failed to turn up at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court for the third time.
It said she was “incredibly clever”, capable of “concocting cover stories”.
RSPCA inspector Ben Kirby, the case officer, described Ms Adams as “manipulative” and said he personally did “not believe a word she says”.
He said: “We have prosecuted her twice before but unfortunately this time she has fled to part of the world where our jurisdiction is non-enforceable.”
“I have no doubt at all that she will be back and should she come back and break UK laws again, I will be on her toes.”
The RSPCA said it has not been able to locate Ms Adams in Ireland.
It said the cases against her which have previously been heard in the UK do not apply in the Republic of Ireland.
The animal charity’s prosecutor Jonathan Eales said most people “don’t take the dramatic step” of moving abroad to avoid prosecution.
“I suspect the court would’ve dealt with her severely and to avoid that, she has left the country,” he said.
Mr Eales said even though the case has been withdrawn, proceedings could be reactivated if Ms Adams were to return to the country.
CONVICTED (2016) | serial offenders Grace Banks (aka Leah Grace Rogers) and Julian King (aka Alec Paul Rogers), both of Reed Street, Gorton, Manchester M18 8JT, and Peter Jones (aka Aneirin Joseph Sculley) of Graymarsh Drive, Poynton, Stockport SK12 1YW – imported and sold severely ill puppies to unsuspecting families.
Julian King, whose birth name was Alec Paul Rogers, and his sister Grace Banks born Leah Grace Rogers
An investigation in Manchester led to the convictions in October 2015 of three people who made £35,000 a week importing sick and dying puppies from Ireland and selling them on to heartbroken animal lovers.
The trio created a callous facade of a reputable pedigree puppy company selling healthy and happy dogs, but the reality was a short life of pain, suffering and disease for the animals.
Banks with Peter ‘Nye’ Jones, a childhood friend of her brother
RSPCA investigators uncovered how Banks, King and Jones:
Received weekly deliveries of puppies imported via ferries from the Republic of Ireland;
Kept puppies at a “holding” address at Seventeen Windows, a large rented property in Marple Road, Stockport, which had purpose-built kennels at the rear, before selling them via a network of rented residential properties;
Used a variety of different names;
Lied to buyers, telling them the puppies for sale had been bred in a homely, family environment and were the first litter;
Set up their own company through which they provided buyers with glossy “Kennel Registration” folders containing false paperwork;
Used more than 30 mobile telephones, each one for selling specific breeds of puppy, to avoid confusion when contacted by buyers.
When the RSPCA and Greater Manchester Police raided Seventeen Windows as part of Operation Pagan aimed at shutting down the sale of dogs over the internet, they were confronted with the shocking truth of the crooked gang’s criminal operation.
The bodies of four Yorkshire terrier puppies were found at one of the addresses. One had been dumped in a wheelie bin, two in a plastic bucket in the footwell of a car on the driveway and one was with a live puppy in a pen.
Evidence given by vet Dr David Martin during King’s trial suggested these puppies had died from starvation over a prolonged period of time.
At least six large plastic buckets filled with live puppies were discovered.
In total inspectors discovered 87 live puppies, including Yorkshire terriers, huskies, West Highland terriers, pomeranians, Labradors, beagles, shih tzus, French bulldogs, cockapoos and more. The average advertised price for these puppies at the time was approximately £600 each.
All of the animals were suffering from health problems including lice, pneumonia, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis and bloody stools. Some had parvovirus and distemper. No veterinary treatment had been sought for any of the puppies.
Full details of the ghastly trio and their convictions are as follows:
Grace Banks (23/09/1986), real name Leah Grace Rogers. A former prostitute, she was also commonly know as Lilly Cooper. Her other aliases included Holly Saxon and Sarah Connor. She was a director of Lilly’s Puppy Boutique Ltd which traded from a rented residential property at Seventeen Windows, Marple Road, Stockport.
For months, Banks had played the part of a caring woman with a one-off litter – even giving away cosy blankets with the puppies so they could feel ‘safe’.
In reality, the tiny animals were riddled with contagious diseases, kept in pens, advertised using fake images downloaded from Google and other websites – and sold for up to £600.
Buyers all described Banks’ white Mercedes, high definition eyebrows, long black hair and pouty lips.
Banks admitted offences of failing to protect more than 1,200 puppies. She was sentenced to five months in jail and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs.
In May 2016 Banks was jailed for a further nine months after it was discovered that she had continued to sell poorly puppies while awaiting sentencing for her original conviction.
King was found guilty of failing to protect 835 puppies from pain, suffering and disease. He was sentenced to five months in jail and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs
Peter Jones (30/06/1983) whose birth name was Aneirin Joseph Sculley, has used aliases George Cooper, Marco Emme and Michael Emme and is sometimes known by the nickname ‘Nye’. We understand that he may since have changed his name to Arnie Swartz. He is a former director of King’s ‘pedigree registration’ company Kennel Registration Ltd. He has a brother named Keir Sculley and his mother’s name is Diane Sculley.
Jones was found guilty of failing to protect 835 puppies from pain, suffering and disease. He was given six months in jail and ordered to pay £2,100 in costs.
All three were banned from keeping animals for life.
The RSPCA rehomed the puppies that were seized during the investigation, after providing the required treatment and care to those which were sick.
Peter Jones and Julian King were previously banned from keeping animals for 10 years following a successful RSPCA prosecution in April 2010. Jones was convicted in the name Michael Emme and King in his birth name of Alec Paul Rogers.
Julian King photographed during a previous court appearance in 2010
The charges related to six ten-week-old Staffy-type puppies that had been left to lie in their own filth, unfed and in the dark, for days on end in the middle of winter.
Only three of the starving puppies survived
Just three of the puppies survived after RSPCA inspectors found them in a freezing, pitch-black outhouse, with their ribs, spine and pelvic bones protruding from their bodies.
The pups were found on a stone floor, whimpering and huddled together to keep warm. They were extremely underweight and only had one small, dirty plastic bed between them – in the middle of November.
There was an “overwhelming smell of urine” when inspectors approached the outhouse, on Braddon Road, Woodley. The pups had worms and had been licking their matted fur in an attempt to groom themselves.
King had left the pups in the care of Jones while he went on holiday for a week, in what a vet later described as “atrocious conditions”.
Jones kept them in his outhouse, but claimed that he had only left the pups alone for 36 hours at the most while he went on holiday to Blackpool – although he admitted the conditions were “disgusting” and the remaining pups were lucky to be alive.
Magistrates heard that Jones had given the RSPCA and the courts a series of false names and addresses, and that he had also breached his bail conditions.
The pair were given a community sentence and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
Just one year later, in January 2011 the pair were back in court having breached their disqualification order.
This followed an RSPCA raid on Nook Farm in Tyldesley, Manchester where 33 puppies in poor health were seized. The pups, which included nine Yorkshire terriers, five West Highland white terriers, five King Charles cavaliers, five labradors, seven Pomeranians and two King Charles spaniels, had intestinal disease caused by infection or parasites and some had respiratory infections.
The farm’s owner, William Hartley, had rented buildings to Jones and King. Hartley was also prosecuted for animal cruelty but ultimately cleared. The court accepted his claim that he had prepared for the puppies’ arrival by putting out food, water and heating lamps but hadn’t seen them prior to the raid.
Numerous unrelated people have contacted us to advise that Alec Rogers/Julian King has changed his name again, this time to Harry Pony. Although not listed on Companies House as a company director, Harry Pony (who may or may not be Julian King) has a senior role within Lenken Ltd t/a Smartbreeder, – a provider of training and equipment for would-be dog breeders.
CONVICTED (2015) | jailed and banned for life after 50 animals – 28 alive and 22 dead – were discovered at their one-bed flat: Charlene McCafferty McDowall aka Charlene Hinchcliffe, born 23 August 1993, of Mellor Road, Wombwell, Barnsley S73 0JJ and Lawrence James Skrzydlo, born 5 May 1984, of Boland Road, Lynemouth, Morpeth NE61 5UD
The RSPCA attended the pair’s one-bedroom flat on 5 January 2015 after a call from a concerned member of the public saying the owners had gone away for a week and left the animals in the property unattended.
In total fifty animals, including rabbits, gerbils, hamsters, bearded dragons, a corn snake and kitten, were discovered living in filthy conditions.
A “horrendous scene” greeted the RSPCA inspector as 50 abandoned animals were discovered crammed into a tiny flat
RSPCA inspector Jo Taylor said: “It was a horrendous scene – 50 animals crammed into a small flat, almost half of which were dead. “There were cages, carriers, hutches and makeshift vivariums stacked on top of each other. All were filthy. There was no food or water. We got there just in time for vets to save a collapsed kitten who was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. It was a miracle. None of us expected the poor little thing to make it, but she was a fighter.
Animal hoarder Charlene McDowall who abandoned the many animals in her care
“One of the bearded dragons was emaciated and suffering, whilst the other surviving animals’ needs were not being met as a result of them having no food or water and living in their own filth.”
RSPCA inspector Taylor added: “Keeping this number of animals in a one-bedroom flat was never going to be a good idea. There was nowhere near enough space for them all.
“Not only were they living in inappropriate conditions though, they were living in filth, and had no access to food or water.
“Many animals had died and those that survived were lucky we were called and went along when we did, or it’s likely they too would have suffered a similar fate.”
Two of the bearded dragons had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice, but the other animals were signed over to the RSPCA and were taken on by RSPCA centres across the North of England for rehoming.
Sentence | McDowall – eight weeks in prison, Skrzydlo – 10 weeks in prison; £500 costs each. Both were banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2015) | Paul Sempey, born 14/04/1978, of Queen Street, Ballymena BT42 2BG – abandoned his pet dog to starve to death
Educationally challenged dog killer Paul Sempey and Tyson, the Staffy he left to die
Sempey had moved back to the home of his mother Jennifer Sempey, leaving black Staffy Tyson behind.
The charges were brought against Sempey by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011, following an investigation by Animal Welfare Officers regarding offences in January 2015.
The Borough Warden had attended the property in January 2015 to follow up on a non-payment of a dog licence.
Supported by Mid and East Antrim Council’s Animal Welfare Officer, they returned to the property and found Tyson in a garage. The garage door had been open and the officers entered to find the “severely emaciated” dog barely alive, lying on a sofa.
Tyson was unable to get up and when officers approached the dog he was “cold to the touch”.
When the animal welfare officer touched Tyson’s stomach, he winced in pain.
Tyson was so poorly he couldn’t be saved
Tyson was taken to a local veterinary practice but had to be put to sleep due to his condition.
Prosecution added that it had been noted that Tyson’s temperature was so cold his “blood was beginning to decompose”.
District Judge Des Perry described it as a “bad, bad case” of animal neglect.
Sempey’s lawyer provided a medical report to the Judge about his client, adding that he (Sempey) had “educational issues”.
“The reason this arose was because he moved back to live with his mother and she did not want him bringing the dog to her house,” Mr Smyth said.
He added: “He had no alternative arrangements. He effectively abandoned the animal.”
Speaking after the case David Wilson from the USPCA said people should receive custodial sentences for such crimes. He added: “This man deserves to have a custodial sentence imposed to give him time to reflect on what happened.
“He allowed the situation to go on, but now he can walk free over Christmas thanks to this suspended sentence.
“The USPCA does welcome the lifetime ban imposed on this man, particularly as it includes any warm-blooded animal.
“However, one of the main issues the USPCA has with these bans is that there is no central register to keep a note of these people who have received bans.
“We have been calling for this register for some time and it is currently under review.”
Sentencing: six months in prison suspended for two years; legal costs of £116. Disqualified for life from the keeping of any ‘warm blooded animal’.
CONVICTED (2015) | Everald Hugh James, born 03/08/1967, formerly of Mottingham, South London and more recently Lewis King House, Plaistow Lane, Bromley BR1 3TE – strangled a bull mastiff and hung him outside his house with rope as the dog gasped for air
Callous James, who is also known as ‘Shadow’, was found guilty of hanging the three-year-old dog, known as Boyzee, while punching him in the face as the terrified dog “gasped for air”. He had denied the charge, claiming Boyzee died accidentally during a “tug of war”.
Giving evidence, James’ neighbour Harlon Horsford told the court how he had heard shouting at about 8pm on September 6, 2015. He opened the front door and saw James with Boyzee.
He said: “He had the dog with a rope wrapped round its throat, repeatedly hitting the dog in the face and throat with his left hand.”
He stated the rope was wrapped around a metal railing, one end strangling the dog and the other end being pulled by James’ right hand, as he hit him with his left.
Mr Horsford continued: “The dog was secured to the railings.
“I confronted him, I said let go and he wouldn’t. He said he doesn’t care about the police or RSPCA, he’s named Shadow and no one can tell him nothing, It’s his dog.
“So I punched him in the face, he fell back on the floor and Boyzee dropped to the floor.
“I took the rope off of Boyzee’s neck. He couldn’t breathe properly, he was gasping for air. I pushed his tongue to the left, he had saliva all in his mouth, I was trying to breathe air into him.
“His back legs were twitching, he made his last breath and passed away. He was a lovely dog, very loving, very gentle.”
While giving evidence, Mr Horsford broke down in tears and had to compose himself. He said that throughout the attack Boyzee’s legs were not able to reach the floor, and he scrabbled to get a footing.
James was arrested later that day. He initially stated he was taking the dog outside to do his business, and dragged him through a crowd of people, inadvertently strangling it. But while giving evidence he claimed it was actually a tug of war between him and Mr Horsford which accidentally killed the dog.
James, who admitted he had been drinking that day, said: “He grabbed the lead, I said let go of my dog. He said he wanted the dog.
“I just kept pulling my dog not looking back. When I turned back around I saw the dog on the floor.
“I could never harm my dog, it’s what keeps me alive. I’ve got a 15-year-old daughter I can’t see, I bought the dog to keep me company.”
When passing the verdict, magistrates described his testimony as “not credible”.
Sentencing: 18 weeks in jail. Indefinite ban on keeping animals.
