CONVICTED (2017) | Graham Lane, born 01/10/1981, of Grasswood Road, Birkenhead, Wirral CH4 9NZ- neglected and starved a dog who was handed into the RSPCA as a stray
In late 2017 Graham Lane, who now lives in Chester, was banned from keeping animals for ten years.
In September 2017 a young Staffy known as Badger was handed into the RSPCA’s Wirral branch in a terrible state.
Badger was skeletal and near collapse when he was handed into the RSPCA’s Wirral branch
Weighing just 12.5kg, the dog was emaciated and near collapse from starvation. He had overgrown claws and painful pressure sores from being forced to lie on a hard surface with no bedding.
An appeal went out to trace the skeletal dog’s owner and this led to local man Graham Lane being arrested and charged with animal cruelty. Lane was initially investigated for sexually abusing the dog but, as far as we can see, was never prosecuted for this.
Although no details of the prosecution case were ever published in the newspapers we understand that Graham Lane was convicted and given a 10-year ban on keeping all animals. This will expire in late 2027.
Badger’s weight almost doubled after six weeks of care and dedication by the RSPCA. He soon found his forever home.
After six weeks of care by RSPCA staff and volunteers, Badger was given a clean bill of health and rehomed.
CONVICTED (2017) | puppy farm dealer Ben James Illidge, born 22/12/1983, of Wilson Crescent, Northwich CW9 7QH – tried to smuggle 35 puppies in overcrowded cages through a Welsh ferry port from Ireland.
Illidge admitted seven charges – three of which related to animal welfare offences – of smuggling the 35 puppies through Holyhead Port in November 2016.
Prosecutor Julia Longworth said the pups were in a van which was being carried off the ferry on a breakdown truck.
“When officers searched the vehicle the animals were found crowded into cages concealed in the rear area.
The court heard he had bought the animals from a market in Dublin and none of the animals, who were aged six to nine weeks old, had been inoculated or microchipped.
Ms Longworth said various agencies including the RSPCA, Animal Health officials and North Wales Police mounted a special operation at Holyhead Port on November 15, 2016, as the smuggling of animals into Britain was becoming ‘increasingly problematic’.
She said the officers’ attention was drawn to the white van which was sat on the back of a breakdown truck with condensation on its front and side windows.
“This indicated to the officers there may be animals inside the vehicle and it was checked,” she said.
Officers found the 35 young pups in five containers which were concealed in the vehicle. The puppies included terriers, beagles, Pomeranians and Labradors and there were up to nine in each container.
Ms Longworth said: “They were examined by a vet and their ages ranged from six weeks to nine weeks. The vehicle was not suitable for the transport of animals nor had it been adapted to do so.
“There was no ventilation and it was found to be very warm inside – too warm for the proper welfare of the animals.”
The court was told the animals were seized by the RSPCA and transported back to Ireland under proper conditions where they were inoculated and microchipped and subsequently rehoused.
The charges included bringing a consignment of animals into Wales without completed health certificates and without having notified the authorities of their intended arrival. There were also regulatory offences involving animal welfare and fitness for the journey.
Ian Briggs, chief inspector of the RSPCA’s special operations unit, said agencies would not “stand by while unscrupulous puppy dealers seek to make a quick buck while subjecting innocent, defenceless puppies to misery”.
He said: “Sadly, many well-meaning, but unsuspecting new owners are buying pups who have been imported in such shocking conditions, which merely fuels those seeking to treat the lives of young animals as a means to raking in murky profits.”
Sentencing:three 18-week prison sentences, which will run concurrently, and are suspended for a one-year period; ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a £1,600 fine plus £1,313 in court costs.
Illidge appeared in Chester Magistrates Court on December 8, 2017, after failing to comply with his community order, but still evaded an immediate prison sentence.
The suspension period for his 12-week sentence was increased to 18 months, and he was given 35 additional hours of unpaid work.
CONVICTED (2016) | Jordon Louise Barlow, born 07/06/1993, formerly of Ismay Street, Walton, Liverpool L4 and more recently Cotswold Way, Winsford CW7 1QW: starved two dogs to death.
Barlow left two dogs to starve in one of the worst cases of neglect the RSPCA inspectors have seen.
One Staffy Booma was already dead and the other, named Bandit, critically ill when Inspector Helen Smith entered Barlow’s home on December 2, 2015.
Peter Mitchell, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said vets fought to improve Bandit’s condition but he could not regain weight and was put down a few days later.
The body condition of both dogs was scored at one out of nine on a scale used by vets, the worst rating possible.
The court heard Inspector Smith, acting on information from a member of the public, found Booma wrapped up in a blanket, obviously dead.
Mr Mitchell said: “Bony prominences were visible and he had visible sores on his hind legs. Bandit was curled up on the floor with his head on his paws and in poor body condition.
“He was unresponsive to the inspector and appeared to be in a collapsed state.”
The court heard Barlow began caring for the dogs when her ex-partner was jailed. She told Inspector Smith her then partner’s mother had initially looked after the dogs, but Barlow had been forced to take over when she was hospitalised in July 2015.
Barlow said Booma had not been eating but admitted not taking them to see a vet or calling the RSPCA.
Mr Mitchell said the defendant also had her own dog, another male Staffie called Kaos, who appeared well-fed and in good condition, and supplies of dog food were found in the kitchen.
Post-mortems revealed both dogs had died from the effects of starvation but did not have any other underlying health problems.
The judge said: “The picture described of Bandit curled up unresponsive by his dead friend is a very sad one.”
Speaking after the case, Inspector Smith told the ECHO: “This has been one of the worst neglect cases I have done, it affected me personally.
“The vet who dealt with it said the mental torture of not being able to eat and wanting to eat would have been horrific.”
Sentence: 12 weeks in prison, suspended for one year; ordered to complete a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement course. Banned from keeping animals for just five years (expired June 2021); ordered to surrender a third dog to the RSPCA.
CONVICTED (2016) | Christopher Hurst, born c. 1977, of Wharton Court, Hoole Lane, Chester CH2 – drowned his pet cat in the bath in an outburst of anger.
Hurst, who works as an aircraft fitter with Airbus, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The court heard how Hurst held the 8yo black longhair cat, named Charlie, under the water for 15 seconds until he died.
Scratch marks found on Hurst’s hands were consistent with the cat struggling against him.
Hurst, who drank every day to self medicate for his supposed mental health problems, had owned Charlie since he was a kitten.
He said he had tried to rehome the pet because the cat had been ripping up his neighbours’ property and keeping everyone in the apartment block up all night.
Cheshire Police were called after reports of a disturbance at Hurst’s flat.
Hurst said he had run the bath for himself, but told officers he just ‘lost it’ and ‘it had all happened very quickly’.
He held Charlie down underneath the water until he had drowned.
Christopher Murphy, prosecuting, said: “The vet said these were cruel and inhumane actions on a perfectly healthy cat for no reason whatsoever.
“The drowning would’ve resulted in severe mental trauma and psychological suffering for Charlie.”
Hurst had one previous conviction, for assaulting a police officer when he was arrested later on September 12, 2015.
He was also too drunk to be interviewed on the same day.
Speaking about the case RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes said it was “one of the most appalling and upsetting cases” he had dealt with.
He said: “The cat was a generally healthy pet who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and for that he paid the ultimate price.
“It was an inhumane ending for this cat and utterly barbaric. The cat would have suffered to an unimaginable extent, both physically and mentally through panic and terror.”
Sentencing: Jailed for 18 weeks. Banned from keeping animals for life.
CONVICTED (2015) | Norman Davies, born c. 1959, of 27 Grafton Road, Ellesmere Port CH65 2BD – cut a dog’s throat with a kitchen knife after she urinated inside
Davies launched a vicious attack on his dog, Misty, after taking her for a walk in a secluded area.
Chester Magistrates’ Court heard he held onto her collar and cut her throat – later claiming it was because she was urinating inside the house.
Misty, who ran away, was found the next morning and taken to a vets, where her throat was stitched up.
The RSPCA said Misty, who has a loving new home, had “an incredibly lucky escape”.
Davies pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
RSPCA inspector Lisa Lupson, who investigated the case, said: “Misty would have been absolutely terrified and it would have been excruciatingly painful for her.
“Davies cut clean through her skin but missed her main arteries. If Misty had not managed to get free when she did then she may not be here today – she had an incredibly lucky escape.
“Thankfully she has now been rehomed and is making progress in getting on with her life after suffering this horrific ordeal.”
Sentencing | jailed for 18 weeks; costs of £1,653. Banned from keeping animals for life
CONVICTED (2012) | Raymond Glyn Weedall, born 3 September 1950, of 97 Crook Lane, Winsford CW7 3DN – found guilty of charges relating to cockfighting and animal cruelty.
Weedall, a farrier*, was sentenced on May 18, 2012 for offences including mutilating cockerels and possessing sharpened metal spurs to attach to birds during fights.
The prosecution followed a joint RSPCA and police raid on Weedall’s home at 9am on June 8, 2011, when police seized more than £15,000 and found dozens of cockerels in Weedall’s care that had had their wattles cut off – a practice common in bird fights. They also seized cockfighting DVDs and metal spurs.
Weedall claimed the seized cash was accrued legitimately, and that he was only interested in exhibiting cockerels, but he was found guilty of ten offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Those were that on June 8 2011 at a property in Crook Lane, Winsford, he kept seven cockerels for use in animal fights, kept sets of metal spurs for use in animal fights, carried out a banned procedure on seven cockerels by removing their wattles, and failed to properly care for three polecat ferrets.
He was also found guilty that, on June 8 2011 at a smallholding in Dalesford Lane, Northwich, he failed to properly care for 59 cockerels, failed to provide suitable perching for18 cockerels, removed the wattles of 37 cockerels, and kept 37 cockerels for use in animal fights.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, he pleaded guilty to keeping a wild goldfinch. He was found not guilty of failing to meet the needs of a black lurcher-type dog.
The RSPCA spokesman added: “Cockfighting is a barbaric and outdated so-called sport. Birds can take up to an hour to die in a fight.
“We hope that anybody connected with cockfighting will see from this case that there are very serious repercussions.”
Sentencing | 20-week custodial sentence – suspended for two years; 150 hours of community service; six-month curfew; ordered to pay a total of £50,000. Banned from owning animals for life.
Source: Winsford Guardian (no longer available)
Update | February 2013
*Weedall was struck off by the disciplinary committee of the Farriers Registration Council after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct.
The finding was made on the grounds that Weedall had been convicted in May 2012 of various offences under the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Fire Arms Act 1968 following his prosecution by the British RSPCA.
On the direction of the committee, in the absence of an appeal, Weedall’s name was removed from the register of farriers on January 13, 2013.
This means Weedall can no longer legally carry out farriery or describe himself as a farrier, or any term which suggests he is one. For him to do so would be a criminal offence under the Act.
