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) | pet hoarder Marissa Faultless, born c. 1957, of Tower Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 5EA – kept dozens of poorly cats in disgusting conditions.
The court heard that pet hoarder Marissa Faultless was not ‘deliberately cruel’ and her behaviour was due to a mental health disorder
Nearly 100 cats had to be removed from Marissa Faultless’s chaotic home, which was described in court as smelling like death. One kitten was found dead while others had to be euthanised. Some had to have eyes removed due to cat flu.
On three occasions RSPCA inspectors were forced to raid the property where every area of the garden contained piles of fence-high rubbish while inside reeked of urine and faces.
Faultless refused to accept anything was wrong with the cats and denied they needed veterinary treatment.
Ultimately she admitted six animal welfare offences, albeit she made a last-ditch, thankfully unsuccessful, bid to reverse the pleas in a ploy to keep her cats.
RSPCA prosecutor Sara Pratt told the court there had been a ‘long history’ to the case. She said that police and Birmingham City Council had tried to work with Faultless following initial complaints and in April 2021 she was provided with copies of the Animal Welfare Act as well as a code of practice for looking after cats.
But Ms Pratt added that ‘nothing changed’ and a warrant had to be executed on September 2, 2021, which resulted in the removal of 34 cats and kittens. A further 24 were spotted outside but officers could not catch them and did not have the legal power to seize them.
Ms Pratt said: “Outside of the house there was piled high rubbish in the garden as high as the fence. Inside the property there were a large number of cats and kittens. There was an overpowering smell of urine and a build-up of faeces in the living room. There were no suitable litter trays. The house was in a cluttered state.”
A lot of the cats were suffering from cat flu as well as fleas.
Faultless refused to formally sign any of them over to the RSPCA. She was interviewed and accepted ownership of them but denied there were signs of flu or ringworm.
She also blamed Covid for failing to seek flea treatment but insisted the cats did not need to see a vet. She claimed she had not noticed the smell but admitted she struggled with how many pets she had, said Ms Pratt.
There were further visits to her home in June and July 2022 following more complaints which culminated in a second warrant executed in August.
Ms Pratt said: “The conditions at the property had deteriorated. There was an overwhelming smell of urine, faeces and what was described by others as ‘death’.”
A dead kitten was found at the home while 26 cats had to be removed. One four-week-old kiten was particularly emaciated and had to be euthanised.
A third raid took place in April 2023 when another 34 cats had to be taken away.
The court was told a small number of cats had to have eyes removed due to severe flu. At that point Faultless cried ‘no, no, no that’s not true’ as she broke down in tears in the dock. One cat died after being operated on by the vet.
Ms Pratt said: “Clearly all of the cats had suffered pain and distress. A reasonably competent and humane person would have sought veterinary attention.”
She told the court a number of cats died but the vast majority had been rehomed while some remained in boarding establishments awaiting to be adopted.
Queenie Djan, defending, said: “This is Ms Faultless’s first time offending. It is not the case she was deliberately cruel. It is directly linked to a mental disorder she is suffering from. There is a history of her owning cats before her offending with no issues. She is receiving support from other organisations.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 12 sessions of psychological intervention. Banned from keeping cats for ten years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Lauren Hatch, born c. 1977, of Ridgewood, Shard End, Birmingham B34 6TD – kicked a police dog in the neck because he was biting her crime-prone son’s leg.
Lauren Hatch
The court heard that Hatch ‘reacted like any other mother’ after being woken up by a commotion at her home.
She also kicked out at a police officer after being placed in handcuffs for lashing out at PD Jack, who was thankfully not injured.
PD Jack was uninjured due to the protective clothing he was wearing
Prosecutor Jonathan Purser stated police were called to an incident on March 6, 2024, where someone was lying injured in the road. He said: “The defendant was present and her son tried to make off on foot. As part of him being detained a police dog was used.
“The defendant was said to have kicked the dog to the side of the head which resulted in her being arrested and she was also said to have delivered a kick to the officer who detained her, resulting in temporary pain only.”
Hatch admitted assault by beating an emergency worker and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Hatch with son Jordan (surname tbc)
Mitigating, Shabana Sharif, defending, said her client “behaved as a result of hearing her son screaming and being bitten” adding that she had “reacted like any other mother.”
Sharif explained that Hatch had “mental health issues” and was engaging with support services.
District Judge Michelle Smith said she was “satisfied this was an isolated incident” and imposed a community order.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days; £40 fine and £50 compensation to the officer.
CONVICTED (2024) | Steven A Jaye, born c. 1989, Gravelly Hill, Birmingham B23 but originally from Dudley – caught kicking and dragging his dog, before picking her up and dropping her on the ground.
Jaye was challenged by members of the public after mistreating the collie-type dog, known as Lelo, in a public place.
He was reported to the police and prosecuted by the RSPCA.
CCTV was obtained which showed him being cruel to the dog.
Victim Lelo is in a loving new home
Jaye admitted an animal welfare offence at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on February 28, 2024.
The court heard he felt ‘very sorry and ashamed’ of his actions.
RSPCA inspector Vicky Taylor, who investigated for the charity, said: “This was an unprovoked attack on a defenceless dog. It is completely unacceptable to treat any animal in this way and we will always look into reports of animal cruelty and, where necessary, seek justice for that animal.”
Lelo was signed over into the care of the RSPCA and has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | 100 hours of unpaid work, ten days of rehabilitation activity; £350 in costs and £114 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years, but may appeal after three years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Connar Hudson born c. 1991, of Margaret House, 46 Berryfields Road, Sutton Coldfield B72 2UG – battered an XL bully for “jumping around in the bath”, causing severe injury.
The dog, Simba, was heard screaming as he was being beaten by vile bully Connor Hudson. The RSPCA was alerted after a neighbour sent them a sound recording of the dog in distress and seized him.
He was later found to have substantial cuts and bruises to his head inflicted by ‘blunt force trauma’.
Hudson, a violent career criminal whose previous criminal convictions include burglaries which targeted elderly and vulnerable people, denied hurting Simba but later confessed after being found guilty of two animal welfare offences following a trial.
The attack on the dog took place on the morning of January 29, 2023.
Prosecutor Sarah Pratt said: “Another resident went down the lift to go outside and have a smoke. He heard shouting but couldn’t make out what was being said.
“He also heard the sound of dogs screaming. He identified the noise was coming from Connor Hudson’s flat. The witness started to record. The recording was short as he didn’t want a confrontation.”
She stated the neighbour called the police who attended Hudson’s flat but did not feel they had power of entry so they advised the complainant to contact the RSPCA, who sent an inspector at 1.36pm that day.
The court heard Hudson allowed the inspector in and they subsequently found Simba sitting on an arm chair with bruising.
A second XL Bully was at the home but there were apparently no concerns about him.
Hudson initially refused to allow Simba to be taken to a vet, but eventually relented.
Ms Pratt stated there was ‘extensive bruising’ and cuts to the dog’s head and said: “The injuries are consistent with blunt force trauma consistent with slapping or beating with an object or hand.”
Hudson’s lawyer told the court his client was “struggling with his mental health” at the time whilst not taking his medication.
Sentencing | 16-week custodial, suspended for 12 months; rehabilitation. Banned from keeping animals for ten years (expires January 2034).
CONVICTED (2023) | Danisha Irving, born c. 2003, of Cornwall Road, Rubery, Rednal, Birmingham B45 0NQ – shaved and starved her cat until he was ‘ravenous’.
The RSPCA received a call concerning a “very thin” cat at an address in Cornwall Road, Rubery.
Upon arrival, officers found Prince a ginger and white cat, that weighed just six pounds, missing some fur.
The owner of Prince, Danisha Irving,, admitted that she had not taken him to the vet and had shaved him because he was shedding so much fur.
Prince and another cat were confiscated from Irving’s custody and put into proper care.
A vet who later examined Prince gave him a body conditioning score of two out of nine. The vet stated that Prince would have “suffered unnecessarily for a minimum of four to six weeks but in reality, likely longer”.
Irving pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences.
Inspector Kate Levesley, who was first on the scene when the RSPCA were called out stated that Prince “looked very, very thin” and was “lively and appeared frantic in his movements”.
In her report, the vet who treated Prince stated that he “arrived with anaemia and very poor body condition which in my professional opinion was due to ongoing lack of adequate nutrition. His appetite was ravenous and he exhibited aggressive behaviour around food, which I believe to have been caused by frustration due to hunger”.
“Once treated for parasites and on an appropriate diet and feeding regime, his weight quickly improved, with a 500g (1.1lb) increase after only four days of appropriate feeding, to nearly ideal condition within approximately five weeks. His anaemia resolved within a similar time frame.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order; ordered to pay a £40 fine and £140 costs. Banned from owning cats for five years (expires October 2028) . Deprivation order on Prince and a second cat.
CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Gould, born 21 February 1979, of 39 Mansfield Road, Yardley, Birmingham B25 8LX – neglected his dogs and kept them in shocking conditions.
Gould admitted three animal welfare offences, following an investigation by the RSPCA.
Inspector Jon Ratcliffe was called to his address on April 1, 2023, and discovered three dogs in need of urgent help inside the property. They include a female cane corso type dog called Stella and a male bull breed dog called Hulk, who were found downstairs.
Mr Ratcliffe also reportedly found a female mastiff type dog called Lickey, who had been shut in a bedroom. Describing the appalling conditions he saw, he said: “I couldn’t walk without stepping on faeces.
“There was no food or water available in the bowls and the only bedding available was soaked through with what I suspect may have been urine. Upstairs there were two bedrooms which were extremely cluttered with possessions and debris strewn across the rooms.
“My attention was drawn to the amount of dog faeces in both rooms. Upon entering the small box room at the front I found a third dog shut inside the room.
“This dog was a female red coloured mastiff crossbreed dog in very poor bodily condition. She appeared to be terrified and was trying to cower between a wooden unit and a pile of car tyres.”
The dogs were signed over into the care of the RSPCA and rushed for veterinary treatment, with both Stella and Lickey being found to be emaciated.
All three dogs have now recovered in the care of the charity and have since been rehomed.
Sentencing | 35 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days; fined £40 and ordered to pay a £114 victim surcharge. Five year disqualification in relation to all animals, which can be appealed after just three years (expires September 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Ali Raza Nazam, born c. 1996, of 97 Highfield Road, Saltley, Washwood Heath, Birmingham B8 3QE – left a terrified doberman pup with her ears hanging off just five weeks after she was imported from Hungary.
Nazam was found guilty of animal cruelty in relation to the doberman puppy, Georgia.
The RSPCA was contacted by vets in January 2022 over concerns for the puppy’s welfare, who had been brought into the surgery by Nazam.
Both of her ears were severely injured with flesh exposed. The ear flaps were visibly separated from her head with the stench of infection and rotting flesh noticed by vets. They were lacerated at the base and had a large amount of pus present. Both ear pinnae were filled with blood and her ear canals were infected.
She also had a docked tail and had undergone dew claw removal.
Nazam had owned Georgia, who was born in Serbia and imported from Hungary, for just five weeks when she was rescued by the RSPCA.
On December 10 2021, after sending a digital image to Georgia’s previous owner in Serbia, Nazam received advice on how to make her cropped ears remain erect.
Nazam claimed he taped the dog’s ears and applied sticks on January 12, 2022 before noticing blood the following day.
A veterinary report presented to the court read: “Nazam states that just 24 hours after he had applied the tape to the ears there was blood present. If this was the case then the tapes must have been applied in such a way to have cut through the skin resulting in the extensive lacerations to the base of the ear pinnae.
“This may have occurred via two mechanisms – either he applied the tapes very tightly cutting directly into the skin, or the tapes had been in place for much longer causing a gradual pressure necrosis of the ear pinnae.
“In my opinion, the needs of Georgia had not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible for the welfare of this animal applying tape to the ear pinnae resulting in skin lacerations and extensive ischaemic necrosis of the ear pinnae, thereby failing to protect this animal from injury, pain and suffering.
“Her needs have not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible failing to seek prompt veterinary advice regarding the ear injuries. Georgia was caused to suffer as a consequence of this delay.”
Unfortunately, the soft tissue damage to both of Georgia’s ear flaps was too extensive to repair and she required both ear pinnas to be removed by vets.
Since her rescue, she has made a full recovery in the care of the RSPCA and can now be found a new home.
Inspector Boris Lasserre, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: “We are unfortunately seeing a trend for cropping dogs’ ears, and then taping or splinting to promote a false aesthetic where dogs’ ears look permanently alert.
“There are no benefits to dogs, it’s simply a fashion trend that compromises dog welfare.
“There is no evidence of any benefit to performing cropping or taping of dogs’ ears.
“It’s heartbreaking to see dogs, like Georgia, mutilated and forced to suffer simply because their owners consider it to look more attractive. Animals are not toys or accessories, they deserve our care and respect.”
Sentencing | 12-week suspended prison sentence; £3,000 costs; 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation requirement activity days. Banned from keeping dogs for life.
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeders Xavier Tulley, born 28 August 1991, and David Barlow, born c. 1961, of Norwich Croft, Marston Green, Solihull, Birmingham B37 5PR – failed to provide care for puppies bred to sell, leading to one being put down.
Xavier Tulley, who has links to the Smethwick area of Birmingham, mistreated the puppies he bred to sell
Xavier Tulley and his father David Barlow were both found guilty of two animal welfare offences, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
Star and her sister Jet were both found in an extremely poor condition.
Concerned vets contacted the RSPCA after two 13-week-old American bulldog puppies, named Jet and Star, were presented to different vets at different times – both in a state of neglect.
Star was taken to a vets’ practice on February 8, 2022, by Barlow. He said that she had been attacked by her mother earlier that day and had sustained several bite wounds around her head, ears and chest.
He informed the vet that she was one of a litter of eleven, intentionally bred from his own bitch and son’s male dog and all of whom, including this pup, had been sold already for £200 each.
He said the puppy was not vaccinated nor microchipped. He thought she had received worming treatment but was not sure with what or when and she had received no other antiparasitic treatment.
Upon examination, the vet found her in an extremely poor condition, thin with massive abdominal distension.
In their report, the vet concluded: “The physical needs of this puppy were not met and in this respect she had suffered as a consequence over the weeks prior to examination.
“There was no suggestion that the owner had inflicted any injury but I felt her extremely poor physical state and filthy condition represented a failure to care for her properly and to ensure her needs were met.
“I was very concerned that the owner had failed to notice that she was very unwell in other respects than for the reason she was presented.”
Just days later on February 11, a second puppy, called Jet, was taken to a different vet by Barlow, who reported that she had been involved in a fight with another similarly aged puppy.
Jet was in a collapsed state and had multiple wounds over her body, which the vet said would have been causing her to suffer pain and discomfort because of the severity.
Barlow said that the wounds had been inflicted approximately 18 hours prior to being presented to the vet.
However, on presentation, the condition and odour of the wounds on Jet’s body suggested to the vet they were older than this, and that the severity warranted immediate veterinary attention.
Following discussions with Barlow, the decision was made to have her euthanised to alleviate her suffering.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones said: “These puppies had been bred and sold for financial gain but were failed when they didn’t receive care and treatment from veterinary experts when they urgently needed it.
“Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy and ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of that responsibility.”
Star, who has been in the care of the RSPCA since her rescue, was signed over to the charity by the court when Tulley was sentenced and can now be found a new home.
Sentencing |
Xavier Tulley: jailed for 18 weeks
David Barlow: three-month curfew; costs of £600 and £95 victim surcharge.
Both received a lifetime disqualification on keeping all animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | serial pet abuser Susan Aston, born c. 1978, of Fourlands Road, Northfield, Birmingham B31 – left cats and rabbit without food and water to go on holiday for a week
Susan Aston was previously banned from keeping pets for life after two rabbits died in her care, but breached the order within seven months to acquire her latest animals.
The court hear claims she had been ‘exploited’ by people in her area and pressured into keeping them. Thankfully the RSPCA was alerted and forced entry to her home after four days to find the animals were still alive.
Inspector Steve Morrall said: “There was a mattress and blanket on the floor, both of which were stained and soiled with what appeared to be, and smelt of, urine and faeces. There was also a cat litter tray which was overflowing. In the room adjacent to the living room with the door shut was a lop eared rabbit contained in a wire cage.
“The water bottle on the cage was completely dry. Inside the cage there was a brown stoneware food bowl that was empty except for some rabbit droppings.
“There was no sign of bedding or food of any description in the cage, not even remnants. The floor of the cage was wet sawdust. It was compacted and heavily soiled with rabbit droppings and urine.”
Aston pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the welfare of animals and breaching a disqualification order.
Prosecutor Rafe Turner confirmed she had received her latest ban on November 5, 2020 but by May 2021 had the cats and rabbit.
He stated Aston had been in touch with another woman about looking after the animals while she went away, but ultimately could not afford to pay.
Mr Turner added: “The defendant knew full well the animals needed to be looked after but still went away.”
He told the court her absence was reported to the RSPCA who attended her home on May 20 and fitted seals to the doors to monitor if anyone was coming or going. The seals were still intact after four days so inspectors, assisted by the police, forced entry.
Mr Turner described the home as ‘chaotic’ and in ‘disarray’. He stated Aston returned on May 29 and added: “It was more by luck than judgement these animals survived.”
It was actually the third occasion Aston had breached an animal ban, the court heard. Shabeer Qureshi, defending, said: “I have some sympathy for Miss Aston. The breach has been presented as flagrant and on the face of it it does appear to be that.
“She is a lady with a lot of vulnerabilities. She is notably vulnerable to the manipulation of others. I asked why she kept these animals. People in the local area have told her to keep the animals for them.
“She told them she was not allowed to do that but they insisted. Being vulnerable she has gone along with that without putting up much of a fight.”
He did however accept Aston put her ‘own needs above the animals’ by leaving them for a week. Mr Qureshi assured the court she had ‘no desire’ to keep animals adding: “She has no wish to go out, she does because to an extent people have exploited her.”
The RSPCA confirmed the cats and rabbit have since been re-homed by the charity.
Sentencing: 18-month community order including 40 days of rehabilitation activity and 100 hours of unpaid work. She was hit with another lifetime ban on keeping animals which she will not be able to appeal for 15 years.
