Tag Archives: Bury

Radcliffe, Greater Manchester: Nina Jones

January 4, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Nina Jones, born c. 1988, of 11 Hazel Grove, Radcliffe, near Bury, Manchester M26 1DD – abandoned her poorly pet dog in a filthy house.

Animal abuser: Nina Jones from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. Picture: Facebook

Mother-of-seven Jones was prosecuted by the RSPCA in relation to an elderly Staffy named Ronnie, who was found living in squalor at her abandoned home. The little dog was visibly shaking and desperately unwell with an untreated tumour. Sadly, nothing could be done to save him and he was put to sleep.

Animal abuser Nina Jones from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester left her dog alone in a scene of filth and squalor — Ronnie was left to suffer alone in a scene of filth and squalor

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Farrons attended the scene in November 2023 after the charity received a report of concern from a neighbour.

He said: “The neighbour opened the back door because it was unlocked and I found a very skinny, abandoned dog in the house.

“The dog, called Ronnie, was very thin and not in a good condition.
“He was a black male Staffy-type dog who was visibly shaking.

“He had a large growth on the bottom left of his mouth and some discharge around his eyes and I could see his ribs and spine without having to get close.

“The neighbour told me she went into the house as she was concerned that the animals had been abandoned.

“She showed me a video and some photos of the inside of the house when she entered and said the house looked very messy with lots of faeces and litter on the floor.

“I decided Ronnie needed to see a vet immediately. He couldn’t go to the toilet despite seemingly trying and he was unsteady on his feet with shaking legs. He appeared very weak so I transferred him to RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.”

A tumour was then sadly detected.

The RSPCA said it made ‘numerous attempts to contact Jones’ about Ronnie’s condition together with the council and she was finally spoken to on November 23. A spokesman for the charity said she admitted she knew the dog needed to be put to sleep. Ronnie’s condition didn’t improve despite treatment.

Chief Inspector Nina Small said: “This was a very sad case which resulted in poor Ronnie suffering for around three weeks before being rescued. He was so poorly that a vet decided the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep, which was heartbreaking.”

Sentencing | 12 month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and 60 days of unpaid work; £400 costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping any animal as a pet for just five years (expires December 2028).

Manchester Evening News
Bury Times

Additional Information

A neighbour of Nina Jones contacted us with the following allegations:

“She had an XL bully puppy and was on about getting another. I haven’t seen the puppy for a while though.

“She had a black cat, a female. She was tiny, didn’t grow much at all. Nina kept letting her out to get pregnant.

Serial animal abuser Nina Jones from Radcliffe, Greater manchester

“Some neighbours tried stopping her getting pregnant. We even offered to take the cat. She agreed at first then refused because the cat was pregnant.

“She’s had around two dogs since Ronnie

“I rarely see her. She is never in. She comes home dead late in the morning with her children (the children she has left – the rest got taken).

“The RSPCA took the cat I think. I haven’t seen the cat in a while.

“I’m really not sure what happened to the XL bully either

“Apparently she had rabbits & didn’t feed them and they died.”

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Bury, Greater Manchester: Byron Rowland

December 21, 2022 misanthropic 8 Comments

CONVICTED (2022) | Byron Rowland aka Byron Daniels or Byron Allen, born 19 March 1999, of 50 Limefield Road, Radcliffe, Bury BL9 5ET – left his two pet dog to die in his abandoned rubbish-strewn flat.

Dog killer: Byron Rowland from Bury, Greater Manchester. Picture: Facebook.

Rowland pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences in relation to two dogs found dead in his squalid flat in Walmersley Road, Bury.

The RSPCA made the horrific discovery of the emaciated bodies of bulldog breed dogs Tank and Frankie after they had been left unsupervised and without water for more than three weeks at the flat.

Dark silhouette stains where the dogs had laid were visible on the carpets when they were removed from the flat after the discovery during a routine inspection by the landlord of the property on January 19, 2022.

Tank and Frankie were left to die by Byron Rowland from Bury, Greater Manchester. Images: RSPCA — Tank and Frankie were left to die by evil Byron Rowland from Bury, Greater Manchester. Images: RSPCA

The dogs were found lying in two upstairs bedrooms, where the floors were littered with dog faeces.

Rowland admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Tank and Frankie by failing to provide the proper and necessary care for them between October 31, 2021 and January 19, 2022.

He also admitted failing to ensure the needs of the two dogs were met between the same dates.

RSPCA inspector Jessica Araujo said in her witness statement presented to the court that when she went into the flat on February 23 there was not a single source of water available for the dogs to drink.

Tank: abandoned to starve to death by Byron Rowland from Bury, Greater Manchester — Tank as a puppy

She said: “Any bowls, pans or plates were dry. All taps were turned off.

“The kitchen sink, bath and toilet were all dry.

“The landlord informed me that the central heating had also been left on.

“In the bedroom where Tank was found there were around 40 piles of faeces, an overturned empty dog bowl, two empty upright bowls and an open bag of dry dog food.

“And in the bedroom where Frankie was found there were, again, multiple piles of dog faeces mixed with torn up tissue.”

Inspector Araujo later spoke with Tank’s original owner, who said she had asked Rowland to look after him after she couldn’t take him to her new home.

The defendant was eventually tracked down after Inspector Araujo contacted his mother, Jennifer Mae Smith, and he was interviewed on March 10.

A vet’s expert report said Rowland claimed he had left two bowls of water for the dogs when he left them in the flat.

There was also a bag of dog food.

The vet said: “Dog food was still accessible at the time of their death but the dogs did not have access to water.

“A dog that has access to food but not water will dehydrate and die within eight to 11 days.

“When the water bowls became depleted it is likely the dogs began to search for other water sources.

“The inspector noted the toilet was dry, which was likely due to them having drunk the water after their bowls were empty.”

In defence, the court was told Rowland had lost his job and he was in arrears with his rent when he left the flat.

Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Araujo added: “It was such a horrific way for those two poor dogs to die, especially since it was totally avoidable.”

Sentencing | 26 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months; 30 rehabilitation activity days; 150 hours of unpaid work; £1,972 legal costs and vets fees as well as a victim surcharge of £128. Five-year ban on keeping animals (expires December 2027).

Bury Times

Cats, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Radcliffe, Greater Manchester: Suzanne Bennett

July 5, 2021 misanthropic 2 Comments

#MostEvil | Suzanne Wendy Bennett, born 28 February 1973, previously of Cross Lane, Radcliffe, Manchester – stabbed her pet cat up to 10 times then put her in the freezer to die.

The court heard that Bennett had consumed three bottles of white wine before attacking the defenceless cat, known as Poppy, with a knife.

She then dumped the badly injured pet in the freezer before calling police to confess.

Officers arrived at Bennett’s home to hear the distressed cat meowing from inside the freezer and found she had sustained stab wounds to her leg and neck.

She was later treated by a vet and made a miraculous recovery and is now in the care of the RSPCA.

Anna McDonald, prosecuting, told the court that a vet found Poppy had ten wounds in total after the stabbing, ‘ranging from a one-millimetre puncture to a four-centimetre puncture’.

She added: ‘It’s the vet’s opinion that Poppy suffered from chronic pain as a result of her wounds.

‘The vet also said the cat suffered mentally due to the injuries and from being confined in the freezer.’

Miss McDonald told the court: ‘She said she turned the freezer to a high setting because she wanted to end the cat’s life. She said she had an ‘angel side’ and a ‘satanic side’ and the ‘angel side’ had told her to get help.’

Bennett, who had no previous convictions, previously said in a police interview that she suffered from depression and for the past ten years, she had ‘heard voices in her head’.

Meanwhile, her lawyer Jed Frazer said in mitigation: ‘She loved those cats and described to me that she loved them as if they were her children. She says they were always well looked after, and often, they were fed better than her.’

Sentencing: 18-month community order; nine month alcohol treatment requirement ; ordered to pay a total of £495 in fines and costs. Disqualified from keeping any animals for just five years (expires July 2026).

The Sun
Daily Mail

Animal Sanctuaries from Hell, Birds, birds of prey / raptor persecution, Lifers

Bury, Greater Manchester: Natalie Kerr

October 29, 2020 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2020) | Natalie Kerr, born c. 1960, of Barlow Close, Bury BL9 6WF – allowed dozens of birds at her wildlife hospital to suffer

Acting on a tip-off, RSPCA officials found various neglected birds at the Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital in Garside Hey Road, Brandlesholme, Bury, including pigeons, corvids, blackbirds, an eagle owl, swans and geese in aviaries around the grounds.

In total 211 birds were found on the premises – and 145 were found to be in such as state they had to be put to sleep.

Charity bosses say many of the birds could not fly and were visibly injured or in poor condition.

Broken wings, blindness and open wounds were just some of the injuries found when RSPCA inspectors and police raided Natalie Kerr's wildlife sanctuary in July 2019. — Broken wings, blindness and open wounds were just some of the injuries found when RSPCA inspectors and police raided Natalie Kerr’s wildlife sanctuary in July 2019.

The court heard a wooden building – which was used as the hospital unit – also contained more birds in what a vet described as in a “very poor state”.

RSPCA inspector Emma Dingley, who led the investigation, said that due to the number of birds which needed to be assessed, a mobile unit from the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital had to be sent to the site.

In a court statement RSPCA chief inspector Ben Strangwood added: “The aviaries were all looking tired and contained a lot of bird faeces and cobwebs.

“Some of the birds appeared unable to fly and were largely ground-dwelling, resulting in their feathers being a mess.

“Some birds had food and water and some didn’t. Some cages were very dirty with faeces. There were lots of flies and the smell was unpleasant.

“There were birds in there with head tilts, bandages/tape on wings, open wounds, glassy eyes indicating blindness, drooping wings, feathers in very poor condition.

Many birds had chronic or severe injuries or disease, which could not be treated without further compromising their welfare, or were unsuitable for release into the wild, or for permanent captivity.”

Emma added: “Many birds had chronic or severe injuries or disease, which could not be treated without further compromising their welfare, or were unsuitable for release into the wild, or for permanent captivity.

“One pigeon had a deformed beak which meant it was unable to feed himself and he was emaciated – the notes indicated he had been named Beaky by the hospital.

“Another duck was found with two broken wings which the hospital had named Wingie. There was also a pigeon with an open wound you could see his heart. It was so sad and a vet decided that many had to be put to sleep to end their suffering.”

Some of the birds were saved though and one blind European Eagle has been rehomed with a specialist keeper and is said to be thriving.

In October 2020 sanctuary manager Natalie Kerr pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two identified birds and failing to ensure others received adequate care.

Sentencing: four-month curfew; £1,000 court costs. Banned from keeping birds for life.

Manchester Evening News
Bury Times
Rochdale Online

Dogs, Domestic Violence - Animals Targeted, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Radcliffe, Greater Manchester: Alan Holt

October 21, 2020 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2020) | Alan James Holt, born c. 1956, of Five Quarters, Radcliffe, Manchester M26 3NU – viciously attacked two dogs during a drink-fuelled domestic violence incident

Holt flew into a rage after a drinking session and attacked his then partner and her pet dogs.

One of the dogs, a Staffordshire cross breed called Rogue, suffered scratches to their torso whilst the other, called Zeta, lost two of her front teeth after Holt kicked her in the head.

Holt’s partner suffered swelling and bruising to her face, as well as bruises to her arm, stomach and back.

Holt pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. He was already serving a community order for another recent incident of ABH.

Alan James Holt: domestic abuser, animal abuser

District Judge Jack McGarva told him: “This is an appalling set of offences.

“I have seen the photographs of the injuries and she has severe bruising to her face and you have strangled her.

“Even though she was drunk may well have thought she was going to die at that point.

“Strangling someone is a terrible thing to do, particularly in the context of domestic violence.

“Also to attack two dogs – they could not fend for themselves or complain.”

Sentencing: 26 weeks in prison for the new offences and was re-sentenced to 12 weeks, to run consecutively, for the previous incident making a total of 38 weeks. No ban on owning animals was imposed.

Manchester Evening News

Dogs, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Bury, Greater Manchester: Eden Chemo

June 18, 2019 misanthropic 8 Comments

CONVICTED (2019) | Eden Chemo, born c. 2001, of Gloucester Avenue, Whitefield, Bury, Greater Manchester M45 6BX – filmed punching a husky-Staffy cross as the dog cowered in fear.

Violent Eden Chemo was filmed subjecting a dog to a brutal attack — Violent Eden Chemo was filmed subjecting a petrified dog to a brutal attack

Vicious thug Eden Chemo was captured on video launching a sickening attack on the terrified dog, known as Zeus. The shocking act of violence was recorded by Chemo’s friend, who has not yet been identified.

The clip, which was posted on social media, showed the moment Chemo clenches his fist, screams and then punches Zeus twice as the dog lies helpless on a sofa.

People from all over the UK reported the video to the RSPCA after it was posted on Twitter and several others also named Chemo as the attacker.

Abused dog Zeus is now looking for his forever home

The animal charity launched a probe that same day and Inspector Emma Dingley visited Chemo’s address.

He was later charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by subjecting the dog to unnecessary physical violence resulting in fear and distress.

Inspector Dingley said: ‘This was a cowardly and nasty attack on a dog which was laying down in his home and seemed to have no idea why he was being subjected to such violence.

‘The video of the attack was posted on social media which led to us being inundated with calls from across the country reporting the shocking footage.

‘Zeus has been in the care of the RSPCA pending the outcome of this court case and has really come on leaps and bounds. At first he was frightened of hand movements and if anyone went to stroke near his head he would drop to the floor.

‘Now he has grown in confidence and he is such a lovely and friendly dog.’

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work; £300 costs. Banned from keeping animals for three years (expired 2022).

Daily Mail
Manchester Evening News

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Traveller Animal Crimes

Bury, Greater Manchester: Kirsty Hamilton

December 24, 2018 misanthropic 6 Comments

CONVICTED (2018) | Kirsty Hamilton, born c. 1984, of Martin Street, Bury BL9 7SF – left an emaciated Arab mare with a severe hoof infection

Animal abuser: Kirsty Hamilton from Bury, Greater Manchester. Pic: Facebook.

Hamilton pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to meet the needs of Arab mare Blossom, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Blossom was emaciated and suffering an untreated hoof infection

The RSPCA was contacted by a member of the public who was concerned about Blossom, kept at stables at Nook Farm, Nook Lane, Tyldesely, Astley. On investigating, the mare’s bodyweight was rated one, the lowest on a scale of one to nine, and a vet found she had a bad case of thrush in all her hooves.

Inspector Danni Jennings, said: “The horse was clearly in an emaciated state and had other problems which had not been dealt with such as overgrown teeth.

“The infection in her hooves was awful and was caused by her standing in faeces in a dark and damp stable block for a long period of time.”

Kirsty Hamilton with boyfriend Joe Cannon. Cannon is from a notorious family of travellers. — Kirsty Hamilton with then boyfriend Joe Cannon. Cannon is from a notorious family of travellers, who deal in horses and also raffle them on social media.

In mitigation the court heard that Hamilton had personal problems and was pregnant.

Blossom was taken for treatment and is now in the care of the charity.

Sentencing: 12-month community order; curfew order; total of £1,585 costs and charges. Banned from keeping equines for just one year.

Leigh Journal

Dogs, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders

Walshaw / Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester: Jeffrey and Richard Speakman

October 7, 2013 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2013) | illegal puppy breeders Jeffrey Speakman, born c. 1947, of 2 Bentley Hall Farm, Bentley Hall Road, Bury BL8 3PH and son Richard Speakman, born c. 1991, of Ramsbottom (address tbc)

Puppy farmers Jeffrey and Richard Speakman pictured outside court

Police and RSPCA inspectors swooped on Bentley Hall Farm after an undercover sting by the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N.) revealed the Speakmans were illegally breeding and selling hundreds of puppies from the premises.

Investigators found dogs living in their own faeces and with untreated medical conditions – including a labrador found dead in her bed from organ failure.

Dogs at the puppy farm were being kept in cramped, overcrowded and dirty conditions with many thirsty, in pain and suffering from untreated medical conditions.

RSPCA inspectors said some older dogs at the farm had been kept purely as ‘breeding machines’ – producing litter after litter to be sold at around £250 per puppy.

They seized 137 animals during the raid after discovering a number left in pain and thirsty in filthy, overcrowded sheds. M.E.N. reporters were shown several litters of border collies, Alaskan malamutes and labradors in two shabby barns during a number of visits to Bentley Hall Farm.

M.E.N. learned that the Speakmans had been operating without a licence – which is needed to breed dogs on a commercial scale – for about 18 months.

All of the dogs seized were eventually signed over to the RSPCA for rehoming.

Puppy farmer Richard Speakman — Richard Speakman is a father of two

RSPCA inspector Jason Bowles said: “Some of the dogs were six years old and have been used as nothing more than ‘breeding machines’, producing litter after litter of puppies to be sold for £250 plus each.

“The Speakmans put profit before welfare, as these types of businesses do.

“These puppies were being sold a little bit cheaper than they would normally be. It’s the equivalent of the difference between the welfare of a battery chicken and a free range chicken.

“Nobody intends to, of course, but buying from a place like this, from people like this, is to finance misery. Always go to a rescue centre, or if you really must buy, do your research and choose a reputable breeder.”

Sentencing (October 2013): four-month suspended jail term; 200 hours of unpaid work; £500 in costs each. Banned from keeping dogs for 10 years (expires October 2023).

Bury Times
Manchester Evening News

Updates:

February 2014: M.E.N. reported that Richard Speakman’s brother Neil Speakman‘s application for a pet shop licence at the same had been rejected by Bury Council.

Neil Speakman was not involved in the case so had no legal ban from keeping dogs at the premises.

But the council received many protests from individuals and campaign groups like CARIAD.

After the meeting he said he had spent more than £6,000 on readying the farm for a new pet shop.

Speakman described the outcome as “disappointing” and said the councillors’ minds were made up before they even started.”

He added: “I’m not my dad and I’m not my brother.

“But I think public perceptions before the hearing swayed the decision – that is what needs changing.

“People need to see this is something completely different.

“This would not have been a puppy farm, somewhere where they breed dogs on the premises for cash, but a pet shop, where no dog breeding was going to occur.

“I think the decision was inevitable. It felt like I was fighting a losing battle.”

UK Animal Cruelty Files