CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder Jodie Leanne Blezard, born 11 September 1987, of Gladstone View, Siddal, Halifax HX3 9DH – failed to keep her dogs under control with one attacking a woman to her severe injury.
The victim had called to visit Jodie Blezard at her home in Halifax when she was “viciously attacked” by a Staffy crossbreed named Cally, causing blood to pour out of her neck.
As she was dragged to the floor she banged her head and was knocked unconscious.
Her wounds were so severe that they exposed her windpipe and required surgery.
The result was described at Bradford Crown Court as “significant cosmetic disfigurement” that left her voice impaired and her throat susceptible to infection.
Cally, who had recently had a litter of 11 pups, was removed along with Blezard’s other dogs. Callie was destroyed a month later.
Single mother-of-six Blezard pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog following the incident at her home on November 10, 2022.
The court heard that she had four dogs, three of whom were in the kitchen on the day of the incident, but that Cally was allowed into the living room.
The attack happened when the victim, who had been outside briefly, came back into the house and a baby gate became dislodged.
Mrs Recorder Taryn Turner said: “Very unfortunately, and in circumstances that will remain unclear, Cally attacked [the victim].”
Blezard had not seen the attack and, in an interview with police, said her animals were not dangerous. However she was “immediately remorseful” and apologised to the victim.
The court heard that Blezard had been spoken to in the past by various authorities about other dogs in her control, but that Cally had not been one of those animals.
Recorder Turner said: “You have a lot of children to look after, and it seems to me that if I were to impose an immediately effective custodial sentence today that would deprive them of their mother.
“You are truly apologetic and full of remorse for what befell [the victim] on that day when she popped in with a friend just for a chat.
“There is every reason to hope that something like this will never happen again because you don’t intend to keep dogs again.”
Sentencing | 16 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years plus 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Banned from keeping dogs for life.
CONVICTED (2024) | Conor Ward, born c. 1992, of Cranny Avenue, Carnlough, Ballymena BT44 0HA – abandoned five dogs and left them to starve.
In an animal cruelty case described in court as “truly harrowing”, Conor Ward admitted causing unnecessary suffering to several unnamed bull terrier-type dogs who fought with each other after he abandoned them. One dog was killed by the others, who then fed on his corpse in desperation.
In April 2020 Ward uploaded this image of one of his dogs to Facebook
Ward’s cruelty came to light in November 2020 when animal welfare officers from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council visited his home after receiving a report about dogs fighting in the back yard.
Ward shared this image of his English bull terrier to his Facebook followers in April 2020
The property was vacant. There was no food and little clothing, but there was post in Ward’s name.
When investigators looked in the rear concrete yard, they discovered the half-eaten dead dog and four other animals.
The dead dog – a Staffy – was found to have numerous puncture wounds on his neck and back. He had died as a result of “significant trauma to the upper respiratory tract” and one of his hind legs had been eaten.
One female Staffy had to be coaxed from her ramshackle living accommodation
The four living dogs – three Staffies and an English bull terrier – were all underweight and had no access to food or water or clean bedding. All of them had cuts and wounds of varying ages.
One female Staffy was found “hiding in the back of a kennel and took some coaxing and reassurance” to entice her out. When she finally emerged, there were fresh and bleeding wounds to her face and nose.
Another Staffy was observed eating the corpse of the dead dog and was found to be timid and underweight.
The third living Staffy was given a body score of just 2/9 and had bleeding puncture wounds to her face.
An English bull terrier was found in a pen by herself. Historic scars were found on both front feet, nose, head and carpus regions.
Sadly this little dog did not survive with Ward’s other dogs resorting to eating his remains
All surviving dogs were nursed back to health and went on to be rehomed.
Defence counsel Grant Powles told the court his client had asked a relative to look after the dogs as he was dealing with “sensitive” personal issues at the time. He added that as a result, Ward turned to “illicit drugs” including cocaine.
Sentencing Ward, District Judge Nigel Broderick told him it was no surprise that having been left with neither food nor water, the dogs began fighting to such an extent that one Staffordshire Bull terrier was killed and the other four, “no doubt starving of food, resorted to eating it”.
Revealing how the dog most likely died as a result of “significant trauma to the upper respiratory tract,” the judge told the court “I cannot imagine a more serious and harrowing case of animal cruelty”.
Although he imposed a six month jail sentence in order to both punish Ward and to deter others, the judge freed him on bail pending an appeal of the sentence.
Sentencing | six-month custodial sentence; total costs of £5,486.62 costs. 20-year disqualification order applicable to all animals. Ward lodged an appeal with a hearing set for 12 February 2024.
The custodial sentence imposed on Conor Ward was overturned and replaced with a combination order of two years on probation and 100 hours of community service.
Judge Gerard McNamara told Antrim County Court of Appeal that while it was a “very distressing case” involving cruelty to “defenceless animals”, he was varying the sentence because Ward’s cruelty was passive rather than active.
He was also taking account of other “personal mitigation” as well as Ward’s guilty pleas and remorse.
The 20-year ban on keeping, owning or transporting any animal was affirmed.
CONVICTED (2023) | Kevin Griffiths, born 15 November 1979, of of Frondeg Terrace, Llanelli SA14 1PZ – allowed an XL bully he kept cooped up in the bathroom to attack his partner.
Griffiths ignored advice from police to have the XL bully called Reggie put down after the dog previously bit his partner. Instead he kept him shut in the bathroom of his flat until the dog attacked the woman again to her severe injury.
Caitlyn Brazel, prosecuting, said in May 2023 Griffiths was about to take Reggie for a walk. His partner, who was afraid of the dog after the previous attack, went to the bedroom.
A destruction order was issued for XL bully Reggie
The court was told Griffiths got the dog and then asked to be let into the bedroom – banging on the door repeatedly. This “wound up” the dog who was said to be going “berserk”.
Griffiths opened the door and Reggie attacked the woman immediately, biting her face and arms. He managed to get the dog back into the bathroom and police were called. On arrival, officers found the woman crying in the car park outside the property.
The court heard the casualty was taken to hospital by her father and subsequently had to undergo plastic surgery to repair the damage to her face.
In court, Griffiths pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control which caused injury.
Sending Griffiths to prison for 20 months, the judge told him that dog owners have a duty to ensure their animals are under proper control and are safe.
He said the defendant had “been in charge of what was, effectively, a dangerous weapon” when he allowed it to attack the woman.
CONVICTED (2023) | Leon C Wilks, born c. 1981, of Dyce Close, Snape Wood, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 7GD – allowed his three dogs to attack a cocker spaniel, causing catastrophic fatal injuries.
Wilks pleaded guilty to three counts of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog.
The three dogs were off their leads in Snape Wood Nature Reserve, near Bulwell, when they saw another dog on a walk with his owner on March 3, 2023.
The two Staffordshire crossbreeds and an XL Bully set upon the smaller cocker spaniel, who had to be put to sleep after suffering “catastrophic injuries”.
Following an investigation, Wilks was identified as the owner of the dogs and all three animals were seized.
He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on September 15, 2023, where a contingent destruction order was imposed on each dog.
One of Leon Wilks’ three dogs, who now face destruction unless their owner complies with strict conditions
All three must now wear a muzzle when outside and must be kept on a lead held by someone aged over 16 when they are taken on walks.
Any of the dogs seen to be breaching the court order will be seized and put down.
PC Conor Bullivant said: “This was a deeply distressing incident that left a dog with horrible injuries and resulted in its owners having to make the difficult decision to put their beloved pet to sleep to end its suffering.
“We hope that the order issued by the court helps provide the community with some reassurance going forward and sends out a strong reminder to all dog owners of their responsibilities to ensure the safety of other people and their animals.”
Sentencing | contingent destruction order on Wilks’ three dogs; £900 in compensation and fines
CONVICTED (2023) | backyard breeder Marcus Walsh, born 25 August 1982, of Plantation Close, Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 9LN – owner/in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
Convicted drug dealer and backyard breeder of XL bullies Marcus Walsh, from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, failed to keep his dogs under control
Convicted Class A drug dealer and prolific backyard breeder Marcus Walsh was not present when Rachel Millard was attacked by two XL bullies in Barry on March 20, 2022. She was left with puncture marks to her leg and finger, after placing herself over her puppy.
Ms Millard was walking along Coronation Street, Barry, with her boxer puppy when she saw two young girls open the front door of a house. One of the girls was screaming and the two dogs ran out of the property.
The whereabouts and fate of Walsh’s XL bullies (pictured – note cropped ears on one of them), from whom he’d produced and sold at least one litter, are unconfirmed
The victim described the dogs as “excited” as they ran straight at her and her 15-week-old puppy, saying they were “fixated and focused” and thought they were “running to attack”.
In order to protect her dog she dropped to the floor and wrapped her arms around her puppy as the XL bullies tried to get at the puppy under her arms.
One of the dogs managed to get hold of the puppy but Ms Millard shouted “No” which deterred the dogs. She was screaming out for help and people looked on but did not intervene, the court heard. The victim attempted to stand up but the dogs jumped up on her and pinned her down on the floor.
Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said the attack lasted around seven minutes until she was able to get up and run from the dogs, adding whichever way she ran, the dogs ran after her.
The woman was able to seek refuge after a work colleague called her name and invited her into her house, as others tried to get the dogs back in the property they came from.
Ms Millard and her partner were taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff by Walsh’s partner where she received treatment for injuries to her leg which bled on her jeans. There were seven puncture wounds to her left leg, a few inches above the ankle, and there were superficial cuts to her right index finger.
The puppy had superficial scratches and patches of bald fur.
After the incident, Walsh’s partner contacted Ms Millard and asked how she was. The defendant messaged apologising and told her not to ring the police.
He said: “Hiya love, so sorry this has happened. My daughter feels terrible for opening the door. Please don’t ring the police, I haven’t got the dogs now to stop them from being put down, it breaks my heart and the kids’. If you need help let us know.”
Walsh later attended her property bringing flowers and apologising, saying there was concern around him being on licence and having been banned from owning dogs. He said it was “pointless” contacting the police because the dogs had been given away.
Walsh attended a voluntary interview with police and made no comment. He later pleaded guilty to being the owner/in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
The court heard Walsh has 121 previous convictions, including an identical offence in 2016 when a dog he owned named Otto injured a person trying to stop the dog from attacking his dog, resulting in puncture wounds to his hands and wrists, and a cracked rib.
This was Walsh’s second prosecution in relation to Otto. He was jailed for eight months in 2015 for affray after setting the dog on a former friend.
Despite being banned from keeping dogs until 2023, Marcus Walsh openly shared photos of his two dogs and advertised multiple litters of puppies for sale on social media
Walsh was disqualified from owning a dog for five years, and was still banned at the time of the latest offence. He was also on licence for an offence of supplying heroin in 2019, for which he was jailed for 49 months.
In mitigation, Victoria Maud said her client, a roofer, is a “hard working” man and was not present when the dogs escaped from his partner’s house. She said the animals acted “out of character” and said the incident “came out of nowhere”.
When asked by Judge Daniel Williams if Walsh would divulge the location of the dogs, Ms Maud said the defendant believes one of the dogs is being put down and the other dog is living with a friend in “the Valleys” and would be willing to find out the address. The judge said: “He’s had ample time to do that.”
Sentencing, Judge Williams said: “You claimed you were forced to look after the dogs after you were bullied into paying off a debt. The dogs produced a litter and puppies were sold.”
He said aggravating features included the defendant’s previous convictions, the fact there were two dogs, he was on licence and moved the dogs out of reach of the authorities to avoid them being destroyed.
Sentencing |18 months’ imprisonment. Disqualified from having the custody of a dog for 10 years (expires October 2033).
CONVICTED (2023) | Emily Mace, born c. 2000, of Little Barton, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot TQ12 3QS – trained a dog to become aggressive leading to savage attacks on other dogs.
Emily Mace’s large Mastiff-type Conan attacked other dogs – one fatally – and also bit a woman after her extreme training methods led to him becoming aggressive.
The first incident happened in August 2021 when Janet Collins was walking her miniature schnauzer Lola in Long Barton playing fields. Mace was throwing a ball for Conan, an Alsatian/Mastiff cross and a third dog called Honcho.
As Miss Collins walked by, Conan bit Lola on the rear. She picked her dog up to keep her safe but Conan continued to jump up and bit the woman on the arm, puncturing the skin and causing significant bruising. She also suffered injuries to her hand.
Mace left the scene without showing much interest – telling Miss Collins to stand still during the incident – and was arrested later by police.
She told them her dogs made her feel safe.
The victim said in a statement she had never been so terrified in her life by the incident and could not believe Mace’s cold and uncaring attitude at the scene. She said it was clear her dog was dangerous and could cause serious damage.
A few months later, Mace agreed to re-home a greyhound named Blake but when she put the animal in with Conan and her other dog they went into ‘prey mode’ and fatally injured him.
Conan was under a dog behaviour order and required to be tethered in the garden. But Mace had placed a ‘totally inadequate’ loose collar around the animal.
She ignored a warning that Blake was unhappy in the larger dog’s presence and put them together, along with another pet, a Staffordshire-type dog named Luna.
“Luna and Conan began to savage Blake,” said RSPCA prosecutor Ms Susan Cavander. The attack was captured on video by a neighbour.
The two dogs went into ‘prey mode’, holding the greyhound down, locking their jaws and ripping at his throat, said the prosecutor.
Mace pulled the bleeding greyhound away and put him in a shed while she called vets.
The prosecutor said she seemed more intent in clearing up the mess than paying attention to the dog that was bleeding profusely and losing consciousness.
Blake lost a litre of blood and had to be put down by vets.
Mace posted videos on Facebook of her aggressive training techniques.
The court heard that she demonstrated a ‘total lack of understanding of the risk’ her pets posed or how to train them properly.
Mace pleaded guilty to having a dog dangerously out of control that caused injury.
She was convicted after trial of a separate offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a greyhound by failing to prevent him being attacked by other dogs.
Mace, who is pregnant, has since left her address and job as a result of online abuse. She was described in references as an animal lover and a kind person who is keen to work with probation. A pre-sentence report said she had shown superficial remorse.
Judge Anna Richardson said Mace had trained her dogs to be aggressive and could and should have intervened at the scene of the first ‘utterly terrifying’ incident.
An application for the destruction of Conan was to be considered at a later date but the outcome isn’t known.
Sentencing | 22-month custodial suspended for two years; 20 days of rehabilitation activity. £500 compensation. .Banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Sean Michael Bell, born c. 1985, of Banbury Road, Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 – used his pet Staffy as a weapon against police officers, leading to the dog’s destruction.
Violent thug Sean Bell commanded his pet dog to attack two police officers during arrest, leading to a spell in prison for him and the dog losing his life.
In January 2022 officers from Northumbria Police attended an address in Blyth, Northumberland, in response to reports of domestic violence. On arrival they found Sean Bell drunk and sitting in his car outside the property where his then partner lived.
When officers attempted to detain Bell, he ordered his 10-year-old Staffy, Buster, who was sitting in the back seat, to “get them”. It was then that the dog attacked the officers. Bell encouraged the dog to keep attacking the officers while they tried to place handcuffs on him.
The female officer sustained bite wounds to her thigh and leg, with the male officer sustaining wounds to his thigh and calf.
Bell also attacked both officers and dished out verbal abuse before he was finally arrested.
In custody, Bell then spat at an officer, while screaming abuse from a custody suite.
Bell’s lawyer told the court that Buster is “not dangerous unless in the hands of someone not fit and proper”. She said members of Bell’s family could look after and insure the dog as well as muzzle him on walks. However, Recorder Mark Giuliani rejected this on the basis of Bell’s “chaotic” family background and instead ordered that Buster be destroyed.
A jury found Bell, who has previous convictions for criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, guilty of two counts of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.
He was also found guilty of two counts of an assault with intent to avoid apprehension and one count of common assault.
He was sentenced to eight years and six months and banned from keeping pets for 18 years.
After sentencing on 4 April 2023, Ch Supt Sam Renninson said Bell’s actions were “completely unacceptable”. He added: “As a force filled with animal lovers, it is also distressing to see a dog used in such a way to attack our officers.
“It is important that anyone responsible for such behaviour is brought to justice, and I hope this case sends a clear message that this conduct will not be tolerated.”
Sentencing | eight years and six months in jail. Banned from keeping pets for 18 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Jade O’Brien, born c. 1987, of Ack Lane, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport – left an XL bully in agony with untreated wounds to her ears.
Jade O’Brien told an RSPCA inspector she likes the crop-eared look on dogs
Jade O’Brien’s six-month-old XL bully-type breed called Babyface had stitch wounds that became infected after undergoing an ear cropping procedure, which is illegal in the UK.
O’Brien said the procedure had been carried out abroad but admitted she did not take the dog to a vet for treatment.
O’Brien’s puppy was left with untreated infected stitch wounds from ear cropping
The RSPCA first became involved when Inspector Beth Fazakerley went to a vets in Accrington, Lancashire, on September 1, 2021 to examine two dogs who had been seized by police as part of an investigation under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
One of them was Babyface who had ‘prominent scars’ from stitches after recently having her ears cropped. A staff member confirmed that when the dog arrived at the kennels two weeks before, she was suffering with open wounds to both ears.
In a witness statement Inspector Fazakerley said: “You could clearly see multiple horizontal scars and I was told that when she was seized she still had sutures that were cutting into her skin due to how inflamed and infected her ears were.”
O’Brien later told Inspector Fazakerley that the dog had been imported from the US and that she was bought with her ears already cropped.
“She informed me that she bought Babyface from America as she buys her dogs from there and she said she likes the cropped-eared look,” the inspector said. “She said she’d only had Babyface a few days and she’d bought her with her ears already cropped.”
“I asked if the dog had seen a vet and she said she didn’t want to take her as she knew she would get in trouble. But she’d asked her gardener, who breeds dogs, for help and he provided her with some antibiotics.”
O’Brien said she had administered one dose of antibiotics before the dog was seized from her home along with another female bully breed.
After being seized, Babyface was taken to a vet to have her stitches removed and she was treated with painkillers and antibiotics.
An expert vet said the wounds on each of the dog’s ear pinnas appeared to be less than a week old and were ‘severely infected’ with a ‘pus-like discharge.’
They concluded that Babyface would have been in pain for at least five days as she had not received any pain-killing medication.
O’Brien pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog.
Another defendant has pleaded guilty to an animal welfare offence and will be sentenced at a later date, the RSPCA said.
History of violence: O’Brien is pictured during a court appearance in 2013 where she faced charges of assault
O’Brien, who has a 2013 conviction for assaulting a lollipop lady, claimed in mitigation she had ‘been influenced’ and ‘has health issues’.
Babyface was taken into the care of the RSPCA’s Southport, Ormskirk and District Branch who will now find her a new home.
Speaking after the case, inspector Fazakerley said: “Ear cropping is all about image and owners who do this to their dogs or take on ownership when this procedure has already been done don’t seem to realise the repercussions for the animals in terms of how it affects their behaviour or the dreadful pain they go through.”
Sentencing | 18 month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days; £495 in costs and victim surcharge. Deprivation orders on Babyface and the other bully breed dog. Three-year ban on keeping any canines (expires March 2026).
O’Brien has now been sentenced to four months in prison after an XL Bully she was in charge of mauled a dog owner and killed another dog in two horrifying attacks just two weeks apart.
Narla will be destroyed after her owner allowed her to be dangerously out of control, resulting in her killing another dog and biting a woman in two separate incidents
Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how a woman was walking her one-year-old spaniel with her two children in July 2021 when she spotted a large grey dog running down O’Brien’s driveway. O’Brien was looking after Narla for her ex-partner when the attacks took place.
The woman worried by the XL Bully grabbed her spaniel but then the dog attacked her instead. She was forced back into a hedge and was bitten with serious injuries to her arms and legs while she was left with marks that were visible six months afterwards.
In a second attack just two weeks later, the XL Bully went for a small white dog that was being walked near O’Brien’s home. The teenage girl who was walking the animal ran away as she thought Narla was going to attack her but instead she went for her dog.
Sadly the white dog had to be put down by a vet after being badly bitten and having flesh ripped from her hind legs.
O’Brien pleaded guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and one charge of using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour.
Jonathan Condor, defending, told Manchester Magistrates’ Court that the XL Bully belonged to her former partner who was on remand in prison for allegedly assaulting her.
He claimed that the defendant was the victim of domestic abuse and had suffered a stroke but still accepted her responsibility for the attacks.
Mr Condor said that O’Brien was a “dog lover” and was upset by the attack on the teenager’s pet. She was also said to be “strongly opposed” to Narla being put down. He argued that O’Brien needed to “settle down and get a clean start”.
District judge Thomas Mitchell said he took O’Brien’s circumstances into consideration and that they had “to some extent been imposed upon” her by the ex-partner and that she was not the best person to be looking after the dog. But he jailed O’Brien for four months saying it was a serious case that required immediate custody.
O’Brien was also banned from owning a dog for five years, given a £154 victim surcharge and a destruction order was also made for the XL Bully Narla.
CONVICTED (2022) | Wayne Donnelly, born 31 December 1978, owner of the Bay Horse Inn, 11 Coldwell Street, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9HH – went on holiday leaving behind a dog with horrific facial injuries.
Pub owner Wayne Donnelly is banned from owning dogs for just seven years after callously leaving his loyal pet to suffer
Donnelly’s eight-year-old Akita, known as Boost, had puncture wounds on his neck and skin peeling from his face after being viciously attacked by another of his dogs.
Boost’s injuries were so severe that he couldn’t be saved
The court heard that Donnelly took Boost to an out-of-hours vet but left before the dog could be examined. He then went on holiday the next day leaving Boost in severe pain and discomfort
A concerned member of the public tipped off the RSPCA and Boost was rushed to a vet. Very sadly his injuries were so severe that he was euthanised on humane grounds.
RSPCA inspector Rachel Hurst described the stricken dog’s condition. She said: “The skin underneath the fur was severely infected and there were numerous puncture wounds around Boost’s neck, face and around his eyes,
“There was severe bruising to the inside of his upper lips on both sides and marked swelling of his muzzle. His eyelids were so swollen it was not possible to fully assess his eyes. There was infection in both ears with pus visible, and large areas of hair and skin were peeled away and sloughed from his face.”
Boost before he was attacked and abandoned. Source: Facebook
Inspector Hurst said that Donnelly’s refusal to get treatment for Boost led to severe pain, skin necrosis, and “ultimately the need to euthanise Boost.”
Pub landlord Donnelly admitted failing to provide veterinary treatment for injuries sustained by his dog
Sentencing | six-month jail term, suspended for a year; 200 hours of unpaid work; a total of £874 costs and surcharge. Banned from owning dogs for seven years (expires November 2029).
