CONVICTED (2024) | Mitchell Stuart Wright, born September 1990, of 20 Cartwright Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 5LF – kept birds of prey in appalling conditions.
Wright had 23 protected species of birds inside aviaries in Whitehill Road, Ellistown, Coalville, when officers arrived in September 2023.
Police said he was keeping the birds in poor conditions and did not have the right paperwork.
Leicestershire Police said Wright failed to hold the correct paperwork for the birds with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
He pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, of failing to prevent the causing of unnecessary suffering of an animal, failing to ensure animal welfare and possessing unregistered birds.
Leicestershire and Rutland Rural Policing Team said: “We are really pleased with this result at court and are grateful to all those who helped us with caring for the birds, advising us and giving their expert opinions and statements. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
His birds are now being cared for by local falconers.
Sentencing | 12-month community order, which includes 15 days of rehabilitation requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work; fined £85 towards Crown Prosecution costs and a £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping any animals for five years (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Siem Tamrat, born 9 September 2000, of Mereton Mansions, Brookmill Road, Deptford, London SE8 4HS – neglected a puppy until she almost starved to death.
Tamrat denied the animal cruelty charges against him but was found guilty after failing to provide a three-month-old American bulldog puppy, Nala, with adequate food and water.
The pup was presented to PDSA vets in “a state of emaciation” on November 29, 2022.
Nala had been taken to the vets on November 15, with a history of being underweight. At that appointment she weighed 10.6kg.
Tamrat was advised to feed an appropriate diet of complete puppy food three times a day and return two weeks later.
When she was taken back to the vets, Nala weighed just 7.7kg and was subdued, barely able to stand, with muscles shaking, and standing with her head down.
The bones of her head, limbs, spine, ribs and pelvis were easily visible, the RSPCA said.
Tamrat was advised by the vets that Nala required intensive supportive treatment given her very poor condition.
He initially refused but then left the vet surgery to withdraw funds for treatment and failed to return.
As a result, the RSPCA were called to seize Nala along with police and investigate animal welfare offences.
In mitigation, Tamrat’s defence lawyer said his client’s autism and ADHD adversely affected his thinking and reasoning skills.
RSPCA Inspector Harriet Daliday attended the vet practice and described Nala as: “curled in a ball, on a drip, in her kennel and did not respond to noise or my voice.
“She did not respond when opening up her kennel and I had to gently lift her out and get support to hold her up in order to photograph her as she could not stand unaided.
“She was extremely underweight with all her ribs, her pelvis and spine easily visible.
“She was very roach backed and unsteady on her feet swaying back and forth and shaking.
“She was extremely lethargic and struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Her entire demeanour was the opposite of what you expect from a three-month-old puppy.”
Since her traumatic start to life, Nala has now made a full recovery and has been adopted by a new family.
Sentencing | 10-week custodial suspended for 12 months; 30 days of rehabilitation activity; £154 victim surcharge. A five-year ban (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Javel Pilgrim, born 14 November 1999, of Saint Gregory’s Crescent, Gravesend, but with links to the Hackney and Barking areas of London – caught on camera abusing his pet dog.
Pilgram, who according to his LinkedIn profile works as a “program development professional”, admitted the physical abuse and neglect of his pet dog, Tessa, in a case brought by the RSPCA.
The incident, which took place on January 25, 2023, saw Pilgrim, who at the time lived on Maybury Road, Barking, lift Tessa up before hurling her from height onto the ground.
A vet who viewed the video after it was reported to the RSPCA commented: “The person does not drop the dog by accident but throws it with intent and force enough to propel it a considerable distance from him.”
“The clip shows him positioning the dog behind him to enable him to throw the dog effectively. The energy required in my opinion and experience in handling dogs, was very large to throw the dog the distance seen, and the intent was to harm the dog.
“There is no sign … that the dog was trying to bite the person, or that the man was acting in self-defence. He is not seen attending to the dog immediately afterwards, suggesting that he failed to prevent further suffering by not checking for injuries.”
When RSPCA animal rescue officer Bryan Taylor visited Pilgrim, he discovered Tessa living in the garden. She was removed from the property with consent and taken for a veterinary examination on January 26, 2023.
The vet found her to be underweight at 15.9kg, scoring three out of nine on the body condition scale. She had sustained injuries, staining, and calluses on her lower limbs, as well as fractured teeth.
A vet stated: “This injury could have occurred when the owner threw her onto the ground- it is common for injuries to the carpus (wrist) to be caused by falling from a height. The graze on her carpus could have occurred at the same time.”
“The damage to Tessa’s teeth could also have occurred when she was thrown.
“We treated Tessa with a painkiller and a diet plan to help her gain weight.
“On February 2, her weight had increased to 16.7kg. Her cough resolved with this treatment and she is not showing any signs of lameness.”
“We also noted that while Tessa was very well behaved with female members of staff she showed signs of fear aggression (e.g. lunging when cornered) with some of our male staff members- suggesting that her previous mistreatment has made her fearful of men”.
Speaking about the case, RSPCA inspector Shahnaz Ahmad, who was in charge of the investigation for the animal welfare charity, commented: “Pilgrim inflicted appalling and totally unnecessary violence on Tessa. There is never an excuse for treating an animal in this way.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order, with 15 days of “rehabilitation”; £80 fine and £114 victim surcharge. Indefinite ban.
CONVICTED | Peter Enobong Akpan Esen, born June 1989, of Rosebud Close, Swalwell, Newcastle upon Tyne NE16 3DF – neglected his elderly underweight dog and failed to seek veterinary care for her life-threatening uterine infection.
Esen had left the 13-year-old husky, Alex, unattended for at least 48 hours at his home.
She was suffering from pyometra – a life-threatening condition of the womb commonly found in older unneutered female dogs – and needed emergency surgery.
Her bottom incisor teeth were also worn down to less than half their normal height, which a vet thought could be attributed to her chewing empty cans of dogs food, which were found littered throughout the property.
Esen, who is thought to have links to Nottingham and Manchester, admitted three charges contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006, following a prosecution by the RSPCA and appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court for sentencing on 2 April 2024.
The court heard how RSPCA inspectors had taped the front door and the back gate of the house on 14 February 2023 following reports that a dog had been abandoned at the property.
The seals were still intact when a further visit was made by Inspector Rachael Hurst the following day.
In written evidence to the court Inspector Hurst said: “There were empty cans of dog food strewn all over the floor, visible inside the property through the glass in the door and in the rear garden visible through the fence, some of them had been chewed up and teeth marks were visible in them.
“The rear door to the property was wide open. I knocked at the door and there was no response and a black and white husky type dog then appeared in the hallway behind the door. I made enquiries with local residents but nobody knew where the owner of the dog was.
“The following day I attended again. There had been no changes, the tape seals were still intact on the front door and rear gate and the same dog was visible inside so I contacted Northumbria Police for assistance.”
During an initial examination of the dog, the inspector could easily feel her spine, hips and ribs. Her nails were also overgrown and splaying in different directions.
The property was resealed before Inspector Hurst took Alex to a vet. There, she was diagnosed with pyometra and needed emergency life-saving surgery and overnight hospitalisation.
Weighing 20kg against a healthy weight for her breed of between 22kg and 25kg, Alex was given a body condition score of just two out of nine. The vet said it could have taken months for her to have lost so much body fat and muscle.
Her claws were also overgrown indicating inadequate exercise had been provided.
In written evidence the vet said: “The large amount of fluid and pressure in her uterus meant it was at risk of rupture at any time, Had the RSPCA not intervened when they did, the uterus would have ruptured leaving the dog to die a slow and painful death from sepsis.
“I estimate that the symptoms were likely present for one to three days prior to diagnosis. Had this dog lived in an occupied household they would have been identified by the owner so veterinary treatment could be sought. It is unacceptable that this elderly dog was left unchecked for this time period, allowing a serious and life-threatening disease to go unnoticed.”
The court was told that tape seals on the door were still intact when Inspector Hurst visited Esen’s home again on 18 March. There was still no-one at home and Esen couldn’t be reached by phone.
After speaking to someone who knew him, Inspector Hurst eventually met him at the house and an interview was carried out. He admitted that he had not cleaned up and that he’d been away. He said he had messaged a person to provide a tin of food, although he hadn’t checked that they’d done so. He said he didn’t think that Alex was underweight.
Alex was cared for at an RSPCA rehoming centre. Sadly her health deteriorated further and she was found to have mammary tumours, and she was put to sleep on veterinary advice at the end of last year.
Speaking after the case Inspector Hurst said: “Alex was an elderly dog who was being left unattended with a life-threatening condition in an unsuitable and hazardous environment.
“Sadly, she’d been let down by her owner and not been given anything like the care and attention she should have received in her twilight years. It illustrates how important it is to ensure the needs of animals you’re responsible for are always met and why it’s crucial to seek help and advice if you’re no longer able to provide for them.”
Sentencing | 18 month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work; £128.60 in costs. Ten-year ban on keeping animals which cannot be contested for five years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Bryan Owens and previous offender Katrina Bernadette Elstob of 48 Fox Avenue, South Shields NE34 9RN – failed to address their pets’ health conditions and weight loss.
Elstob, who was previously banned from owning animals, and partner Bryan Owens admitted cruelty to an elderly Jack Russell called Jack and a cat named Jess. Jack was in poor bodily condition, suffering skin inflammation and dental disease and was infested with fleas, while Jess had an untreated skin condition.
RSPCA Inspector Trevor Walker visited the couple in September 2023 and was immediately concerned about the poor condition of Jack and Jess.
Jack was dehydrated after being denied water and had a number of untreated health conditions
In his witness statement he said: “I observed an aged and very lean, Jack Russell Terrier type dog, that would have been described as tri-coloured at one stage, but now appeared more yellow possibly due to a heavy flea burden and his age.
“The cat, a medium long haired brown cat appeared in better condition, but once I had picked him up I could feel the very scabby skin under his medium long haired coat.”
RSPCA Inspector Walker transported Jack and Jess to a vet for further examination.
Jess had a severe skin condition, which had not been addressed by her cruel owners
Inspector Walker continued in his witness statement: “Arriving at the door to the vet’s surgery, I noticed [Jack] was lapping the rain water that had collected on the top of the drainage cover, indicating that he was dehydrated.
“This condition was confirmed inside the consultation room when he drank from a bowl of fresh water for an entire minute, before it was removed.”
The vet said in their witness statement about Jack the dog: “There were four main concerns which included a very poor body condition score, which would have likely been present for at least a few months, a heavy flea infestation, secondary skin inflammation and severe dental disease.
“Based on the examination and the further test results; Jack had experienced unnecessary and avoidable suffering.”
Following the case, Jack and Jess were officially signed over to the care of RSPCA, where staff will now look to find them both loving new homes.
Sentencing | Elstob – ordered to pay a fine of £164, a £66 victim surcharge and £250 in costs. Owens -ordered to pay a fine of £80, a £32 victim surcharge and £250 in costs. Both were given a seven year ban on owning all animals, with no appeal for five years (expires April 2031).
CONVICTED (2024) | Carlton James Chesney-Mitchell, born 13 September 2002, of Greenbrow Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 2FT – caught on CCTV beating his dog.
Vicious Carlton Chesney-Mitchell was convicted of animal cruelty in relation to a Belgian Malinois called Anne by inflicting physical abuse on her.
The RSPCA were alerted to footage of the incident which had been posted on Facebook. It showed a man kicking and throwing a medium-sized brown dog in June last year.
Aside from physical pain, the RSPCA said Annie may suffer life-long psychological damage as a consequence of her previous owner’s violence towards her
The video shows a male in dark trousers, a blue hoodie and a black balaclava cycling towards an open garden from a field. He then throws the bike down and can be heard shouting “come here”. A dog comes into the footage before it is kicked in the face. The man then entices the dog back and kicks her again.
The man, later identified to be Chesney-Mitchell, is then heard saying: “Stop pissing me off and fucking running off, stop it” before striking Annie twice with his right hand and grabbing her by the neck with both hands and throwing her in the air. Annie can then be seen spun in mid-air before landing on her feet and running out onto the field. The male can be heard stating “Fucking piece of shit”, as he mounts his bicycle and cycles off.
Inspector Deborah Beats, who investigated, said Annie thankfully wasn’t physically injured:
Deborah said: “I reached out to those on social media who had information on this video and after a false start, I was able to speak to a member of the public who informed me the dog and the owner were at their house.
“I met Chesney-Mitchell at the member of the public’s address along with his two year old Belgian Malinois Annie. After interviewing the owner, I took Annie to be checked over by a vet where thankfully it was found that she didn’t have any injuries.”
Original post with video shared to Facebook by a concerned resident
The court heard how a vet report stated that Annie was very nervous on examination. It found that Annie would have suffered physically momentarily during the kicking, throwing and hitting episodes captured in the footage, however, the emotional impact may have a life-long effect.
The report continued: “This is shown with Annie’s fear behaviours such as cowering away from the person in the video before the second kick and cowering when her head was approached for examination. These fear behaviours along with being constantly shouted at would have caused her mental suffering.
“It is likely Annie will have been in pain for several days after this incident and will have suffered at the very least mild soft tissue injuries. This will have caused discomfort when trying to walk and display normal behaviours such as playing.
“In the video presented I can identify that the person of interest inflicts harm on Annie on at least five occasions in the form of kicking, hitting and throwing.
“They caused unnecessary suffering on multiple accounts by inflicting pain on Annie. There was no reasonable explanation for the outbursts on her visible within the video footage, as Annie was not inflicting harm on the person in question or anyone else.”
A deprivation order was imposed for Annie meaning she can now be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Deborah added: “This was a shocking and completely unnecessary attack on this poor dog. I’m glad this case has concluded and Annie can now find the loving forever home she deserves.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work; £200 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge. TWO-year ban on keeping dogs (expires March 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | Rachel Louise Smith, born c. 1992, from Skirpenbeck, near Stamford Bridge, York YO41 – strangled her pet cat to death.
Smith, who is said to be mentally ill, is banned from having any role in owning or caring for animals for the rest of her life after pleading guilty to killing a cat named Chico.
RSPCA prosecutor Phil Brown told the court Smith had strangled the pet because he had urinated on her clothes.
Mr Brown said a mental health team had contacted Humberside Police after Smith told them she had shot the cat.
She later told an RSPCA inspector she had strangled him having “lost her temper” when he damaged her clothes.
Mr Brown said the RSPCA was aware of Smith’s mental illness and had prosecuted her so that she could be banned from having control of animals in future.
Smith’s solicitor Kevin Blount argued that Smith’s mental illness meant she had not dealt with the incident in the way someone who was not mentally ill would have dealt with it.
Mr Blount said she had been given the cat by someone who thought having a pet would help her with her difficulties.
“She soon realised that was not the case,” he said.
Mr Blount said the defendant had “complex psychiatric needs” and that she had a “very complex and tragic history”.
She had tried to arrange for the cat to be rehomed without success.
Smith was already working with health professionals to deal with her mental illness and the probation service could not help her, the court heard.
Her illness meant it was not possible for her to do unpaid work or be put under a curfew.
That left the judge with the choice of giving her a conditional discharge or a prison sentence, said Mr Blount.
District judge Adrian Lower said prison was not appropriate for Smith although he would normally consider jailing someone for killing a cat.
“There is no excuse for killing Chico,” he told Smith. “But I have to take into account your poor mental health as it was then and is now.”
Sentencing | three-year conditional discharge; £200 prosecution costs and £26 statutory surcharge. Banned from keeping, owning or caring for any animal for life but can ask for the ban to be reviewed after 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Rebecca Hopkins, born c. 1995, currently of Marine Road, Pensarn, Abergele LL22 7PS – left multiple pets without food and water.
Hopkins was sentenced to 10 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, in September 2023, and was disqualified from owning or keeping pets for five years. However, following an appeal hearing on March 1, 2024, the suspended sentence was revoked and her ban on keeping animals reduced to just three years. Presiding judge Timothy Petts said the original five-year disqualification was “too long” and three years was “more realistic”.
Hopkins admitted charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing in her duty of care to ensure an animal’s welfare.
Idiot magistrate Tim Petts said the five-year disqualification order imposed on a chaotic woman that abandoned her pets was “too long” with three years being “more realistic”
Barrister Ember-Jade Wong told the court that, on March 30, 2023, officers twice attended Hopkins’ then-address on Bryn Trewan, Caergeiliog, Anglesey, regarding an unrelated matter.
They received no response, but on the second occasion, looked into the property through a gap in blinds to see faeces “all over the floor”.
Officers could also see two dogs without food or water inside the property. When an officer looked through the letter box, one dog was “yelping” and trying to jump over a baby gate.
The next day, officers returned, and the dogs were still in the kitchen, while there was “more faeces than previously”.
Hopkins was also caring for two rats and guinea pigs each at the time; both were said to be within their cages but without food or water.
She was found “sleeping rough” in Colwyn Bay, telling officers she did not intend to return to her Anglesey property due to issues with mould.
On April 15, 2023, officers broke in to the Anglesey property, and were said to have been “overcome with the smell of faeces and urine”.
The dogs were “dishevelled”, and none of the six animals appeared to have any access to food or water.
Following further inspections, the guinea pigs were found to have no fresh bedding, and the acidity of the urine in their cage may have caused burns on their legs.
Of the two rats, one had identifiable breathing issues, and another was underweight.
Neighbours said they “heard dogs barking constantly”, meanwhile.
Hopkins relinquished care of all of the animals save for one of the dogs, but lost her right to also keep this pet after she was convicted.
Representing Hopkins, who had three previous convictions for five offences, Richard Edwards said she moved to Colwyn Bay to be with her partner at the time, understood to be called Lewis Ford.
He was no longer allowed to reside at her address after being convicted of assaulting her, but his Colwyn Bay address prohibited the keeping of animals.
Hopkins wanted to appeal the sentence in respect of her disqualification from keeping animals, as pets were said to bring her some comfort after losing custody of her children.
Judge Timothy Petts, presiding over the appeal with magistrates, removed the suspended jail term, but said a ban on keeping pets would have to stay in place, albeit reduced to a mere three years.
“We realise that is a great source of distress for her,” Judge Petts added.
CONVICTED (2024) | Sara Holland, 27 (born 29 August 1996), of 33 Garden Street, Hyde, Tameside, Greater Manchester SK14 4AU – left a rabbit to starve to death in a filthy hutch.
In February 2022 the RSPCA were called to Sara Holland’s home in Garden Street, Hyde, due to concerns over the welfare of a pet rabbit. There they found the young female Lionhead rabbit called Bing dead in her hutch.
The ‘filthy’ hutch had no food or water in it.
A post-mortem found the animal had died of ‘prolonged malnutrition.’
In a written statement RSPCA Inspector Beth Fazackerley said she visited the property on February 22, 2022, and was shown into the back garden by Holland.
“Against the rear wall of the property within the garden stood a large, pale blue two-storey hutch. The hutch was approximately a metre from the rear door into the kitchen” Ms Fazackerley said.
“The top floor of the hutch was bare except for some faeces and an overturned log tunnel/bridge-type structure. Attached to the mesh door pointing into the hutch was a roller-ball water bottle. It was completely empty.
“On the bottom floor of the hutch was an empty and dry green bowl, an empty and dry human food tray, multiple faecal droppings – collectively covering around a third of the bare wooden floor – and a rabbit laying on its right side on top of some faeces on the right-hand side of the hutch.”
Holland told Ms Fazackerley that she had ‘gone outside the previous evening and found Bing dead.
She said she assumed the rabbit had suffered a heart attack as she’d been scared by one of her dogs a few days previously.
She allowed the inspector to take Bing to a vet so she could be examined.
The vet gave the animal a body score condition of one out of five.
They said there were no obvious signs of bruising, swelling or abnormalities of the mouth which would explain any potential reason for the rabbit having difficulty in eating.
“Suffering has occurred as a result of the poor body condition, which will have caused debilitation, hunger and extreme weakness. I believe this suffering will have occurred over several days,” said the vet.
The post-mortem showed the rabbit had had ‘severe’ and ‘chronic’ muscle loss, soiling of the fur around her feet and thickening of the skin on the hocks, which both pointed to unhygienic living conditions.
No digestible material was found in her stomach and there were no pathological causes which could explain her weight loss, with ‘prolonged malnutrition’ the most likely cause of her death, said the report.
Holland was found guilty in her absence of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing to take steps to ensure the needs of an animal were met to the extent required by good practice.
The court was told she had mental health issues and had had relationship troubles in the past.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days; fined £120. Disqualified from keeping any animal for a period of 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Yassar Hussain, born May 1986, of 46 Aldred Street, Rotherham S65 2AL – left a Belgian Shepard in pain with multiple untreated injuries.
The two-year-old dog, named Deli, had extensive scratches and bites on all four limbs and infected wounds on her front legs. These had been present for several days. She had also reportedly birthed a litter of puppies just days before, who all sadly died.
Deli’s owner, Yassar ‘Yass’ Hussain, sole director of vehicle recovery firm S60 Recovery and Transportation Ltd, admitted one offence contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at a hearing in December, 2023.
The court heard how Hussain had taken the injured dog to a PDSA clinic in Sheffield on June 30, 2022. The examining vet subsequently contacted the RSPCA over concerns for her welfare.
In a written statement, RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Sara Jordan said Deli was “in lean body condition” when she saw her five days later. She noted “extensive wounds on both front legs – notably a large open wound on her right foreleg and an open, draining abscess to the armpit region of her left foreleg”.
DCI Jordan added: “She was on pain relief and antibiotics and had a lot of criss-cross scratches and bite wounds to all limbs.”
Speaking to DCI Jordan on the same day, Hussain said four days before he took Deli to the vet, she was jumping up at him and playing. He said she then gave birth at a property on Sheridan Drive, Rotherham on 28 June 2023 and it was at that point he noticed a wound on her right foreleg.
The PDSA vet said in a written court statement: “On examination she was underweight with milk expressible from all nipples. From the size of the nipples I would suspect this was not the first litter of puppies.
“The fur coat was matted with purulent material and other dark matter over the entire body. She was clearly uncomfortable on both forelimbs despite having pain relief overnight.
“The left forelimb was very swollen and purulent material was dripping down it. Several wounds were visible over all four limbs, not all fresh. The largest wound was present on the centre of the right forelimb near the elbow, which couldn’t be fully assessed conscious.
“I believe Deli was caused unnecessary pain and suffering by not having these wounds treated earlier, for this degree of swelling and purulent material these particular wounds had been present for several days most likely. All limbs, once clipped, showed wounds which appeared to be even older than the deep wounds present on the forelimbs.”
In mitigation the court heard that Hussain had since rehomed another dog he owned and it was to his credit that he did eventually recognise, albeit very late, that Deli needed veterinary intervention.
Deli, who was signed over to the RSPCA by Hussain during the course of the investigation, was cared for at the charity’s Hull & East Riding Branch animal centre. She made a full recovery and has since been happily rehomed.
Sentencing | 18-month community order, with 120 hours of unpaid work and up to 15 rehabilitation activity days; costs of £750. Banned from keeping a dog for 10 years.
