CONVICTED (2024) | Mark Williams, born 13 July 1985, of The Deanes, Tiverton EX16 5GT – kicked his partner’s pet chihuahua and threw him 20 feet across a room.
Williams, who was once hailed as a hero after jumping into a canal to rescue a dog in distress, became so angry that he punched his own television and partially throttled his girlfriend before venting his rage on her tiny dog. The attack took place in the presence of a four-year-old boy.
Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said Williams had been in a volatile on-off relationship with the woman for some time. She was living at his home on March 31, 2023, when an argument started after he returned home drunk.
Teacup chihuahua Smoothie was severely injured in the drink-fuelled attack but survived
He became jealous, threw her mobile telephone against a wall, punched and broke his television and put one hand around her throat, obstructing her airway and leaving her gasping for breath.
He then kicked her teacup chihuahua, Smoothie, before picking the dog up and throwing her out of the living room and into the kitchen where she hit the oven door and could be heard yelping in pain.
The owner reckoned Williams threw the dog the distance of three small cars parked end to end.
The dog suffered injuries to her jaw and hips.
Williams admitted intentional strangulation and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Williams’ lawyer Evie Dean said her client was addressing his use of alcohol and seeking help for “mental health issues”.
Sentencing | jailed for 14 months, suspended for two years; 120-day alcohol abstinence tag; relationship course; 120 hours of unpaid community work. No ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | Michelle Joplin aka Michelle Hines, born 1 August 1972, previously of Ganneys Meadow Road, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, and now of Marine Road West, Morecambe LA3 1BU – neglected her dog so badly she collapsed and had to be put to sleep.
Joplin caused unnecessary suffering to her three-year-old bully type dog, Daisy between May 24 and June 16, 2023.
Victim Daisy was put to sleep after being found collapsed and in immense pain
A vet found the animal in a state of collapse, with her right side “sodden with urine, and skin inflamed and sore”.
Her nails were overgrown, she was suffering with hair loss.
Attempts to move her resulted in aggression, which the vet said was a sign of pain.
Joplin left the dog to suffer in foul conditions
Joplin admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by failing to address signs of ill health.
Joplin told the court she had been “in a really bad place”.
Peter Mitchell, representing the RSPCA, said it was clear Daisy had been collapsed “for an extended period” when she was finally seen by a vet. Two other dogs in Joplin’s care – Marge and Skye – were rehomed.
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work, alcohol treatment requirement and rehabilitation. FIVE-year ban on keeping dogs (expires January 2029).
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeder Josh Mark Rowles, born 19 February 1997, of Matthew Street, Dyfatty, Swansea SA1 1PT – punched a young French bulldog puppy to death.
Rowles lost his temper with the puppy, known as Hugo, after the dog bit him while they were ‘nuzzling’ on the bed
A post mortem carried out on Hugo following his death concluded he had been hit with “considerable” force.
Victim Hugo
Jon Tarrant, prosecuting, said the incident happened at Rowles’ home on the morning of April 29, 2023. He said the defendant awoke to find Hugo on his bed, and he and the dog began to “nuzzle”. The pup then bit Rowles on the lip, and Rowles responded by punching the dog.
The court heard the dog’s condition started to deteriorate over the following 10 minutes and he was seen to start panting.
The defendant rang his ex-partner, who told him to take the animal to the PDSA vets – but Hugo had already died before they reached the clinic.
The vet advised Rowles to contact the RSPCA, who collected Hugo’s body and began an investigation.
The pup’s remains were sent to Liverpool University for a post mortem.
In the meantime Rowles was invited to attend a voluntary interview with the RSPCA during which he said he had woken up to find Hugo on his chest and while he and dog were “nuzzling” the puppy had bitten his lip and he gave the animal “a clip”. He later told an officer that after Hugo bit him he carried the pup to his bed and threw him down before punching him to the side of his body.
The prosecutor said based on disclosures made in interview, evidence from the vets, and the results of the post mortem it was concluded there had been a punch to the head and a punch to the ribs of the puppy, and that the defendant “must have used considerable force”.
In court Rowles, a convicted heroin dealer and former member of an organised crime group, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
His last conviction was for a public order matter some three days before the fatal blow to the dog.
2018 police mugshot of Josh Rowles
John Allchurch, for Rowles, said his client and his ex had owned a French bulldog that had a litter of five puppies. After the couple split his client had kept one of the pups namely Hugo. He said the defendant had had Hugo for five or months before the incident in question.
Allchurch said Rowles had co-operated with the RSPCA investigation and been candid during his interview.
The advocate said Rowles had also been candid with the author of his pre-sentence report about needing help to address his consumption of alcohol.
Judge Catherine Richards told Rowles he had committed a “brutal offence” against his dog which had resulted in his death. She said the “easy” thing to do would be to send the defendant to prison to mark society’s disapproval of what he had done but she noted the “genuine” remorse he had expressed in the pre-sentence report and the steps he had already taken to address his issues around anger and alcohol.
The judge said the appropriate sentence on the guidelines was six months in custody – with a one-third discount for his guilty plea.
Sentencing | four months in prison suspended for 12 months; rehabilitation; 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement. Banned from keeping any animal for the next five years (expires December 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Carrie Anne Renwick, born c. 1970, of Meadow Row, Castlefields, Runcorn WA7 2LN – moved out of her squalid flat, leaving seven cats to starve to death.
RSPCA inspectors found the decomposing bodies of seven cats in Carrie-Anne Renwick’s squalid and flea-infested Runcorn flat
The deceased animals were surrounded by rubbish and overflowing litter trays in a flat that was so cluttered some of the rooms were inaccessible.
The cats’ owner, Carrie-Anne Renwick had vacated the property in Primrose Close, Runcorn, months earlier leaving her abandoned pets behind to die.
The court heard how the deceased animals were removed by RSPCA inspector Nadine Pengilly on July 5, 2023.
In her evidence, Inspector Pengilly said: “As I approached the front door, I was attacked by hundreds of fleas escaping via the letterbox.
“We went to the back of the property and I could clearly see the flat was in a filthy condition, with overflowing litter trays and bags of rubbish all over the floor.
“The place was full of clutter and there was a mass flea infestation.
“The first room on the right was the bathroom which was dirty and cluttered. I found two dead cats on the floor.
“The first room on the left was the main bedroom, where there was a dead cat on the bed, two in the wardrobe, one near the door and one behind the curtains on the floor.
“The bedroom was cluttered with items and made access hard as I had to climb over bags of shopping.
“The black cat found in the wardrobe looked like he hadn’t been dead long as he still had flesh on his body and was being eaten by maggots.”
RSPCA inspector Leanne Cooper, who also attended the address, added: “There was a foul smell coming from the property that I could smell from standing outside the front door.
“I could see live and dead flies on the windows and hundreds of live and dead fleas. These actually jumped on me when I opened the letterbox.”
The deceased animals were taken into possession by police and their bodies examined by a vet.
The cat found in the wardrobe had died at least 36 hours earlier while, the other six carcasses were dried out and rigid, suggesting they had been dead for some time.
“Decomposition was so marked that the bodies were not suitable for a post mortem examination,” Ms Cooper said.
“Reviewing the carcasses along with the environmental evidence, starvation and dehydration cannot be ruled out as potential causes of death due to the lack of water and fresh food.
“I would expect a responsible owner to seek veterinary attention should their pet become underweight.
“Moreover, if their animal became weak or lethargic. Starvation and dehydration cause weakness and debilitation.
“This will have been uncomfortable and severely impacted the cats’ everyday lives and their ability to ambulate, to obtain food or water and even to play.
“Emaciation can cause mental suffering through having a constant hunger that is never fulfilled.
“It is reported to take at least four days for a cat to starve to death – a slow, painful and prolonged process as the body shuts down. This will have been unpleasant.”
Renwick had previously been given advice by the RSPCA about appropriate flea treatment but had turned down offers of help to rehome the cats.
In mitigation, the court heard she had health and alcohol issues.
Before sentencing, deputy district judge Price highlighted that only a custodial sentence was appropriate in this case due to the nature and seriousness of the offences.
However, taking Renwick’s guilty pleas into account, the judge agreed to suspend the sentence.
Sentencing | 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months; 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days; alcohol treatment programme; costs and surcharge totalling £354. A 10-year ban on owning or keeping animals (expires December 2033).
CONVICTED (2023) | Daniel Pickard, born c. 1981, of Heather Grove, Keighley BD21 2RP – killed a kitten by forcefully punching and strangling her and breaking her bones,
Pickard battered and strangled three-month-old female cat, Pablo, and left her body in a plastic bag in the bedroom of his flat.
The next morning he told his daughter: “The cat’s gone. I’ve killed it. It’s dead”, adding “I couldn’t stop punching it, it’s been pi**ing me off the past week.”
Pickard, who works as a painter/decorator, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
He was also found guilty of criminal damage to the kitten by destroying her, assault on a police officer acting as an emergency worker, possession of cannabis and breach of his bail.
The court heard Pickard’s daughter had brought Pablo with her when she moved into his flat with her baby son.
After his daughter said she was struggling to look after the cat and thinking of re-homing her, the court heard Pickard told her: “I’ll take it round the back where the bins are and sort it out.”
Prosecutor Lydia Carroll said Pickard’s daughter had been shocked but thought he was joking.
She said: ‘In December last year, Pickard went out for the night with his two daughters but got drunk and was ejected from a nightclub.”
The court heard the next morning he called one daughter and told her he had killed the kitten because he had been annoying him, adding that he “couldn’t stop punching it”.
His daughter “thought it was some kind of joking because he kept laughing,” said Miss Carroll.
“She thought it was some kind of sick joke.”
The sisters called the police after finding the dead kitten with blood around her nose and mouth.
Pablo’s body was examined by a vet who found she had suffered fractures to her cheekbone, jaw, head and spine, as well as a throat fracture consistent with strangulation.
Pickard drunkenly resisted two officers who turned up to arrest him.
He then failed to turn up for his trial at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court, where he found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
He was sentenced on Monday October 9, 2023, for that offence as well as further charges of assaulting an emergency worker, resisting a police officer, criminal damage, possession of cannabis and failing to surrender to court.
Miss Carroll told Judge Kirstie Watson that there were photos of Pablo’s body, warning her that they were graphic.
Judge Watson said she had seen them.
The court heard Pickard had more than 30 previous convictions for more than 50 offences including two jail sentences for wounding in 2011 and 2021.
His barrister Lily Wildman, in mitigation, said Pickard had shown real remorse and had significant alcohol problems.
Judge Kirstie Watson said Pickard must have used very significant force to kill Pablo.
The impact on his daughters had been very great and neither wanted to see him again.
But it was a single act of animal cruelty and he had stayed out of trouble since.
Judge Watson was told that Pickard did not have any animals of his own. She said she did not think it necessary to ban him from keeping them.
Sentencing | 21-month custodial suspended for two years; 30 rehabilitation activity days; 150 hours of unpaid work; alcohol treatment requirement; £75 compensation to his daughter; £500 costs.
CONVICTED (2023) | Tameesha Ewing, born 29 November 1998, of 19 Bushmoor Walk, Ardwick, Manchester M13 9GS – abandoned two bulldogs and a tortoise in a filthy house strewn with rubbish
The RSPCA was called to Ewing’s home on August 4, 2022, after concerns were raised about the welfare of the dogs – a grey brindle female bulldog, and a dark brindle male bulldog, known as Rolex and Romeo.
The RSPCA saved Tameesha Ewing’s pets from a slow painful death after she abandoned them
In a witness statement RSPCA inspector Deborah Beats described the conditions in which the bulldogs were being kept.
She said: “There were faeces all over the floors of every room that was available to the dogs and the rooms were full of hazards such as bottles of bleach, rubbish, broken furniture and doors, and sharp objects scattered around the flat.
“There was no clean resting area for the dogs as the sofas were covered in faeces and there were no dog beds available. No food was available, there were empty bowls scattered around the flat and evidence of torn up bags of dry dog food.
“They were unable to exhibit their normal behaviour as they were prevented from accessing the garden for four days, and were also prevented from exercising and had no mental stimulation.”
During the inspection Ms Beats also discovered a tortoise, known as Ninja, being kept in a ‘filthy malodorous tank’.
The inspector added: “The environment for the tortoise was also unsuitable as he was in a filthy tank with a lid that smelt mouldy and stale when lifted. There was a screwdriver inside which was a hazard and there was no heat lamp.
“The water was thick and murky and he had nothing edible or anything of any nutritional value inside at all and no evidence of any remnants. There was no deep bedding material for him to sleep and no clean water allowing him to bathe.”
The animals were signed over to the care of the RSPCA, and have since been found new homes.
Ewing pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act at Manchester magistrates’ court.
Sentencing her District Judge Thomas Mitchell said: “The defendant’s personal difficulties do not excuse abandoning animals who would certainly have died if RSPCA had not intervened.”
Sentencing | 12 month community order, six-month alcohol treatment order; fined £386 with £114 costs. THREE-year ban applicable to all animals (expires August 2026).
CONVICTED (2023) | Adrian Tucker, born c. 1970, of 54A Vallis Way, Frome BA11 3BE – choked his partner’s dog during domestic violence attack.
Adrian Tucker: animal abuser and woman beater
Tucker, who was said to be heavily intoxicated, became agitated and accused his partner of cheating on him. After threatening to kill the woman, he placed both his hands around her neck and started to strangle her before smashing her head against a wall and punching her on the nose.
He then apologised – asking her and her daughter to kill him – before he left her Henbury home and grabbed her Jack Russell Terrier dog around the neck until he was shaking.
Tucker pleaded guilty to strangulation and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Matthew Comer, defending, said the offence arose from alcohol misuse and his client had abstained from alcohol since.
CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Bond, born 4 May 1992, of Whitebeam Close, Windmill Hill, Runcorn WA7 6QJ but with links to Widnes – attacked a French bulldog puppy during domestic violence incident.
Mark Bond walked free from court despite being convicted of a litany of violence towards a woman, her new-born baby and her puppy.
Violent thug Mark Bond, who has a history of domestic abuse from as far back as 2009, targeted French bulldog Reggie during a row with his then girlfriend and mother of his new baby.
Victim Reggie
When his girlfriend begged him to stop hurting the puppy, Bond turned his attention to her instead, hitting her on the arms and back of the head. Some of the blows landed on his two-week-old baby daughter, causing minor injury, though Bond insisted he hadn’t intended to strike the child.
He also denied attacking Reggie and claimed he had been trying to push the puppy off the bed. There is no indication that the dog was badly injured and Bond wasn’t charged with animal cruelty.
Bond had attacked the same woman while she was pregnant, at one point pushing his fists into her stomach.
In court, Bond was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, while he admitted criminal damage and assault.
Sentencing Bond, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC told him he clearly had “a real problem with drink and, as a consequence of that no doubt, a particular issue with violence towards partners with whom you are having an intimate relationship. Your conduct in relation to her was outrageous.
“It was simply arrogant, bullying, drunken behaviour. She was on the receiving end of physical violence from you when you lost your temper.
“For no good reason at all, you began to hit her and punch her to the stomach. That was the way you behaved in drink towards someone who you were meant to care for.
“While on bail, she was then holding this two-week-old child – your child – and you again in temper hit out at her, striking her and at some time striking the baby. It is outrageous behaviour.
“There is a more constructive alternative. It seems to me that this is a situation where you and society would benefit from an alternative to immediate custody.”
CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Flintham, born 8 December 1968, of Lock House, Abingdon Lock, Abingdon OX14 3NW – killed a goose by stamping on it, kicking it and attempting to break its neck.
Headcase: police described Mark Flintham’s vicious attack on a helpless goose as “very disturbing”
Between 2.30pm and 3.30pm on 10 August 2022, Mark Flintham was seen by members of the public grabbing a wild goose in Abbey Meadows, Abingdon.
Flintham stamped on the bird and then kicked it and attempted to break its neck, before taking the lifeless bird away from the park.
Flintham (left, outside court) was photographed holding the injured goose
The incident was investigated by Thames Valley Police’s rural crime taskforce and Flintham was charged on 18 January 2023.
Flintham initially pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty by the court.
Under the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to kill or injure any wild animal, and wild birds are only allowed to be killed or taken under license.
Sentencing | 18 week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months; alcohol treatment; rehabilitation activity requirement; £304 costs. Disqualified from keeping any animal for five years (expires May 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Paul Cowie, born 22 February 1966, of 32 Sledmere Close, Peterlee SR8 5JN – caught on CCTV kicking his dog 15 times in one minute.
Cowie , who has links to the traveller fraternity, repeatedly kicked his dog, Benji, across North Road East in Wingate, County Durham, on 5 October 2022.
The pet did not retaliate but instead cowered and tried to avoid his owner’s aggressive kicks.
Benji is now doing well and will soon be put up for rehoming
RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson investigated the incident and said: “This is a very sad case where a dog suffered because of horrendous physical violence.
“Dogs experience a range of emotions including fear and anxiety, it is deeply distressing to think of the stress and pain Benji experienced as a consequence of this attack.
“There is never any excuse for this type of violence and this footage makes very difficult viewing.”
The vet who assessed Benji said: “The dog showed no signs of aggression and was behaving normally. It is evident from the body language of the dog that it was being submissive, was scared and attempting to avoid the kicks.
“When the dog pulled on the lead in an attempt to escape the attack, the man used the lead to pull him closer. At times the force of the kicks lifted the dog off its feet, and on one occasion caused it to fall over backwards.”
Cowie admitted one offence of causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act after inflicting blunt force trauma and physical violence to his lurcher dog, Benji.
The court heard, in mitigation, that Cowie was struggling with alcohol and was shocked when he viewed the footage and saw himself kicking the dog.
Benji was initially taken into the care of Stray Aid and is now in the care of the RSPCA. Staff say he is friendly and that they have had “no trouble with him.” Benji will soon be put up for rehoming.
Sentencing | 12-month community order to include 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a nine-month alcohol treatment order; £450 costs with a £115 victim surcharge. Five-year ban on keeping animals imposed along with a deprivation order in relation to Benji (ban expires April 2028).
