CONVICTED (2023) | Kasandra Benton, born September 1986, of Talke Road, Walsall WS5 4PH – neglected her injured and ailing dogs’ needs.
Pet collector Benton left two of her dogs to suffer without seeking vet treatment. They were an Akita named Delta, who was found with injuries from fighting another dog, and a chihuahua called Eddie, who had a huge ulcerated mass on his groin and had to be put to sleep.
The dogs were rescued from Benton’s home after concerns for their welfare were raised with the RSPCA.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Graeme Brookes, described what he saw when he entered Benton’s home.
He said: “As I walked in, the smell was strong. I saw multiple fresh stains of faeces in the living room. There was lots of domestic rubbish on the floor.
“Eddie had a very large growth on the side of his body that due to his size impacted his walk, on top of the growth was a large open wound.
“I asked to see Delta, who was kept locked in the kitchen. There was a large amount of faeces and urine in the kitchen. I asked why Delta was in the kitchen, and was told she’d been kept in there since the fight.
“Delta was friendly, however, I could see she couldn’t place her paw on the floor, hobbling significantly also her hair was matted on the back. I then noticed puncture marks on both her legs and the one she couldn’t put down was significantly swollen.”
Both dogs were taken to a vet who examined them and concluded both were suffering.
In his report, he said: “The owner was aware that Eddie had a swelling on his side and that it ulcerated a couple of months earlier. This mass was painful due to the damage to the skin over the mass. The lack of treatment and the inaction that in my opinion has led to unnecessary suffering.
“With Delta, once this fight had occurred a reasonable owner would immediately seek veterinary care especially with the number of injuries she sustained.
“She may have been walking initially but as the inflammation and infection worsened the swelling would have become more obvious and she would have become more lame and more painful.
“Many of the puncture wounds are often like the tip of the iceberg for dog bite injuries as the grip of the dog is maintained and the tear and rip the muscle and tissues below.”
Eddie had to be put to sleep because of the severity of his condition. Delta was placed in RSPCA care and can now be rehomed after the court granted a deprivation order.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Graeme Brookes added: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment when they need it.
“Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy. Ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.”
Sentencing | 26-week suspended prison sentence; 15 hours of “rehabilitation”; £600 in costs plus a £187 surcharge. 20-year ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2024) | Rachel Foster, born 17 March 1985, and Stephen O’Donnell, born 21 December 1985, of 107 East Lancashire Road, Walton, Liverpool L11 3DN – left a young Mastiff to starve to death alone in an outside kennel.
Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Hannah Yen attended the home of Foster and O’Donnell in July 2023 following a report about an underweight, collapsed dog in the garden.
She said: “The garden was overgrown and only a small area by the door was accessible. Mr O’Donnell said the dog was called Zeus, he was 22 months old and was a mastiff breed.
The overgrown garden where Zeus was found dead
“I looked in the kennel, there were flies on the dog and the dog’s body condition was poor. I could see no chest movement, the dog was cold to touch and sadly the dog was dead.
“Mr O’Donnell said he planned to bury Zeus, but I explained that I would need to take the body to be examined by a vet.”
Zeus, a 22 month old mastiff, was found dead by an animal rescue officer in the garden of a house on the East Lancashire Road in July 2023
ARO Yen said that O’Donnell had told her that “he had put the dog out in the evening and when he checked on him the next morning he found the dog was dead.”
The rescue officer passed the case over to RSPCA Inspector Caren Goodman-James who investigated.
She found that Zeus had been left unattended without food or water – which had resulted in his death.
The court heard how the vet report stated Zeus most likely died due to emaciation caused by a lack of nutrition.
The couple were spared jail despite leaving Zeus without food for at least two months
He weighed just 18.9kg (41.7lb) and was severely emaciated with his ribs, spine and pelvic bones all prominent. There was no palpable fat tissue on him suggesting he had been given insufficient nutrition for a period of at least two months.
The vet report said: “On examination, the body was extremely thin. There were no symptoms of any obvious disorder or injuries which would cause death.
“Regardless of the cause of severe weight loss, a reasonable owner should have sought veterinary attention for the dog in that state.
“In my opinion Zeus was suffering prior to death due to hunger, weakness and fear. The process of weight loss was chronic – muscle and fat tissue loss was present which happens when the body starts using these tissues as an emergency resource of energy in the case of prolonged hunger. I can estimate the duration for approximately two months, but likely longer.”
A vet assessed that the severely emacuated dog had suffered “due to hunger, weakness and fear” before he succumbed to starvation
Foster and O’Donnell were given 28 days to rehome their bearded dragon, failing which ownership will transfer to the RSPCA to find him a new home.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Goodman-James said: “This was a sad case involving the unnecessary death of a poor emaciated dog. We know that times can be tough with the cost of living crisis which may mean owners struggle to afford their pets but to allow a poor dog to starve as a result is incredibly cruel.
“We’d urge anyone who is struggling to reach out for help from friends and family, find a pet foodbank near you, ask a charity for advice and support, and always contact a vet immediately if you have concerns for the health of your pet.”
Sentencing | 18-month custodial suspended for 12 months; 200 hours of unpaid work; 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days each; £154 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping all animals for 20 years – which neither can appeal for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | sadistic thug Byron Bayliss, born 14 November 2002, of Dover Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton but with links to Dudley – systematically beat and tortured a puppy over several months, ultimately resulting in the animal’s death.
Sick puppy killer Byron Bayliss from Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Bayliss tortured’ the six-month-old terrier, Shadow, to death and buried his remains in the garden.
His body was recovered by police and found to have extensive injuries.
Bayliss was prosecuted by the RSPCA and admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The abuse took place between October 2022 and February 2023.
The police and RSPCA attended an address at Merrick Road, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton to investigate.
Bayliss’s mobile phone was seized and revealed he had made Google searches including ‘is it illegal to abandon a dog uk’, ‘is it illegal to leave a dog uk’ and ‘is it illegal to kill a dog uk’.
A post-mortem found Shadow had sustained extensive blunt force trauma with tears and bleeding to multiple internal organs including the liver, right kidney, lungs, diaphragm, heart sack and left heart chamber.
His vertebral column had completely dislocated.
A vet report concluded: “Shadow sustained severe blunt force trauma most likely due to being beaten.
“There was also evidence of healing processes in several areas of the body suggesting that Shadow had been beaten in the past, before the beating that caused his death.
“There is radiographic evidence of at least one historic rib fracture which shows healing that I estimate to be at least four weeks old, possibly older. There are radiographic signs of a fractured lumbar vertebra and a suspected healed fracture to the left front leg.
“He likely died following a sustained beating with multiple blows to different parts of the body that caused multiple internal bleeds and dislocation of vertebrae in his chest spine. The force of the blunt trauma would have been very severe to have caused these injuries and would have caused severe pain and extreme distress.”
In mitigation, the court heard Bayliss was of previous good character, was ‘immature’ and had ‘untreated’ mental health issues due to ‘previous traumatic events’.
Judge Avik Mukherjee said: “Shadow was a six-month-old terrier puppy. For almost all of his life you frankly tortured him.
He ruled against suspending imprisonment and concluded Bayliss must be jailed immediately.
He said: “There is no evidence of a realistic prospect of rehabilitation at present. I’m afraid appropriate punishment for an offence of this nature can only be served by way of immediate custody.
“A deterrent sentence must be passed in cases of this sort. This offence is as serious a case of this nature as there can be.”
“It is difficult to find a different verb to describe what you did to him. I have concluded your behaviour was sadistic. That is someone who gains pleasure from inflicting pain.
“It was prolonged. You showed no remorse at the end of each attack. You repeated your behaviour over many weeks. They became more severe, more merciless.
“It’s impossible to imagine how Shadow felt over his short life. I can’t imagine a case of this nature that could be more serious.”
Sentencing | 21 month custodial. Banned from keeping animals for 20 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Conor Ward, born c. 1992, of Cranny Avenue, Carnlough, Ballymena BT44 0HA – abandoned five dogs and left them to starve.
In an animal cruelty case described in court as “truly harrowing”, Conor Ward admitted causing unnecessary suffering to several unnamed bull terrier-type dogs who fought with each other after he abandoned them. One dog was killed by the others, who then fed on his corpse in desperation.
In April 2020 Ward uploaded this image of one of his dogs to Facebook
Ward’s cruelty came to light in November 2020 when animal welfare officers from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council visited his home after receiving a report about dogs fighting in the back yard.
Ward shared this image of his English bull terrier to his Facebook followers in April 2020
The property was vacant. There was no food and little clothing, but there was post in Ward’s name.
When investigators looked in the rear concrete yard, they discovered the half-eaten dead dog and four other animals.
The dead dog – a Staffy – was found to have numerous puncture wounds on his neck and back. He had died as a result of “significant trauma to the upper respiratory tract” and one of his hind legs had been eaten.
One female Staffy had to be coaxed from her ramshackle living accommodation
The four living dogs – three Staffies and an English bull terrier – were all underweight and had no access to food or water or clean bedding. All of them had cuts and wounds of varying ages.
One female Staffy was found “hiding in the back of a kennel and took some coaxing and reassurance” to entice her out. When she finally emerged, there were fresh and bleeding wounds to her face and nose.
Another Staffy was observed eating the corpse of the dead dog and was found to be timid and underweight.
The third living Staffy was given a body score of just 2/9 and had bleeding puncture wounds to her face.
An English bull terrier was found in a pen by herself. Historic scars were found on both front feet, nose, head and carpus regions.
Sadly this little dog did not survive with Ward’s other dogs resorting to eating his remains
All surviving dogs were nursed back to health and went on to be rehomed.
Defence counsel Grant Powles told the court his client had asked a relative to look after the dogs as he was dealing with “sensitive” personal issues at the time. He added that as a result, Ward turned to “illicit drugs” including cocaine.
Sentencing Ward, District Judge Nigel Broderick told him it was no surprise that having been left with neither food nor water, the dogs began fighting to such an extent that one Staffordshire Bull terrier was killed and the other four, “no doubt starving of food, resorted to eating it”.
Revealing how the dog most likely died as a result of “significant trauma to the upper respiratory tract,” the judge told the court “I cannot imagine a more serious and harrowing case of animal cruelty”.
Although he imposed a six month jail sentence in order to both punish Ward and to deter others, the judge freed him on bail pending an appeal of the sentence.
Sentencing | six-month custodial sentence; total costs of £5,486.62 costs. 20-year disqualification order applicable to all animals. Ward lodged an appeal with a hearing set for 12 February 2024.
The custodial sentence imposed on Conor Ward was overturned and replaced with a combination order of two years on probation and 100 hours of community service.
Judge Gerard McNamara told Antrim County Court of Appeal that while it was a “very distressing case” involving cruelty to “defenceless animals”, he was varying the sentence because Ward’s cruelty was passive rather than active.
He was also taking account of other “personal mitigation” as well as Ward’s guilty pleas and remorse.
The 20-year ban on keeping, owning or transporting any animal was affirmed.
CONVICTED (2023) | Lucas Slim-Fitzpatrick born 6 November 1996, most recently of Regent Street, Weston-super-Mare but with links to Plymouth, Saltash, Taunton and Wolverhampton – subjected an bull-breed puppy to a catalogue of violence.
Slim-Fitzpatrick, who promotes himself on TikTok as a mental health expert and also likes to showcase his ‘kindness’ to homeless people, was prosecuted by the RSPCA for assaulting and neglecting the 10-month-old bull-breed called Luna in Plymouth between June 1 and December 1, 2022,
He pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on December 7, 2023.
He inflicted “blunt force trauma, physical violence and multiple injuries of a non-accidental nature”.
Luna was repeatedly beaten and suffered multiple fractures during her time with sadistic Lucas Slim-Fitpatrick
He also failed to take steps to ensure the needs of Luna were met by not protecting her from “pain, suffering and injury and disease” and failed to provide “proper and necessary veterinary care and attention” for her injuries.
A vet who examined Luna said the dog had suffered blunt force trauma injuries in at least three separate incidents.
The RSPCA was shown doorbell footage from November 30, 2022 which showed Slim-Fitzpatrick riding his electric scooter in Mutley. while holding onto the lead of the dog, who was trying to follow behind.
A witness who contacted the police said he heard an animal in distress at the back of Slim-Fitzpatrick’s former address in Greenbank Road in Plymouth minutes later, the RSPCA said.
The court was told the witness saw Slim-Fitzpatrick “staggering around” on the scooter while talking aggressively to the dog before picking her up with both hands and throwing her six feet in the direction of a wall. He was later arrested.
When he was interviewed by police in December 2022, the defendant claimed Luna’s injuries – a broken left hip and pelvis, fractured jaw, cheekbone and wrists, three broken ribs, three broken teeth and a bloodshot eye – were caused by Luna being hit by a car and kicked by a horse.
He said her bloodshot eye was the result of her being attacked by a Jack Russell dog.
But RSPCA prosecutor Gregory Gordon told the court: “Expert veterinary evidence disproved the defendant’s various claims of accidental injury to Luna. For example, if she had been struck by a vehicle, there would have been evidence of skin abrasions or lacerations, and grit or oil in her hair.
“Radiographs indicated Luna’s different fractures were at different stages of healing, meaning that the injuries occurred on different dates. It has not been possible to identify the number of separate incidents from the injuries alone, but records indicate that injuries were sustained by Luna on at least three separate occasions, including June 29 and August 2 last year.”
On both of these dates, the defendant had been in contact with vets. However, in June 2022 he declined the vet’s recommendation that Luna undergo surgery for wrist fractures, citing the cost. He then failed to attend appointments to rebandage her wounds, instead using a pencil and sock as a homemade splint.
In August he phoned the vet to report Luna was eating painfully, but then failed to keep an appointment.
When RSPCA Inspector Miranda Albison attempted to make contact with the defendant in March and July this year to interview him about the allegations, he claimed he did not have a fixed address, but that he was staying with a friend in Birmingham.
In a statement read to the court, the inspector said: “The defendant said he was aware the RSPCA had been visiting his address, but that he was not prepared to be interviewed.
“I told him Luna was still in our care as he had not responded to my request to confirm we could rehome her. He became angry and said he thought he had already given permission and the dog was no longer anything to do with him.”
In mitigation, the court was told Slim-Fitzpatrick had experienced a troubled background and had spent time in the care system.
A judge said he had shown little remorse for his actions and told him: “This was prolonged, lengthy violence towards an animal in your care who should have been protected by you rather than becoming your punchbag.”
Luna was signed into the care of the RSPCA on July 5, 2023. The charity said she had recovered from her ‘horrific’ ordeal in their care. She was rehomed after undergoing surgery and extensive rehabilitation work to regain the use of her back leg.
Speaking after the sentencing, inspector Albison said: “The assaults carried out by this defendant on this poor dog started when she was a 10-week old puppy and continued until she was 10 months old. It was absolutely horrific as she was repeatedly beaten and suffered many fractures.
“Luna had surgery on her femoral head and that saved her back leg as the other option was amputation. Happily she is now doing very well and we have been able to rehome her.
“Without being provided with the Ring Doorbell footage by a member of the public we wouldn’t have been able to prosecute the defendant as he denied being in that area of Plymouth at the time of the assault allegation.”
Sentencing | 14-month custodial sentences to run concurrently on each of the three animal welfare offences and a further five-month prison sentence, to be served consecutively, for his breach of a suspended sentence imposed for an unrelated matter. Banned from owning animals for 20 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | farmer Kim Norman Rendall, born c. 1958, of 23 Southover Road, High Littleton, Bristol BS39 6HR – dragged a dog behind a car and failed to seek treatment for the animal’s horrific injuries.
“Sadistic” farmer Kim Rendall dragged a husky behind his car for over 300 metres and then went for a haircut. The dog’s injuries were so severe, she was put to sleep days later.
Rendall admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog – a nine-year-old white husky named Daisy – after she was dragged along a road by a rope attached to his car.
Dashcam footage showed the dog in a state of “complete distress” as she was dragged “bouncing” along the road while “scrabbling to try and stay up”
Dashcam footage showed the terrified dog being dragged along the road, with Kim Rendall apparently oblivious to her howls of distress
The court heard how drivers pressed their horns and flashed their lights as they watched Daisy dragged down the road while tied with rope to the rear of a red Nissan Micra.
On hearing one of the motorists shouting ‘dog, dog’ out of a window, a woman – who was with her own dogs – flagged the car down.
At that point, Rendall stopped and was swiftly confronted by distressed locals as Daisy haemorrhaged blood onto the road and attempted to stand up.
One woman said she’d take Daisy to the vet for urgent care if Rendall was not going to. He smirked and laughed, saying: ‘I’ll do what I want, it’s my dog.’
Daisy was left bleeding heavily with skin ripped from her paws and hind legs
When police went to check on the dog’s welfare, they found Rendall having a cup of tea and getting his hair cut by his sister. He refused to tell officers where the dog was.
Video shows Rendall being arrested while enjoying a cup of tea and a hair cut as his dog bled to death. Source: Daily Mail
One officer was heard on bodycam asking him “where is that dog?” numerous times but Rendall did not answer directly, saying “I don’t like this at all. I don’t like this at f**king all”.
In custody, it was noted that his trainers were soaked in blood. He was described as rude and aggressive towards officers when they booked him in.
The court was told he continued to refuse to tell officers where Daisy was when being questioned at the police station.
In the meantime, 18 police officers and a drone unit were deployed in a bid to locate Daisy and get her the life-saving treatment they believed she needed.
Following a two and a half hour hunt in the Somerset countryside, she was located in a cow barn in Gossard Lane, High Littleton.
She was rushed to Rosemary Lodge Veterinary Hospital in Bath in a police vehicle travelling on blue lights and sirens.
Vets said she sustained complicated and traumatic injuries – including both hind legs suffering full-thickness skin loss and an open fracture of a foot.
Despite the best efforts of vets to treat Daisy, her pain could not be controlled and she was put to sleep nine days later.
Rendall refused to tell police officers where he’d put the critically injured family pet
Rendall admitted failing to protect the dog from pain, injury and suffering and failing to arrange urgently-required veterinary attention.
The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA.
The court was told that Daisy had belonged to Rendall’s son.
This is one of the least graphic injuries suffered by Daisy after she was dragged for
The court was shown videos of the incident and photographs of Daisy’s injuries.
Some in the court, including witnesses from the day, could not watch the screens when these were shown because they were so graphic.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, one witness said she had “never seen an animal with such serious injuries” and had suffered from nightmares since.
Another said they had been signed off work to help them sleep and still were “getting flashbacks to that day months later”.
PC Natalie Cosgrove, then animal welfare officer for Avon and Somerset Police, was at the vets when Daisy was brought in and interviewed Rendall the following day.
Officer Cosgrove read her own statement in court, where she said in 15 years of policing it was “the worst thing I have ever seen” and it will haunt her forever.
She said: “I was shocked at what I saw. I was horrified and physically sick that a nine-year-old dog was subjected to this cruelty.”
She said: “When I first saw the injuries I welled up in tears.
‘I felt shocked, I couldn’t sleep and I cried… I hugged my own dog crying in sympathy for Daisy’, she told the court in a victim person statement.
“Rendall showed no remorse for his actions.
“He was almost smirking in interview.”
Magistrates expressed concern that heartless Rendall had prioritised having a cup of tea and a haircut over seeking medical treatment for his critically injured dog
She said: ‘I just felt incredibly sorry for her, that a human let her down so badly. This is one of those jobs that will haunt me forever.’
In tears, RSPCA Inspector Kim Walters comforted visibly upset PC Cosgrove in the public gallery as the case continued.
Prosecutor Lundi Meyer told the magistrates that Rendall’s refusal to provide Daisy’s whereabouts was ‘sadistic’ and only prolonged her suffering.
Rendall claimed the dog was tied up in the boot of the car but must have jumped or fallen out and he did not see or hear the car behind flashing and beeping at him to stop.
His representative in court described the incident as “poor judgement on that day” and said “he has learning difficulties and hearing problems”.
They said the incident had “devastated” Rendall’s family.
Magistrates said Rendall had shown a “deliberate disregard for the welfare of Daisy” and that “a haircut and a cup of tea were a higher priority” for him.
Sentencing | 8-month suspended prison sentence; 300 hours of unpaid work; £5000 costs and a 20-year ban on keeping animals, apart from cattle and koi fish.
CONVICTED (2023) | Shadelle Moynes-Burns aka Delly Burns, born c. 1992, of 26 Gladstone Terrace, Hastings TN34 3JX – routinely subjected a puppy to violence causing multiple severe injuries.
Moynes-Burns pleaded guilty to three animal cruelty charges in a prosecution brought by the RSPCA after concerns were raised about her puppy Teddy.
The animal welfare charity was called to investigate when the young crossbreed was presented to a vet surgery in December 2021 with multiple rib fractures and injuries to his paws and tail.
Teddy had been seen several times by a vet between October and December 2021 for separate alleged accidents including falling from a bed and choking on a stick.
He was brought into the vet on December 31, 2021, with fluid-filled lumps all over his body.
Following an x-ray, he was found to have 11 rib fractures and multiple injuries consistent with repeat blunt force trauma. He also had fractures to his front paws consistent with them being hit with an object, which also impacted the use of his hind legs.
Teddy was found to have 11 rib fractures and multiple injuries consistent with repeat blunt force trauma.
The vet said it was unlikely the injuries would have been caused by accidents and the rib fractures and lumps on his body (haematomas) were a sign of abuse.
Teddy’s injuries were so bad that the vet considered putting him to sleep but decided that, with the correct care, he could recover.
In mitigation, Lewes Crown Court was told Moynes-Burns had a troubled past, including mental health and attachment issues and was deeply embarrassed by her behaviour.
The court heard she did love Teddy and sought help for him.
During her sentencing, the judge said: “My hope is that you get better, but the keeping of animals will no longer be a part of your life. You can apply in 20 years but the chances of it being lifted are zero.”
In a statement, the vet said: “Teddy is now recovering well in RSPCA care. He is growing well, using his front feet normally and his hind legs are healing well. In spite of everything he has gone through he is a happy, friendly and trusting dog which is a pleasure to see”.
Teddy is now happy and healthy despite suffering months of pain and terror in the care of Shadelle Moynes-Burns
RSPCA inspector Zoe Ballard, who investigated for the charity, said after the hearing: “This is a very special little dog who has had an unimaginable start to life. His rescue was made possible by all those who bravely spoke and cared for him. He has touched the hearts of everyone he has encountered throughout his journey.”
Sentencing | nine-month custodial, suspended for 18 months. 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Banned from keeping pets for at least 20 years.
According to her LinkedIn profile Shadelle Moynes-Burnes is a recruitment professional but she has worked in care. She has links to the Tonbridge area of Kent .
She is married to Conor Burns. He is/was a co-defendant in the RSPCA’s prosecution case. This is the court listing:
Conor Burns with Moynes-Burns
It’s not known if the charges against Conor Burns were dropped or if he is to be prosecuted/sentenced separately.
CONVICTED (2023) | repeat offender Richard Coyle, born 13 July 1996, originally from Blackwood, Caerphilly – caught torturing a hedgehog for a second time.
Animal torturer and sexual deviant Richard Coyle
Persistent animal abuser Richard Coyle, of no fixed abode, was arrested at a house in the village of Crosskeys, Caerphilly, on September 29, 2022, where police officers found a mutilated female hedgehog who was still alive but covered in blood and a “white creamy substance”. The defendant was in bed, naked from the waist down and was wearing prosthetic breasts.
The court heard Coyle was lying in bed with various items including a cucumber, a vacuum pipe, a gas stove, women’s clothing, a shard of mirror, binoculars held together by tape, and two lit candles.
The hedgehog was found in a wooden box on the bedside table, and had a wound to her stomach through which her intestines were protruding. She was also found to have suffered a cut to the abdomen and three limbs.
The horrifically injured creature was taken to a vet and euthanised.
Coyle was arrested and interviewed but made no comment. He later pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, cruelty to a wild mammal, and breaching a disqualification order.
In November 2020 Coyle was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment having tortured another hedgehog. His conviction came after police found a mutilated hedgehog covered in candle wax, with three limbs cut off and a visible broken bone.
The defendant was arrested and told police “It’s only a f* hedgehog, it has fleas” and claimed someone had thrown it into his tent in that condition. It was ascertained the person screaming “Help me” in a high pitched voice was Coyle, as he tortured the animal.
Coyle also has a conviction for manslaughter.
In mitigation, William Bebb said his client recognised the “severity” of the situation and acknowledge he would be receiving an immediate custodial sentence. He said the defendant served in the military and was previous Welsh champion boxer but he was diagnosed with PTSD due to his experiences of war and had fallen into drug and alcohol dependency.
Sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands said: “This was a deliberate and sadistic infliction of pain on a defenceless animal subjected to appalling cruelty at your hands…. This was just about a cruel a case as one could imagine and a mirror image of your previous offence.”
Sentencing | 18 months’ imprisonment. A 20-year ban on owning or keeping an animal.
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeders James William David Musk, born 27 November 1989, of 25 Windmill Green, Ditchingham, Bungay NR35 2QP and Megan Louise Caston, born 18 November 1995 of 2 Barley Close, Harleston IP20 9GB – for allowing illegal ear cropping.
James Musk bought a 12-week-old puppy knowing her ears had been illegally cropped. He and then girlfriend Megan Caston then failed to get treatment for the puppy’s ears when they became infected.
Musk pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and aiding a prohibited procedure in relation to an XL Bully puppy called Ocean.
The backyard breeder admitted being involved in the mutilation of Ocean whom he had arranged to buy just days after her ear flaps had been cut off to make her look more menacing.
The illegal procedure, which left just a few centimetres of cartilage, led to the dog’s wounds becoming infected.
Both Musk and Caston admitted causing unnecessary suffering after failing to provide pain relief, antibiotics or seek help from vets.
The RSPCA were called in when the dog’s plight was discovered after a police search in Ditchingham, near Bungay, on February 9, 2023,
Sara Pratt, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said photos found on Musk’s phone showed him with Ocean still with her ears shortly before buying her.
Messages exchanged with a dog breeder in Leicestershire included one stating: “I’ll speak to someone, I’ll get the ball rolling”, which Ms Pratt said was a reference to having the puppy’s ear cropped.
Other XL dogs with previously cropped ears were also discovered during the search, including another American Bully called King Kong.
Driven by profit: animal welfare evidently figures very low in the priorities of unscrupulous breeders Musk and Caston who routinely produce puppies like this one bound to suffer from major breathing difficulties
Speaking after the case RSPCA Inspector Dean Astillberry said: “Ear cropping is a horrific immoral, unnecessary and repulsive practice which has absolutely no benefits for the dogs and can cause them lifelong health, behavioural and social problems.
“This is done purely for cosmetic purposes. We would urge the public and anyone looking to buy a puppy to remember this is an illegal procedure, which has a hugely negative impacts for the dogs themselves.
“I am pleased to say Ocean is doing very well and is thriving in her foster home and we would like to thank the Norfolk police officers for all their help and support with this case.”
A spokesperson for Norfolk police said officers had carried out a warrant under the Animal Welfare Act with the RSPCA when Ocean was seized and taken into care.
“Ocean was not microchipped, was unregistered, and had had her ears recently cut off to the base,” they added.
“Her wounds were infected and had ineffective stitching, showing the illegal practice to have been conducted without any appropriate skill or aftercare.
“Collaborative working between the police and the RSPCA led to a successful prosecution of the owners and should discourage anybody considering this procedure.”
Sentencing | Musk: 20 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months. Banned from owning or looking after animals for 20 years. Caston: eight-week jail sentence suspended for a year. Banned from involvement with animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | backyard breeders Jamie James, born 10 June 1995, of HMP Channings Wood & his father Adrian James, born c 1971 of Devonport Road, Plymouth – cropped puppies’ ears to make more money.
Jamie James, a habitual criminal who can now add animal cruelty to his list of previous convictions.
Jamie James, a cocaine addict with previous convictions for Class A drug dealing and domestic violence, admitted three animal welfare offences following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA. His father, Adrian James, was convicted alongside him although, it was claimed in court, played a “lesser role” in the cruel profiteering. The pair traded under the name Southwest Dogfather.
RSPCA officers visited in September 2021, after police obtained a warrant to search for puppies with illegally cropped ears.
During the visit, a female grey merle pocket bully with cropped ears and a tan and white male pocket bully with cropped ears were discovered.
RSPCA Inspector Pippa Boyd noted that bleeding indicated that the cropping had been done recently and was not fully healed.
Dog passports were provided by the men, but these did not contain the necessary vaccination stamps or details to support that the dogs had been legally imported. The date of birth also appeared to have been doctored on the passports to show a different date.
Evidence gathered by the charity from phone records showed dogs were being sold for commercial gain through Gumtree, with a business logo shared between the two men.
Whatsapp messages and videos shared between father and son also proved the dogs had been born under their care and their ears had been cropped.
In messages sent to his father on August 8, 2021, Jamie James shared videos of puppies with freshly cropped ears – just hours after sharing clips showing the same dogs with their ears intact. Earlier messages showed he had travelled to Gloucestershire with the dogs before returning to Plymouth that day.
Additional messages see the two men discussing the dogs’ ears and showing a tool to remove staples. There were also discussions about giving the dogs a substance to allow them to remove the staples, with comments and videos showing the effect the substance had on the dogs and a picture showing a staple that had been removed.
Sister Beth James also appears to be involved in backyard breeding and owns a dog with cropped ears.
They also discussed pictures for online selling sites and how much had been made from the sale of other dogs.
In another conversation between the two men, Jamie James is seen saying: “You get top money if you get their ears done. That’s what I’m going to do.”
Sentencing | Jamie James: 12-months in prison; £756 in costs and charges. 20-year disqualification from keeping animals but may appeal after 15 years. Adrian James: 120 hours of unpaid work; £695 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years but can appeal after seven years.
