CONVICTED (2024) | hare coursers George William Miller, born July 1991, of Loupsfell Drive, Morecambe LA4 4SB and Lewis Sheridan, born 21 October 1986, of 128 Thicketford Road, Bolton BL2 2LU
The pair were seen hare coursing near the Lincolnshire villages of Twenty and West Pinchbeck on Friday 13 October 2023. They were spotted walking across arable land with their two long dogs. The dogs -one beige in colour and the other black – were seen chasing and catching hares.
Caught red handed: convicted hare courser Lewis Sheridan
The men had arrived in the area in a silver Skoda car which they had left near to a farm in the area. They had tried to hide the car behind some foliage.
On arriving back at the car, the men were challenged by the local farmer who had tried to block the car in with farm machinery. In a bid to escape, the Skoda was driven at speed across grassed areas and onto the A151.
Sheridan and Miller were arrested when their car was seen and stopped by officers from Lincolnshire Police’s Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT), around an hour later.
The men’s car was seized along with the two dogs and equipment including three thermal cameras, a video camera and four mobile phones.
Information obtained from the recording devices and mobile phones pinpointed the men’s unlawful activities and provided evidence of their offending.
During interview the men lied that they had the landowner’s permission to undertake pest control in the area.
On 1 May 2024 Sheridan and Miller pleaded guilty to hunting a wild mammal with a dog, contrary to Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.
Both men relinquished ownership of their dogs who have subsequently been rehomed.
Sentencing | 10-year Criminal Behaviour Orders banning them from entering onto any private land in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire or Nottinghamshire during hare coursing season (31 July to 30 April) with a sighthound, ground, long dog, lurcher type dog or crossbreed or be in the company of any other people with that type of dog. Ordered to pay a total of £4,575.50 in full by 30 May 2024.
George Miller, who’s originally from Lancaster (Slyne Road) with links to Heysham, has a roofing company called Lancashire and Cumbria Roofing Ltd.
In March 2021 Miller received a three-year ban on breeding and selling dogs after being convicted of illegally trading puppies. He was prosecuted by Animal Protection Services following their investigation into his activities.
Lewis Sheridan is also a roofer. His wife runs a dog grooming company called Your Faithful Friend Limited, which operates from premises on Bury Road, Bolton BL2 6BB.
CONVICTED (2024) | Bethany Butterworth, born 23 October 1996, of Glaister Lane, Breightmet, Bolton BL2 5BS but with links to Blackpool – abandoned a maliciously injured elderly dog to starve to death.
Bull breed Reuben, who also had five fractured ribs and multiple missing teeth, was found wrapped in a duvet cover in a storage box by RSPCA officers at Butterworth’s home in March 2023.
Butterworth had moved out of the property but said she had been returning daily to feed him.
RSPCA inspector Beth Fazackerley and animal rescue officer Ross Allan visited the property to investigate a report of concern about the welfare of a dog.
In written evidence, inspector Fazackerley said: “We received no reply at the front door so we walked around the side and back of the house to see if we could see anybody or any animals.
“In the garden I saw a seemingly unused dog crate and dog bowl and an empty fish tank.
“There was a black storage box and inside we found a deceased, white and brown bull breed type dog wrapped inside a duvet cover.
“I rang the police for assistance and made further local enquiries and was informed that the tenant used to have three dogs of varying descriptions.
“One of those descriptions matched the deceased dog we had observed in the storage box and was called Reuben.”
The inspector was given a mobile number for Butterworth who initially told her that if there was a dead dog in her garden she did not know about it and that someone must have put it there.
Photographs of Reuben’s body showed his prominent backbone, pelvis, and ribs.
The abdominal area behind them was sunken and severe muscle wastage could be seen over the spine of the dog’s shoulder blade.
Dark brown soiling of the fur around his mouth, chin, feet, and hind legs was also visible.
Other images showed him inside the property lying on the floor surrounded by piles of faeces.
A post-mortem report found Reuben had an untreated skin lesion, five fractured ribs, three of which were in a later stage of healing, and multiple missing teeth – with those that remained showing severe wear and tear and root exposure.
A plastic bag and a piece of acrylic nail were also found in his stomach.
It said there were no underlying medical reasons to explain his emaciated state which would have taken “weeks or months to develop”.
A vet who gave written evidence in the case and saw the post mortem report, said: “The presence of this material in the stomach and oesophagus suggests that as recently as a few hours before death that this dog was able to physically eat.
“The presence of non-food items with no nutritional value is found more frequently in dogs suffering from starvation than those with severe weight loss from medical causes.
“Rib fractures in dogs are usually the result of major blunt force trauma to the chest wall.
“Breaking of ribs requires significant force, for example a road traffic accident or other major trauma such as a kick from a horse, a high rise fall, or non-accidental injury or deliberate physical assault.
“Given that Reuben’s injuries were not examined at the time of the injury a lot of these associated injuries may have healed and not have been evident at the time of post mortem making differentiation of cause difficult.”
The vet said the nine-year-old dog was suffering from malnutrition to the point of emaciation, which was likely to have developed over several weeks to months.
She said pain from the untreated rib fractures was likely to have been present for a minimum of two weeks – and potentially several weeks – and his severe dental disease for a minimum of around 12 months.
She said any reasonable dog owner would avoid leaving their pet alone for more than a few hours every day, even less if their animal was obviously ill or injured and would seek veterinary advice when they noticed a reduction in appetite, weight loss or difficulties with mobility.
When interviewed by the RSPCA inspector, Butterworth admitted that she was responsible for Reuben but claimed she was returning daily to feed him.
She said he had gone through stages of not eating in the past and that his weight used to fluctuate because of this.
He had lost muscle and “wouldn’t walk much because of his age”, but that in the weeks and days leading up to his death she had no concerns.
She said she had returned to the house in February to find him dead and then put his body in the storage box in the back garden.
In defence, the court was told that Butterworth had mental health issues.
Butterworth had admitted causing unnecessary suffering by failing to meet Reuben’s needs at an earlier hearing on December 14, after being arrested on a warrant.
Speaking after the case Inspector Fazackerley said: “This was an extremely upsetting investigation and one that will stay with me and my colleague for a long time.
“Reuben was an elderly dog with deteriorating health who should have received the appropriate care and veterinary support in his twilight years.
“Instead, he was left to waste away, to the point of starvation, over a considerable period of time, and then disposed of in the garden and forgotten about.”
Sentencing | 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; 25 rehabilitation activity days. FIVE-year ban applicable to all animals (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2023) | Jermaine Joshua Henderson, born 30 September 1994, of 1 Cherry Tree Way, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6JG – allowed his French bulldog to become emaciated and dragging her limbs.
The French bulldog, named Jada, was found underweight and dragging her hind limbs when an RSPCA officer visited Henderson’s home in Cherry Tree Way, Horwich, in August 2022. It was discovered the dog was suffering from several chronic and severe health conditions, which should have been treated by a vet.
Henderson had taken the dog to a vet appointment at the Animal Trust on March 4, 2022, after she suddenly lost the use of her back legs. Apart from oral pain relief, the dog was then left with no medical intervention for the next five months.
When RSPCA worker Jessica Pierce visited Henderson’s address on August 13, 2022, she was “extremely concerned” for the dog’s welfare.
Little Jada was put to sleep after Jermaine Henderson left her to suffer without treatment for several months
In a statement read out in court, she said: “The defendant opened a door of a room to the front of the flat and I immediately got a smell of faeces and urine.
“Jada appeared visibly underweight with her ribs, hips and spine bones showing.
“She could not walk very well at all and her back legs were crossing over and dragging behind her. I asked her owner if she had been to the vet and he stated she had been to the Animal Trust, but he couldn’t remember when this was, although he confirmed she wasn’t currently under a vet.”
A vet at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital said in a statement presented to the court that a cervical intervertebral disc prolapse was considered as a diagnosis at the consultation in March. She said that though the vet at that appointment offered further investigations, the owner declined on the grounds of cost.
“While Mr Henderson did present Jada to a vet due to her serious neurological condition, he subsequently failed to present her again when she did not rapidly return to normal, along with the other clinical concerns identified, particularly the ear disease,” she stated.
Sadly, with her prognosis being so poor, vets decided to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
A post-mortem showed the dog was suffering with spinal cord compression with subsequent nerve loss contributing to muscle wastage in her back legs. She also had a severe infection and inflammation of her ear structures.
Henderson was prosecuted by the RSPCA and pleaded guilty to one charge under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He appeared for sentencing at Wigan Magistrates’ Court on December 14, 2023.
Sentencing | four-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; £400 court costs and victim surcharge of £154. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years (expires December 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Kaycee Lee Hutchinson, born 7 March 2003, of Lonsdale Grove, Farnworth BL4 7UD – starved his two cats, leading to the death of one of them.
Hutchinson was visited by an RSPCA inspector on November 7, 2022, after police raised concerns about a deceased cat and an emaciated cat at his squalid property.
Information obtained by UKACF suggests that he had moved out to stay with his mother Anne Stokes, leaving the cats behind without food or water.
Upon arrival at the flat, inspector Beth Fazackerley was informed by police that officers had been forced to change their clothing after being jumped on by fleas.
In her witness statement, Inspector Fazackerley said: “When I entered the first floor flat, I immediately noticed a foul smell, it was a mixture of general waste and cat faeces and urine.
“Inside the flat there were two overflowing litter trays with old faeces in and general belongings and rubbish on the floors and surfaces of each room.
“An underweight female, black, domestic short-haired cat walked over to me so I confined her in my cat basket, shortly before discovering a deceased male cat.”
Surviving cat Bagheera was emaciated while living in squalor
The inspector took the felines to RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where the surviving cat received veterinary treatment and the deceased cat was sent for an autopsy.
Senior veterinary clinician, Shannon McCall, examined the dead cat and found the cause of death to have been starvation and anaemia.
In her witness statement, she said: “Both cats had marked flea infestations – this would cause constant irritation, frustration and itchiness. I would expect a responsible owner to identify the fleas and seek veterinary advice.
“The deceased cat will have undoubtedly felt weakness and debilitation. 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.”
Hutchinson pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences and given a lifetime ban and suspended jail term.
After sentencing, Inspector Fazackerley added: “The conditions Calipo and Bagheera endured were wholly unacceptable.
“Pets are totally reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy, and ensuring appropriate care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards our pets.
“It is immensely sad that an entirely preventable death occurred. But I at least hope that Bagheera will recover well and find a loving new home following our action.”
Sentencing | concurrent 16-week and 12-week prison sentences, suspended for 12 months; 140 hours of unpaid work; 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days; £450 in costs and £154 victim surcharge. Lifetime ban on owning any animal.
CONVICTED (2023) | Pamela Mattinson, born c. 1974, of 1 Alston Street, Great Lever, Bolton BL3 3DQ – dumped her pet cat in a wheelie bin and tried to stone her to death with a large brick.
Would-be cat killer Pammy Mattinson smiled as she walked free from court
Pamela ‘Pammy’ Mattinson was caught on camera repeatedly and forcefully hurling a large brick into her neighbour’s wheelie bin in an attempt to kill the young unnamed female cat, who was trapped inside a plastic bag. When the neighbour confronted Mattinson she initially fled the scene but returned a short time later, pulled the kitten out of the plastic bag and told him: “Why is my cat in your bin?” before threatening to smash his windows.
Police arrested Mattinson as she was carrying the cat in her arms to a local vet.
The terrified animal was said to be distressed, with injured hind legs and heavy bleeding from one of her paws.
The kitten has since made a miraculous recovery and is now living with new owners.
The unnamed victim needed four days of veterinary treatment after being left with a catalogue of painful injuries but recovered and is in a new home
When quizzed, Mattinson claimed she had accidentally injured the kitten whilst trying to frighten off a larger cat that had been harassing her pet.
She claimed she had been attempting to put the kitten ”out of its misery” but also confessed she had been drinking vodka in the run up to the incident.
At Bolton Crown Court Mattinson admitted causing unnecessary suffering and using threatening behaviour.
Prosecutor Edmund Potts set out the events of March 2, 2023, to the court. He said that the neighbour investigated after hearing a loud banging noise from the rear window of his property and the screams of what sounded like an animal.
Mr Potts said the neighbour “went to the back window to see the defendant standing by his bin.
“She was picking up what looked like a large brick and throwing it with two hands down into the bin. He recorded the defendant repeat this action four times.
“The neighbour then opened the back door to his garden and asked what she was doing but in response, the defendant ran back to her own garden next door.
“The neighbour called the police but a short time after the defendant returned and pulled her cat out black bin bag at the bottom of the bin saying: ‘Why is my cat in your bin?'”
“She then threatened to put his windows in before leaving with the cat in her hands and walking towards a local vet. She was later detained by the police nearby. A PC noticed the cat was frightened and seized it from her.”
The cat needed medical treatment for four days following the incident and was unable to put weight onto her back legs at first.
Mattinson was arrested and admitted to committing the offences in an interview conducted later that same day.
The court heard she had racked up 13 previous offences, including for aggression and domestic abuse – but none for animal cruelty.
In mitigation, Colin Buckle said she struggled with her alcoholism and her mental health.
He suggested she was trying to kill the cat “to put it out of its misery” after she injured it by accident while trying to protect it from another cat.
Addressing Judge Nicholas Clarke QC, Mr Buckle said: “This is a one-off.
“Although it is unpleasant you are sentencing someone who is vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable” Pammy Mattinson can now add animal cruelty to her long list of previous criminal convictions
Judge Clarke described Mattinson as “sadistic” but he accepted the mitigation, and he acknowledged the prisons are overcrowded as it stands.
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told Mattinson: “As a judge I have to deal with many incidents of people who are cruel or neglectful to animals. In this particular case you were not merely cruel or neglectful, you were deliberately trying to kill that cat. The footage taken by the other party in the case shows a most despicable crime.
“It is quite sadistic to place the cat in the bin and then target it with such forceful blows. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that no further damage befell that poor creature. This particular animal got off lightly, although it was extraordinarily frightened.”
Sentencing | eight months in jail, suspended for two years; 20 rehabilitation activity days; 180 hours of unpaid work. She was also referred to the Women’s Problem-Solving Court. Banned from keeping animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Becky Louise Moore, born 19 January 1979, and Andrew Thomas, born c. 1981, of 9 Tudor Avenue in Farnworth, Bolton BL4 9RH – kept four dogs and four cats in filth at their disgusting home, with the decaying remains of a fifth dog and a rabbit found amidst the chaos.
Becky Moore and partner Andrew Thomas received an indefinite ban on keeping animals after the remains of a decaying dog and rabbit were found alongside eight surviving pets in horror conditions
In a witness statement to the court RSPCA investigator Ryan King described the conditions in which he found three French bulldogs, a Staffy and four cats as “awful .. the smell was dreadful: a mix of faeces, ammonia and decay.”
Inspector King said he found rubbish and mess all over the counters of the kitchen and spotted tins of dog food on the floor which were all empty.
“There was rubbish and faeces everywhere. There were three dog cages in the room, two were filthy and the other was at an angle so that a dog could not get into it,” he said.
“On the sofa, which had been ripped up to the point I could see the springs, I found the remains of a dog – a jaw bone, part of the skull, clumps of black fur and a grey flea collar.
“The bathroom had faeces and rubbish on the floor, and in the bedroom next to the bathroom there was a rabbit cage on top of a set of drawers next to a bunk bed. Inside the cage was the remains of a rabbit.”
Several of the dogs were treated for fleas, and had itching and discharge in the eyes or ears. One dog was suffering from a prolapsed third eyelid gland and inflammation.
One of the surviving animals
An expert vet witness stated that in his opinion, the four dogs and four cats were housed within an unhygienic environment raising concerns for the welfare of these animals, and that in his opinion, four of the animals had been caused to suffer, and that the needs of all nine animals had not been met.
The surviving animals were seized by police and placed into the care of the RSPCA, where they will now be found new homes.
Moore and Thomas were convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to four dogs, and for not taking steps to ensure that the needs of four dogs and four cats for which they were responsible, were met to the extent required by good practice.
Sentencing | two-year custodial suspended for 18 months. 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement; 300 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping pets indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2023) | Philip Alexander Robertson, born c. 1974 , of 94 Withins Drive, Breightmet, Bolton BL2 5LG – failed to take his elderly dog to the vet after she became seriously ill.
Philip Robertson was given a lifetime ban after he failed to seek help for his emaciated elderly dog
Crossbreed Sacha weighed just 26 pounds when she was found collapsed on a kitchen floor at Robertson’s flat. He has now been banned from keeping animals for life after pleading guilty to causing ./suffering to the dog, who was aged between 10 and 12 years.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Jessica Pierce visited the property on January 3, 2023, after receiving a welfare concern about a dog at the address.
Sacha, who was put to sleep on welfare grounds, was described as “very thin with every bone showing” but her owner ignored her plight
In her evidence Jessica said: “I arrived at the address and was met by a man at the door who was not the owner of the dog but I was invited in and shown upstairs”.
“In the kitchen I observed an elderly female brindle dog lying on an old coat on the floor.
“She was visibly very thin with every bone showing. When I tried to get her to stand up her feet were buckling underneath her and she wasn’t able to walk more than a couple of steps. She had discharge in both of her eyes and ears and she was also coughing and it appeared to be a struggle for her to breathe.”
Police were called to assist and Sacha was seized under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. She was taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital where she was examined by a vet on arrival and admitted for urgent treatment.
Sacha was in an emaciated, lethargic state. Her ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones were all visible from a distance, and the examination showed increased heart and respiratory rates, an enlarged left kidney, dyspnoea and a respiratory noise on her chest.
The following day, Sacha’s condition deteriorated further. Her dyspnoea was worsening and it was becoming even harder for her to breathe.
She had also started to vomit a coffee ground substance – typically associated with an internal bleed – and fresh blood was found in her faeces.
Due to her suffering, veterinary staff decided it was in her best interest to be put to sleep.
As her owner had still not made contact, police were asked to authorise euthanasia on welfare grounds.
The vet who gave evidence in the case said Sacha would have been suffering for many weeks as a minimum, and likely longer.
“I would expect a responsible dog owner to seek veterinary attention should their pet become underweight, moreover, if their animal became weak,” she said.
“Presenting with an increased respiratory rate and effort will have caused distress to Sacha.
“She will have struggled to breathe and been uncomfortable with every breath. Furthermore, this would have caused both physical stress to her body and mental suffering.
“Ultimately she had endured suffering unnecessarily. Regardless of the cause of the poor body condition, lethargy and respiratory distress and whether treatable or not, veterinary treatment should have been sought much earlier in this case.”
In his interview, Robertson, who works as a landscape gardener, said he always put plenty of food out for Sacha but she refused to touch it. He said he could not afford to take her to see a vet and had not sought help because he was always at work and never had credit on his phone. However, he said he thought he had done all he could for her.
Sentencing Robertson, magistrates said Sacha had been left to die in ‘unmentionable circumstances’ and the case passed the threshold for custody. However, they said Robertson’s lack of previous convictions and his employment were relevant in their decision to impose a suspended sentence.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Deborah Beats said; “Sacha was an elderly, vulnerable dog who should have received the appropriate care in her twilight years. There were a number of indications that things weren’t right, but unfortunately advice and treatment wasn’t sought and Sacha continued to deteriorate.
“As animals get older they can be prone to certain health conditions that are linked with age, just like humans, so it’s really important that senior pets have regular check-ups with a vet so that any issues can be picked up and investigated at an early stage.
“It’s an extremely sad case and we would always urge people who are in financial difficulty to reach out for help as there are many organisations that can offer support.”
Sentencing | 12-month prison sentence, suspended for one year. Banned from keeping all animals for the rest of his life.
CONVICTED (2019) | Kieran Huelin, born 26 August 1983, of Felton Walk, Bolton BL1 8EN – caught on camera hitting and shouting at his pet dog.
Huelin, a convicted paedophile, pleaded guilty to failing to protect the dog from pain, injury, suffering and disease.
In a video released by the RSPCA, the then 36-year-old is seen walking around his flat while his brindle and white Staffordshire bull terrier Rosie is sat on an armchair.
In the two-minute video, Huelin waves a finger in her face before slapping her once. Rosie gets off the chair and follows Huelin before he ushers her back onto the chair.
He threatens to hit Rosie on a few more occasions, raising his fist in the air and putting his finger in her face, before appearing to slap her down again twice.
In the footage, Huelin looks unsteady on his feet and stumbles backwards on one occasion.
After being sent the video and some details of where the incident reportedly took place, the RSPCA investigated and inspector Danni Jennings visited an address on June 14, 2019.
Inspector Jennings recognised Huelin who lived at the flat as the man in the video and Rosie was also there. She also recognised the interior from the video.
Huelin signed Rosie over into RSPCA care while an investigation took place.
Abuse victim Rosie
Inspector Jennings said in her witness statement that Rosie was in good bodily condition and was friendly and playful but showed submissive behaviour.
She said: “Dog owners should always make sure their pets are handled properly and not stressed or endangered with any aggressive or anti-social behaviour.
“Training should always be reward-based and should not include physical punishment as this may cause pain, suffering and distress.
“Rosie is a lovely and bouncy dog in real life but on this footage she is quite the opposite.”
Rosie is now in the care of the RSPCA and will be placed up for adoption soon.
Sentencing | 12-month community order – including an alcohol treatment order. Ordered to pay £800 costs, as well as an £85 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for five years.
CONVICTED (2017) | puppy farmer Rocky Dino Knight, born 19/05/1981, of Masefield Drive, Farnworth, Bolton BL4 – kept sick puppies in atrocious conditions before selling them on to families
Irish traveller Knight, a convicted paedophile previously based at the notorious Hall Lane caravan site in Farnworth, admitted six counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The RSPCA launched an investigation in 2016 following a number of complaints from members of the public who had bought puppies that had fallen ill and, in some cases, had died.
Phoebe the pug lived in disgusting conditions. She has since recovered from her ordeal and been rehomed.
During one raid, officers found two female dogs, a pug and a dachshund-cross, being kept in makeshift pens in an outbuilding in the rear garden.
Inspector Pippa Boyd said: “We found a crossbreed called Patsy and pug called Phoebe living in horrendous conditions in dark, dank and cold pens with no warm bedding or dry areas off the floor. It was a completely inhumane environment to keep dogs.
“Thankfully, we got to them in time and removed them. They were incredibly itchy and Phoebe had serious breathing problems. But they’ve been doing well in our care since and we have lovely new homes lined up for them.
“Sadly, we were too late for some, including a little puppy whose body we found wrapped up in a plastic bag at the house.”
Knight advertised the dogs online and passed himself off as a responsible, reputable breeder.
He offered to deliver puppies to new owners or arranged to meet them in car parks away from his home.
Knight’s lawyer said her client was ‘remorseful’ and accepted responsibility for his actions.
She said: “You probably have little in terms of positive feelings towards Mr Knight. He is remorseful and, in his words, he wishes he could turn the clocks back.
“He accepts his culpability. He did not go out there to intentionally sell families sick puppies. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
“From looking at the puppies, he could not tell they were sick but he accepts that he is responsible and had not taken care of them appropriately.”
The dogs that were cared for by staff at the RSPCA’s Warrington branch have already found new homes.
Insp Boyd said: “This should be a major flag to anybody looking into buying a puppy.
“A genuinely responsible breeder who has the best interests of their dogs in mind will be happy for you to visit the puppies in the environment they were born and see them interacting with their mother, siblings and people.
“We would advise anyone thinking of getting a puppy to first consider adopting a dog from a rescue centre.”
Sentencing: 16-week jail term; £150 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2016) | Justin Brazier, born 03/05/1971, of Beechcroft Avenue, Breightmet, Bolton – for possession of videos and images showing extreme child and animal pornography; videoed himself having sex with his own dog
Brazier pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images, possession of extreme pornography and penetration of a live animal.
On Tuesday 10 May 2016 officers from Greater Manchester Police executed a warrant at Brazier’s home and his computer and DVDs were seized.
Forensic examination revealed videos of extreme pornography and bestiality, including videos of Brazier having sex with his own dog.
Detective Inspector Charlotte Cadden of GMP’s Bolton Borough said: “Brazier committed vile acts of depravity and thankfully he is now behind bars.
“As soon as we became aware of his crimes, we removed the dog from his possession and will now be looking to re-home it.
“The images that were found on his computer were extremely distressing and I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism of the officers involved who worked on this case and needed to view the images as part of enquiries.
“The information which led to Brazier’s arrest and subsequent conviction came largely from community intelligence and I hope the sentence passed will send a clear message that we are prepared to take positive action whenever we receive information like this.”
