CONVICTED (2023) | Nicola Bradley, born c. 1988, of Welsh Road, Upperby, Carlisle CA1 3AU and Tracy Dixon, born c. 1976, of Warnell Drive, Harraby, Carlisle CA1 3LR – sadistically tortured and killed a friend’s African grey parrot.
Tracy Dixon (left) and Nicola Bradley were jailed for the sadistic killing of a friendly African grey parrot called Sparky
Friends Bradley and Dixon were collected from a night out by Paul Crooks, who took the women to his home at around 5.30am on July 30, 2022.
As the women carried on drinking, Mr Crooks went to bed. He woke at 8.30am to find his guests had messed around with shaving foam which had gone over the cage of the parrot, Sparky.
This was cleaned and, as he left his house to go shopping, he told the women to leave the bird alone.
But on returning home Mr Crooks found the women wearing his clothing with Sparky unresponsive and unrecognisable, her head hanging limply out of a cage.
After confronting the pair, he learned the parrot had been covered with Mr Muscle, Brasso, furniture polish, daubed in gloss paint, and also hit with a tea towel.
Attempts were also made to feed Sparky to Mr Crooks’ dog before the parrot was dumped into a tumble drier which was switched on.
Mr Crooks was told that Bradley had snapped Sparky’s neck with Dixon reporting the bird to be “gasping” when pulled from the drier.
But after police were alerted and the women were interviewed, they sought to blame each other for the shocking cruelty.
The women went on trial in July 2023 having denied causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal but were found guilty by magistrates.
Mr Crooks had told the court that singing Sparky was a big hit with his friends, and used to belt out the national anthem plus theme tunes from Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Sentencing them, Judge Richard Archer said “You, together, sadistically tortured and essentially killed Sparky. It is frankly beyond comprehension how anyone could treat an animal in his way.”
Sentencing | 25-month custodial. Both were banned from owning or keeping animals indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2022) | wildlife killers Dale Rickerby, born 23 June 1994, and Michael James Rickerby, born 24 March 1990, of 68 Warnell Drive, Carlisle CA1 3LR – used a shovel to “bludgeon” a badger before tossing the terrified animal to their dogs.
Mike Rickerby (left) and brother Dale Rickerby
The horrific badger baiting incident, which took place in October 2021 in Holme Lane near the village of Aglionby in Cumbria, was conducted primarily by Dale Rickerby, but he was assisted by his older brother Michael James Rickerby,
The brothers denied any wrong-doing despite evidence that they had dug a deep hole to give their dog access to the badger in its sett.
Dale Rickerby said the pair were in the area “legally” hunting for rabbits when they happened to see the badger which then attacked their bull lurcher, Bronson. He claimed to have used the shovel on the badger to “protect” the dog.
The court didn’t believe them, however, and the brothers were convicted of “wilfully killing a badger” following a one-day trial.
Dale Rickerby was also convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to Bronson by setting him on a badger and of failing to ensure the dog’s welfare.
He did this by failing to take reasonable steps to protect the dog from pain, suffering and injury in his encounters with other animals.
Mike Rickerby
Both men were represented by Clive Rees, who said that his clients were fathers to young children and represented a “low risk” of reoffending.
Passing sentence, District Judge Temperley first addressed Dale Rickerby, telling him: “You will remember that at the conclusion of the trial I found that you were primarily responsible, not only for the death of the badger; but also for the significant injury caused to your own dog Bronson.”
When the badger had emerged from the “man-made” hole that exposed its sett, Dale Rickerby “bludgeoned it over the head with the spade,” said the judge. The defendant then tossed the dazed animal to the dogs.
The judge said a background Probation Service report showed clearly that Dale Rickerby did not accept the court’s guilty verdict.
The judge jailed the defendant for 20 weeks. He also imposed an order transferring ownership of Bronson to the RSPCA. Dale Rickerby will be banned from owning or looking after any animal for five years. When released, he must pay £500 prosecution costs.
Turning to Michael Rickerby, the judge said he had “encouraged and aided” his brother, with this including him driving another member of the group away from the scene with some of the dogs they had brought.
The judge imposed 12 weeks jail, suspended for a year. Michael Rickerby must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 prosecution costs. He was banned from owning or caring for any dog for five years.
Members of the defendants’ family were in court to support them.
After the trial, RSPCA inspector Ian Muttitt, from the charity’s northern Special Operations Unit, said both the dog and the badger suffered horrifically. “The dog was significantly injured; basically, the skin from the bottom of its jaw was ripped off,” he said.
“But police spotted the two males in the car quickly and luckily the dog was taken to the vets straight away and treated. It’s made a full recovery. But often they don’t receive veterinary treatment.”
Sentencing | Dale Rickerby: 20 weeks in jail; £500 towards costs. Banned from owning or looking after any animal for five years (expires December 2027). Michael Rickerby: 12 weeks in jail suspended for one year; 200 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 prosecution costs. Banned from owning or caring for any dog for five years (expires December 2027).
CONVICTED (2022) | backyard breeders Alexander D Johnson, born 26 January 1990, of Elmsmere Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent ST2 8EF, Ryan Woodward, born 24 December 1997, of Forest Court, Union Street, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 5AD, and Mickey T Nolan, born 22 January 1991, of Victoria Road, Carlisle CA1 2SJ – for painful ear cropping which left puppies in a semi-comatose state.
Alex Johnson, Ryan Woodward and Mickey Nolan, pictured from left to right, profiteered from animal suffering
The animals, who were around 8 to 10 weeks old at the time, suffered considerable pain and had to undergo surgery after they were rescued from a house in Stoke-on-Trent.
The man who inflicted their injuries – well-known animal abuser (and alleged dog fighter) Alex Johnson – admitted carrying out a prohibited procedure. Johnston was previously banned from keeping dogs for five years after a 2019 conviction . This time he received a 24-week prison sentence and his ban (blatantly ignored) was extended to life.
Ryan Woodward was jailed for 19 weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring Johnson to carry out the procedure.
Mickey Nolan – an MMA fighter – was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, having pleaded guilty to either permitting the action to take place or failing to take steps to prevent it.
Woodward and Nolan were both disqualified from keeping dogs for 15 years.
The prosecution followed months of investigation by the RSPCA, with the much-missed Animal Protection Services providing the charity with crucial intelligence from their own enquiries into Alex Johnson’s shady activities.
Previous offender Alex Johnson
The three injured puppies, plus three others, were seized by police from an address in Hanley in November 2020, along with a host of evidence.
In a written statement to the court, RSPCA inspector Jenny Bethel said a black cosmetic bag and a black rucksack were later handed over to her by police.
She said: “The bag contained syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, three empty 10mg bottles of Sedivet for horses, one empty bottle of ketamine, empty vaccination bottles, pliers and a staple gun with blood on it.”
Meanwhile, surgical masks, an opened box of latex gloves, syringes, needles, surgical tape and an empty rabies vaccination bottle were among the items found in the rucksack.
All six puppies were taken to a vet to be checked, vaccinated and microchipped, before the ones that had endured the cropping underwent surgery at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford.
Ryan Woodward
An independent expert veterinary report, also presented to the court, said the cropping would have caused unnecessary suffering, despite the puppies being anaesthetised, with considerable pain following the procedure.
They were all signed over to the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.
MMA fighter Mickey Nolan, who traded under the name Carlisle Bullies
Following the sentencing hearing, Ms Bethel said: “All six puppies have grown into beautiful dogs, are a credit to their fosterers and have gone on to find amazing forever homes.”
PC Rebecca Tyler, of Staffordshire Police, added: “This is something that my colleagues and I will remember for the rest of our careers. We are glad that the puppies were recovered and have found loving homes.”
CONVICTED (2022) | slaughterman John Gibson, born c. 1981, of Mount Pleasant Road, Currock, Carlisle – caught on CCTV decapitating cattle before they had ‘bled out’.
Gibson, who works at Carlisle Abattoir on Brunthill Road, Kingstown, Carlisle, which is operated by West Scottish Lamb Ltd, pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015.
Prosecutor Pam Ward said the offences came to light after CCTV footage of the defendant’s workplace was reviewed by a vet.
It showed that the defendant had not abided by the regulation that requires an animal, after it has been stunned, and then had its throat cut, to be bled for at least 30 seconds.
The bleeding regulation applies after the animal has had its carotid or jugular arteries severed by the slaughterman.
Inflicting suffering on helpless animals is also Gibson’s hobby, with his Facebook profile littered with images of him lamping and persecuting wildlife with dogs.
The CCTV review showed that the defendant had flouted the regulation on four separate occasions in 2021: on May 14 and 18 and on May 20 and 21.
From the dock of the court, the defendant said he “got carried away.”
As she passed sentence, presiding magistrate Jill Robinson noted that the defendant was “too engrossed” in his work. As a result of him rushing, animals had suffered, she said.
CONVICTED (2022) | | William McCulloch, born c. 1979, a traveller based in the Cumbria region – kept an emaciated ‘guard’ dog tethered outside a carpet shop on an industrial estate.
When rescued, Sheba was was so emaciated she was almost half her normal weight. Happily she has recovered in the RSPCA’s care and been rehomed.
German shepherd Sheba was found in shocking conditions at the warehouse premises of Billy’s Carpets & Sofas, Unit 9, SandySike, Longtown, Carlisle, which is purportedly owned by McCulloch’s son, Billy McCulloch.
Steven Marsh, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said concerns were first raised on November 16, 2021 when a rescue officer from the charity visited the premises.
“Sheba was tethered outside the unit and in the officer’s view looked lean,” said Mr Marsh. The dog’s kennel was dilapidated, its entry point chewed and frayed, providing little protection from the elements.
“The officer also noted there was no bedding and [carpet shop staff] told him the dog chewed its bedding. The shop assistant was advised that straw could be used as an alternative. He said he’d tell the dog’s owner.”
The dog’s bowl was also empty and the assistant duly filled it with water.
The defendant’s son Billy McCulloch owns the carpet shop where Sheba was starved and left to live in squalor.
On December 2, said Mr Marsh, RSPCA inspector Chris Towler visited the site and found that Sheba was by now emaciated. The outline of her ribs and other major bones clearly visible through her skin.
Her fur was heavily matted and dirty.
Consequently, the dog was seized and examined by a vet. Her weight was 14.8kg and her body condition assessed as just 1 on a nine-point scale.
“The results were indicative of malnutrition over a long period,” said Mr Marsh.
Sheba was also anaemic.
“In my opinion,” concluded the vet, “this dog has undergone a degree of suffering due to malnutrition; and she would have been susceptible to secondary diseases. ”
The suffering had persisted for at least a month, said the vet.
After being rescued, and rehomed, Sheba’s weight normalised, eventually reaching 26.85kg by March 2022.
McCulloch admitted causing unnecessary suffering by not properly feeding his dog; and by not providing her with a suitably comfortable and clean environment.
Andrew Gurney, defending, said the defendant was battling with serious mental health issues when he committed the offences.
“Mr McCulloch had been married for 25 years and had a business, owned by his wife, and he was doing very, very well for himself,” said the lawyer. “But his wife abruptly ended their marriage and he was forced out of the family home.”
The defendant – now with no fixed address – had nowhere to keep his dog and so his son agreed that it could be housed next to his carpet business and that it could be used as a guard dog while living there.
“It was to be tethered and cared for by the carpet shop staff,” said Mr Gurney.
“He was a broken man and hadn’t expected his marriage to end as it did. He was suffering suicidal ideation and not coping day to day with looking after himself, let alone with looking after the dog.
“He thought he’d taken appropriate steps to look after the dog. But he accepts the ultimate responsibility was his.”
Mr Gurney added that McCulloch had cooperated fully with the RSPCA investigation and immediately when asked he had signed Sheba over so that she could be rehomed. The lawyer added: “He is truly remorseful.”
After the case, Mr Towler said he noted the defendant’s difficult personal circumstances.
“But there’s no excuse in today’s world to have a dog in that condition,” said the inspector. “The right thing to do was to seek help. It’s galling that one of our officers visited the site a month before Sheba was found in that condition.”
Mr Towler added that Sheba was now in the care of new owners, who “absolutely adored” her and were giving her loving care.
Sentencing | 12-month community order, with 180 hours of unpaid work; £495 costs and charges. Banned from keeping any animal for 10 years but may appeal after just five years.
CONVICTED (2021) | puppy farmer Kelly Latuskie, born c. 1973, previously of Carlisle and now Waterbeck, Lockerbie DG11 – bred at least 116 dogs and kept them in squalor.
Latuskie committed four animal welfare offences at two locations: Newlands Farm Cottage, Carleton, Carlisle; and at Willowholme Industrial Estate in the city.
Carlisle City Council were tipped off she was breeding more puppies than her licence allowed and looking after more dogs than the 30 permitted at her daycare business.
A search of official microchipping databases found she’d registered and sold at least 117 Cavapoo and Cockapoo puppies between June 2019 and December 2020.
She was only permitted to have one litter at a time.
Officials visiting Latuskie’s home in December 2020 found 22 dogs in ‘squalid dirty conditions’.
There were two stud dogs and 20 breeding bitches, although her licence only permitted four.
Many had ear infections and dental disease and a council-appointed veterinary surgeon said they were ‘suffering from chronic neglect’ and in deteriorating health.
Latuskie’s inadequate transport and accommodation controls resulted in five dogs being killed by other dogs.
An inspection of Latuskie’s ‘Bark in the Park’ boarding kennels found 36 dogs present on the site. The maximum allowed was 30.
Latuskie, who was estimated to have made £150,000 from puppy farming, wept in court as she was sentenced.
Sentencing: 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. Costs of £16,981.83 to Carlisle City Council, and a £128 victim surcharge. Banned from owning, keeping, dealing or transporting animals and from working in a business involving animals. She may not appeal to have the ban lifted for three years. She is banned for life from applying for a council licence to run a business involving animals.
CONVICTED (2021) | Kelly Louise Agnew, born c. 1982, previously of Borland Avenue, Carlisle and now Merrick Terrace, Portpatrick, Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway – caught on video performing a sexual act with a dog; downloaded child abuse and bestiality images
Agnew was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register after she admitted offences of downloading child abuse images.
The first three allegations related to her downloading indecent photos of children, some of which were ‘Category A’ images, considered the most serious (tend to show child rape and torture).
The fourth charge related to the defendant publishing three moving images of herself performing a sexual act with a dog.
The final allegation Agnew admitted was a charge of possessing 32 extreme pornographic images involving people and animals.
Agnew was sentenced to a two-year community order comprising a rehabilitation requirement. She must sign the sex offenders’ register for five years and comply with a sexual harm prevention order.
CONVICTED (2021) | Robert Marshall Morrison, born 20 August 1982, of 5 Atchin Tan, Low Harker, Carlisle CA6 4DD – kept 69 chickens and cockerels in poor living conditions
Gypsy Robert Morrison kept dozens of chickens in small ‘filthy’ runs and cast dead ones aside ‘like rubbish’
Scottish gypsy Morrison, who has links to Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, originally faced accusations that he was breeding and keeping cockerels for the purpose of animal fights. He was also accused of having cock-fight equipment – including ‘wound powder’, muscle ointments, suturing needles and syringes, and vitamin supplements. Ultimately though he was only convicted of neglect, following a three-day trial.
The RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit (SOU) launched an investigation into Morrison in 2019 and found he was visiting an allotment in Glasson, Lancashire, to tend to a number of cockerels being kept there.
In October 2019, the charity worked with Cumbria Police to execute three warrants at Morrison’s home, his vehicle and the allotment where he kept the birds, around a 40-minute drive from his address. He was arrested after officers found 69 birds – some emaciated and all being kept in filthy conditions – at the allotment site.
RSPCA SOU officer Kirsty Withnall, who investigated, said: “Many of the birds had inadequate access to food and water, and were being kept in completely unsuitable conditions; in wet, muddy, dirty runs and pens.
Some of the birds were being kept in small, cramped spaces with no enrichment; they were pacing up and down and circling due to boredom.
“We found the dead bodies of birds hidden inside a blue bin while other remains were decomposing on a nearby rubbish tip. They’d been cast aside like rubbish.”
Morrison admitted ownership and responsibility for the birds.
All of the birds were examined by a vet, seized by police either because they were suffering or their needs were not being met, and taken into the RSPCA’s care. One cockerel was taken to a local vet but, sadly, later died.
The others – 17 hens and the remaining all cockerels – were taken into private boarding where they have remained while the investigation progressed.
A Cumbria Police spokesperson said: “We welcome the outcome of this investigation. This behaviour is unacceptable and we will continue to work in partnership with the RSPCA and other agencies to stop this type of unnecessary suffering.”
Sentencing: 15-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation order; £1,500 costs and victim surcharge of £90. He was legally deprived of all of his birds, meaning they can now be rehomed by the RSPCA. Disqualified from keeping birds for seven years.
CONVICTED (2020) | Stuart P Whelan, born c. 1976, of Dalton Avenue, Raffles, Carlisle CA2 7DY – kicked a stranger’s Westie into the air
Whelan
The unprovoked attack on the tiny dog was outlined to magistrates as they heard several disturbing accounts of how Whelan – who was out cycling with his own dog at the time – abused other dog walkers.
All regularly visit Chances Park, near Wigton Road, where Whelan cycles with his dog.
Whelan had denied two allegations of using threatening behaviour towards other dog owners and causing unnecessary suffering to the terrier. He was convicted after a trial.
The first offence was on May 8, 2020, as local woman Maxine Denby walked her dog in the park. “I heard a dog squealing,” she said.
She described seeing Whelan lift his own dog into the air over his head, and then ‘slam’ it on to the ground.
“The dog was crying and in a lot of distress,” she said, adding: “I was in shock.”
Fellow dog walker Tony Peacock corroborated Miss Denby’s account, describing how after verbally abusing Miss Denby Whelan repeatedly cycled past her at speed, with his own dog sitting in his bike’s front basket.
Four days later, dog walker Patricia Guanlett was enjoying a tea-time walk through the park with her two dogs, including her West Highland terrier Cara.
As she walked across the grass, Mrs Guanlett saw Whelan cycling along a path towards her, his dog running along beside him.
Her dogs ran towards him, prompting him to throw down his bike and start screaming at her, falsely claiming one of her dogs had bitten his dog, she said. Mrs Guanlett said: “He said if ‘I see that [her] dog again, it’s dead.”
As she was putting one of her dogs on a lead Whelan ran at her West Highland terrier, which was simply ‘toddling along’ and ‘booted’ her, the force of the blow lifting the dog 18 inches into the air.
“I was terrified he’d hit me,” said Mrs Guanlett, who immediately grabbed Cara to keep her safe. Her dog was shaking, she said.
Of Whelan, she said: “His demeanour was horrific: so hyper and so aggressive. It was really, really scary.”
Since the attack, Cara had been wary of strangers. After she left the park, Whelan briefly followed her, she said.
Judith Keir was also walking her dog in the park. She had previously reported Whelan to the police for his behaviour.
Mrs Keir said Whelan’s dog was not bitten, adding: “Mr Whelan took what I thought looked like a penalty kick, literally running up to Cara and booting her in the ribs. It was deliberate.
“Cara was nowhere near the other dog.”
Whelan denied throwing his dog to the ground or being aggressive.
Sentencing: 18 month community order, with 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and completion of Probation Service Thinking Skills course. Restraining order, banning Whelan from Chances Park and from making any contact with the four people who testified against him. He was not banned from owning animals.
CONVICTED (2018) | Wayne Lawson, born 28/09/1978, of Sheehan Gardens, Carlisle CA2 7GY and Richard Todd, born 20/07/1978, of Mill Road, Wigton CA7 5EE – filmed as they goaded their dogs into attacking a badger.
Badger baiters Richard Todd and Wayne Lawson both from Cumbria
Lawson and Todd admitted trying to kill the badger while Lawson also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs by failing to provide veterinary care for facial injuries.
Patterdale terrier Scooby and Bull Lurcher Stan were both found at the Carlisle property along with four other dogs, with horrible injuries to their faces and muzzles. The dogs, who had remained in RSPCA care, were rehomed.
Lawson failed to get veterinary care for his dogs’ painful facial injuries.
The men were due to stand trial but after charges of interfering with badger setts and of causing an animal fight to take place were dropped, they admitted the attempt to kill.
Badger baiter Richard Todd
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA officer Jason Bowles said: “We received intelligence that Mr Lawson was involved in badger digging and found two dogs at his property with extensive scarring and nasty injuries consistent with fights with badgers.
“We seized a mobile phone which had saved videos showing him and another man digging down to tunnels before placing the dogs underground to find the wild animals.
“This case really shows the suffering caused to the poor badgers who are hunted for fun as well as the dogs used in this barbaric blood sport. They are often left with hideous injuries and disfigurements and rarely receive appropriate veterinary treatment or pain relief.”
Sentencing: Both – 140-day prison term, suspended for a year.
Lawson – 160 hours of unpaid work in the community. Disqualified from keeping dogs for four years. Total costs and charges of £1,415.
Todd – 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. Total costs and charges of £1,115. Banned from keeping animals for two years.
