CONVICTED (2024) | Stephanie Sinclaire, born c. 1956, of Stour Hill, Brierley Hill DY5 – kept 13 sick and neglected pets inside her filthy home.
Animal hoarder Sinclaire kept eight cats and five dogs in a foul environment, surrounded by a build-up of faeces and urine. One of the dogs was in such poor condition that he had to be put down.
There was no clean water source available and no comfortable bedding for resting.
Some of the animals were found in small crates with no litter trays or heavily soiled litter trays and all had urine and faecal soiling to their coats.
The dogs were found to be suffering with a variety of health conditions including fleas, skin lesions, dental disease and eye discharge.
Four of the five dogs and all eight of the cats were underweight because of a lack of food.
The vet who examined the animals said they would have been suffering unnecessarily for weeks due to poor body condition and the associated feelings of weakness and hunger.
Two dogs, Sykes and Ozzy, had lesions on their skin due to pressure from inappropriate housing and prolonged contact with urine and faeces causing scalding to the skin.
The vet said Ozzy would have suffered unnecessarily for a number of weeks due to pain associated with severe spondylosis – a painful condition of the spine resulting from the degeneration of the intervertebral discs – affecting multiple regions of his spine.
As a result of these spinal issues he developed painful urine scald and pressure sores affecting his limbs.
In their report, the vet said: “This unnecessary suffering could have been avoided by seeking veterinary treatment, including pain relief and by providing an appropriate environment that would have prevented Ozzy from lying in his own urine and faeces.”
Sadly Ozzy had to be put to sleep by vets because of the severity of his condition.
The other animals, who have been in RSPCA care since their rescue, can now be found new homes after Sinclaire was also deprived of ownership when she was sentenced.
Sinclaire admitted four animal welfare offences following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones said: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment they need.
“Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.”
Sentencing | 26-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; 15 days of rehabilitation; £400 costs. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2024) | Steven A Jaye, born c. 1989, Gravelly Hill, Birmingham B23 but originally from Dudley – caught kicking and dragging his dog, before picking her up and dropping her on the ground.
Jaye was challenged by members of the public after mistreating the collie-type dog, known as Lelo, in a public place.
He was reported to the police and prosecuted by the RSPCA.
CCTV was obtained which showed him being cruel to the dog.
Victim Lelo is in a loving new home
Jaye admitted an animal welfare offence at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on February 28, 2024.
The court heard he felt ‘very sorry and ashamed’ of his actions.
RSPCA inspector Vicky Taylor, who investigated for the charity, said: “This was an unprovoked attack on a defenceless dog. It is completely unacceptable to treat any animal in this way and we will always look into reports of animal cruelty and, where necessary, seek justice for that animal.”
Lelo was signed over into the care of the RSPCA and has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | 100 hours of unpaid work, ten days of rehabilitation activity; £350 in costs and £114 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years, but may appeal after three years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | sadistic thug Byron Bayliss, born 14 November 2002, of Dover Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton but with links to Dudley – systematically beat and tortured a puppy over several months, ultimately resulting in the animal’s death.
Sick puppy killer Byron Bayliss from Wolverhampton, West Midlands
Bayliss tortured’ the six-month-old terrier, Shadow, to death and buried his remains in the garden.
His body was recovered by police and found to have extensive injuries.
Bayliss was prosecuted by the RSPCA and admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The abuse took place between October 2022 and February 2023.
The police and RSPCA attended an address at Merrick Road, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton to investigate.
Bayliss’s mobile phone was seized and revealed he had made Google searches including ‘is it illegal to abandon a dog uk’, ‘is it illegal to leave a dog uk’ and ‘is it illegal to kill a dog uk’.
A post-mortem found Shadow had sustained extensive blunt force trauma with tears and bleeding to multiple internal organs including the liver, right kidney, lungs, diaphragm, heart sack and left heart chamber.
His vertebral column had completely dislocated.
A vet report concluded: “Shadow sustained severe blunt force trauma most likely due to being beaten.
“There was also evidence of healing processes in several areas of the body suggesting that Shadow had been beaten in the past, before the beating that caused his death.
“There is radiographic evidence of at least one historic rib fracture which shows healing that I estimate to be at least four weeks old, possibly older. There are radiographic signs of a fractured lumbar vertebra and a suspected healed fracture to the left front leg.
“He likely died following a sustained beating with multiple blows to different parts of the body that caused multiple internal bleeds and dislocation of vertebrae in his chest spine. The force of the blunt trauma would have been very severe to have caused these injuries and would have caused severe pain and extreme distress.”
In mitigation, the court heard Bayliss was of previous good character, was ‘immature’ and had ‘untreated’ mental health issues due to ‘previous traumatic events’.
Judge Avik Mukherjee said: “Shadow was a six-month-old terrier puppy. For almost all of his life you frankly tortured him.
He ruled against suspending imprisonment and concluded Bayliss must be jailed immediately.
He said: “There is no evidence of a realistic prospect of rehabilitation at present. I’m afraid appropriate punishment for an offence of this nature can only be served by way of immediate custody.
“A deterrent sentence must be passed in cases of this sort. This offence is as serious a case of this nature as there can be.”
“It is difficult to find a different verb to describe what you did to him. I have concluded your behaviour was sadistic. That is someone who gains pleasure from inflicting pain.
“It was prolonged. You showed no remorse at the end of each attack. You repeated your behaviour over many weeks. They became more severe, more merciless.
“It’s impossible to imagine how Shadow felt over his short life. I can’t imagine a case of this nature that could be more serious.”
Sentencing | 21 month custodial. Banned from keeping animals for 20 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | rogue horse traders Charlie Virginia Hingley, born c. 1996, of 55 Stoney Lane, Netherton, Dudley DY2 0AD, and Lucia Kate Stanton, born c. 2004, of 3 King Alfreds Walk, Meanwood, Leeds LS6 4PY – allowed five emaciated horses to suffer with two having to be put down.
Lucia Stanton (left) and Charlie Hingley faced animal cruelty charges after five horses owned between the pair were found in poor bodily condition, with two having to be put to sleep by vets on humane grounds
Hingley and Stanton were sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 25 September 2023 after pleading guilty to horse cruelty charges at an earlier hearing.
Pictured are Sonny (left) and Celly (right). Both horses were owned by Charlie Hingley. Sonny later died due to the extent of his mistreatment. Photo: RSPCA .
Hingley admitted four offences of causing suffering to horses Sonny, Celly, Luna, and Bobby, between December 2022 and January 2023, while Stanton admitted causing suffering to miniature Shetland Waffles during the same period.
On 22 January 2023 witnesses contacted an equine bailiff after they saw a tractor being used to lift a collapsed horse, Celly, in a field in the vicinity of School Lane, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Bobby’s coat was dull and scruffy and his spine was protruding. He was also suffering from rain scald and a lice infestation. Photo: RSPCA
The bailiff attended and requested that Hingley contact a vet immediately. When the vet attended, a second horse, Sonny, was found collapsed and was in “such a poor state” he had to be put down on welfare grounds immediately
Celly, who was in an emaciated condition, was relinquished by Hingley to the bailiff and removed from the site.
Little Waffles, who was owned by notorious horse trader Lucia Stanton, was also found in poor condition. Photo: RSPCA
The RSPCA was later called to check on the welfare of Luna, Bobby and Waffles, and RSPCA inspector Suzi Smith attended the field on 26 January, during which she called a vet over concerns for all three horses.
“My initial concern was for piebald mare Luna, and young Shetland Waffles, because both looked to be in poor body condition visually, despite fluffy winter coats, and Luna had rain scald on her back,” said Ms Smith.
“After taking a closer look at Luna, I could see she was significantly underweight. I could see her ribs, pelvis, spine and a shelf at the top of the ribs, and when I put my hands along Waffles’ back, neck and pelvis, I could feel all these structures easily with no muscle along the sides of the spine.”
Luna
Ms Smith was also concerned about the condition of colt Bobby, who was in a second field.
“When I asked Hingley to remove Bobby’s rugs so I could have a better look at him, I saw that his spine protruded with a clear obvious shelf each side of the spine, his pelvic bones protruded and were sharp, he had a ‘thigh gap’ with little muscle left on the legs, he walked with a weak gait,” she said.
An RSPCA spokesman said the vet confirmed the horses were suffering, and Hingley signed Luna and Bobby to the RSPCA. Waffles belonged to Stanton, and as she was not present, he was taken into possession by the police and placed into the RSPCA’s care. The three were taken to an equine hospital for further examinations and treatment.
In the vet’s witness statement, Lunda, Bobby and Waffles were described as having a body condition score of one out of five, the most likely cause a high worm burden. Waffles’ and Bobby’s coats were described as “dull and scurfy with a heavy lice infestation”, and Luna was “suffering with extensive rain scald over the back and rump”.
“Sadly, despite the vet’s best efforts, Luna’s condition deteriorated and the veterinary team made the decision to put her down to prevent her suffering further,” said the RSPCA spokesman.
Charlie Hingley, who works as a care assistant and has famiyl links to Cornwall, is now banned from having anything to do with equine animals for life
Ms Smith added that the vet confirmed the pasture management of the fields was “totally inadequate with extensive faecal contamination” and that extremely high worm burdens had caused the horses’ poor body condition.
“Worm and parasite management in horses can be easily managed with an effective parasite control programme, so it’s very sad that neither owner identified that the horses were underweight, nor had a parasite control plan in place which would have prevented this needless suffering,” she said.
“I am very pleased that thankfully, Waffles and Bobby made good recoveries in RSPCA care, and Celly has made a good recovery in the care of the equine bailiff. During the winter months, I would urge horse owners to get in the routine of using their hands to check their animals’ body condition through their winter coats, as well as regularly removing rugs to monitor their weight and check for sores.”
In mitigation it was heard that Hingley showed remorse and was of good character. Stanton’s mental health was raised as an issue.
Bobby has since been rehomed through the British Horse Society’s (BHS) second chance programme, a collaborative rehoming initiative between the BHS and welfare charities to give rescued horses and ponies a “second chance at life” through a BHS-approved yard.
Sentencing | Hingley: two 12-week prison sentences to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months; 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement; £400 in costs. Banned from owning equines for life, with no appeal allowed for 10 years. Stanton: £300 fine, £400 costs, and a £120 victim surcharge. Banned from owning equines for 10 years, with no appeal for five years.
The pair’s bans include being disqualified from dealing, transporting, or arranging the transport of horses.
CONVICTED | Victoria Louise Hart, born August 1987, and Gary Hart, born July 1958, both of Six Ashes, Bridgnorth WV15 6EP, Mark Walklate, born 16 July 1972, of Bromley Lane, Kingswinford DY6, and Steven Morgan, born c. 1970, of Foxdale Drive, Brierley Hill DY5 – neglected dozens of horses and kept them in poor conditions.
L-R Gary Hart, Mark Walklate, Vicky Hart
The RSPCA attended Six Ashes horse farm in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, on January 27, 2021 after receiving a call from police about concerns for horses kept there.
Officers from the charity attended alongside local horse veterinarians, and found three horses to be in a state of suffering: an Appaloosa mare, a skewbald filly and a Palomino.
The Appaloosa mare found at Six Ashes horse farm, Bridgnorth. Sadly, she did not survive. Photo: RSPCA
Both the Palomino and Appaloosa mare were lame with the latter struggling to walk even after being given pain medication. Vets considered euthanising the mare immediately on welfare grounds but decided instead to remove her for further assessment. Unfortunately there was no improvement in her condition and she was euthanised the following day.
In a written statement provided to the court, RSPCA inspector Thea Kerrison said the Appaloosa mare was found in one of the stables.
She said: “I was in the barn when the Appaloosa mare from stable two was led out. I hadn’t realised when she was in the stable how bad she was; she could hardly walk and she seemed to stumble across the barn floor as she was led out.”
The Skewbald filly found at Six Ashes horse farm, Bridgnorth. Photo: RSPCA
The inspector also noted the conditions the horses were kept in.
“The ground on both fields was very boggy and on entering to assess the ponies it was extremely difficult to not get our wellies stuck in the mud, even when staying to the fence line,” she said.
“As with the first stable, stables two to four had wet slushy floors and no dry bedding. On the opposite side were the remaining four stables.
The Appaloosa mare was lame in more than one leg and could barely walk
“Stable five had a group of five yearlings. The stable was of average size and so was very crowded with the five horses and hardly any room for them to move around.
“The floor was covered in faeces and urine and I could not see any evidence of bedding. Stable six contained four yearlings, again with a covering of faeces and urine on the floor. Some of the horses had rugs but it was clear all four were of lean body condition.”
An independent expert vet said in his report that it was his opinion that “all three horses were suffering”.
The report said: “The suffering of all three horses could have been easily avoided by provision of veterinary assessment and treatment to them.
“It is my expert opinion that the reasonable needs of the horses were not met and that the standards of animal husbandry at the location fell woefully below the most basic of standards.
“The fundamental problem is that the horses were severely overstocked in comparison to the facilities and space available at the property and this was compounded by a lack of effort to ensure that necessary daily tasks such as feeding, mucking out and checking on the welfare of the horses for signs of injury or ill health were carried out to an appropriate level.”
Sentencing |
Steven Morgan, Gary Hart, and Victoria Hart were all sentenced on November 28, 2022.
Morgan and Victoria Hart were convicted of six offences – four of causing the unnecessary suffering of the skewbald filly, the Appaloosa mare and the Palomino, and two relating to the conditions of 36 horses kept at Six Ashes.
Gary Hart was found guilty of six offences, the first four of causing unnecessary suffering to the filly, the mare and the Palomino, and two related to the conditions of three horses in total.
Gary Hart and Steven Morgan were jailed for 26 weeks each, serving half on licence, and banned from keeping animals for life, with no recourse to appeal for 10 years.
Gary Hart was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £22,684 and Morgan must pay £1,000 towards costs, with both men also to pay a £128 victim surcharge.
Victoria Hart also received a 26-week custodial sentence which was suspended for one year, and was banned from keeping all animals for life. She was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £128.
Mark Walklate pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act in that he caused unnecessary suffering to the filly and the mare and he did not take steps to ensure their needs were met.
Mark Walklate from Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands
He admitted a litany of failings including keeping the horses in muddy, filthy conditions with “negligible” room to graze, not providing veterinary care when needed and failing to protect them from pain, suffering, injury or disease.
In March 2023 he was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to pay a surcharge of £128 and costs of £850, plus carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He is banned from keeping animals for life.
Gary Hart and Victoria Hart had their lifetime bans from keeping animals modified to only cover horses, donkeys and ponies after winning a court appeal.
An appeal hearing at Worcestershire Crown Court was told that the lifetime ban which prohibited the Harts and co-defendant Steven Morgan from keeping any animals whatsoever was “excessive”.
Danae Larham, representing the Harts, said: “In relation to the breadth of the ban for both defendants… the blanket ban on all animals is somewhat excessive and unnecessary. This case dealt with one particular type of animal, namely equines.”
She added: “It is right in the course of the inspection [in 2021] that it was noted several dogs were present. They were inspected by RSPCA. They thoroughly investigated the property. There was more than one representative there and vets were in attendance. Should there have been any issue or concern with those animals there is no doubt the RSPCA would have taken action.”
Representing Morgan, Laura Rowe told the court her client’s appeal was was for similar reasons.
She said: “The order should only apply to equines. Mr Morgan worked with animals for a number of years before the prosecution was brought.
“It is clear these dogs were looked at. Both dogs they saw were in kennels, they had bed, water and straw on the floor and area reasonably clean.”
However Miss Sara Pratt, for the prosecution, told the court that there were 30 dogs on the premises when the RSPCA visited in January 2021 and that the animals, who are now in the possession of Victoria Hart’s niece, had been bred as a “commercial venture”.
She said: “In terms of the dogs, that was also a commercial venture in the same way horses were used as a commercial money-making venture.
“I invite the court to take an inference in how the horses were kept. The defendants indicated they were experienced horsemen and horsewomen and knew how to look after horses. That resulted in a wholesale disregard to animals that were in effect a commodity for making money.”
She added: “It is not simply in this case it is a desire to keep one or two, to keep family pets, but in this case it was accepted there was dog breeding. It appears to have been a commercial enterprise as the horses were – similar amount of horses.”
She also reminded the court that both Gary and Victoria Hart had been convicted in 2018 in relation to the neglect of a horse.
Meanwhile, Morgan had been banned from keeping dogs for ten years in 2015 following a prosecution for neglect, for which he was jailed for four months.
Judge Seanin Gilmore told the court that the purpose of the ban was not “not a punitive order” but one to protect animals, but , she conceded in the original trial, no evidence was presented to suggest animals other than horses were mistreated.
She said: “It is safe to say the levels of neglect and poor management was simply staggering. In my view, the defendants were jointly responsible for numerous and highly serious failings. The horses were not given even the most basic of care but left to fester in muddy fields or crowded stables. The defendants acknowledge this and that a disqualification of horses was inevitable.
“It would a permissible for this court to draw inference that the neglect of horses may mean they may treat any animal in the same way,” she said.
But the judge added: “However, I have seen a witness statement from an RSPCA inspection of the premises in relation to dogs. There were found to be about 30 dogs in premises in various locations. And I understand the defendants engaged in a commercial breeding enterprise.
“While the inspector paints a rather chaotic scene, for the most part the dogs’ basic needs were appearing to be met.”
She added: “These two individuals are clearly more capable of looking after dogs more than horses.”
She decreed that in the case of the Harts, the order disqualifying them from keeping any animals should be reworded to “horses, donkeys and ponies” only.
However, the judge said as Morgan had previously been disqualified from keeping dogs, the order banning him from owning any animals for life would remain in place.
CONVICTED (2023) | Aaron Johnson born c. 1985, of Buckingham Grove, Kingswinford, Dudley DY6, and Emma Bayliss, born c. 1986, of Flavells Lane, Lower Dornall, Dudley DY3 – abandoned their home, leaving behind snakes, tortoises, spiders and fish.
Liars: Aaron Johnson and Emma Baylis claimed to visit the animals in their former home but RSPCA inspectors established there was at least a two-week period when no-one entered, due to unbroken seals they had placed on the doors.
Emma Bayliss and partner Aaron Johnson claimed they fled the property at Buckingham Grove, Kingswinford after receiving death threats.
The couple told RSPCA inspectors they returned to the property every other day to check on the animals, which they described as being like their “children”. But they were caught out lying when the RSPCA placed seals on their doors, which were unbroken for two weeks.
Two Royal Python snakes rescued from the property had untreated medical conditions with one of the reptiles having a mouth infection while the other was unable to shed its skin.
Pictures taken at the property where animals were left to their fate by their heartless owners show animal tanks piled on top of each other
Elle-May Macey, defending, told the court both Bayliss and Johnson had a number of mental health issues which impacted their “consequential thinking”.
She said: “They stated they returned at least two times a week.
“The reason they left was not out of choice it was a case of them receiving threats to kill them, their house to be petrol bombed, Mr Johnson’s throat to be slit and Ms Bayliss’ uterus to be shoved down it.
“They had reported it to the police and had taken necessary steps however as the police were unhelpful they felt like they were really unsafe.
“They went to stay with the defendant’s sister.
“In the time they had been attending, they were concerned about the welfare of the snakes, they were their children in some regards.
“But in those moments they had been at the home they were being threatened.
“They were doing the necessary changing of water, cleaning out the enclosures and making sure the electricity was still on.”
She added that the couple did not notice any issues with the snakes due to the “urgency” of the circumstances when they returned.
Ms Macey also told the court that wounds on the snakes were already present after the defendants had purchased them from someone online, who had found them in a bin.
Baylis and Johnson each admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation activity; £334 in fine, costs and surcharge. 10-year ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2022) | John Jason ‘JJ’ Evans, born 23 November 1976, and wife Lisa Evans, born 26 April 1977, of Hurst Lea, Pedmore Road, Brierley Hill, Dudley DY5 1TP – starved almost 30 neglected animals and left them trapped in squalid conditions on a scrap yard.
Lisa and John Evans starved their animals and kept them locked up in faeces-ridden dilapidated enclosures.
On 29 July 2021 RSPCA inspectors supported by officers from West Midlands Police raided a property occupied by gypsies JJ Evans and wife Lisa Evans where they found a large number of animals “in a state of neglect and malnourishment”.
With no food or water, the animals were abandoned and left to live in their own filth.
Two vets were at the scene and at least five RSPCA vehicles were sent to take the animals into care, with officers from the police and animal charity seen taking several dogs into the back of vans.
Hurst Lea is a residential property with the animals being kept in kennels, sheds, shipping containers, horse boxes and vans within a scrap yard to its rearSatellite image of Hurst Lea, which is home to gypsy travellers JJ and Lisa Evans and their offspring
The area was cordoned off as dogs of different breeds and sizes were taken from the yard, with many of their rib cages visible through their skin.
A total of 18 dogs, three cats, six horses and a donkey were removed after being found shut in dilapidated kennels, sheds, shipping containers, horse boxes and vans within a scrap yard behind the house the couple share with their various offspring, including adult son Blake Evans, and extended family members.
Initially it was reported that three men, aged 44, 41 and 20, had been arrested but ultimately only JJ Evans and wife Lisa Evans ended up in court.
Surrounded by hazards such as old washing machines, tyres and gas canisters, none of the animals had bedding and very few had access to water or food.
Some animals were so malnourished their ribs and hips could be seen poking through their skin. Others were so ill they were in desperate need of veterinary help.
A dead kitten, the body of a decomposing puppy and the skull of another animal were also uncovered.
The case has since been dubbed one of the worst animal welfare cases the RSPCA has dealt with.
The court heard how rescuers were forced to use head torches as they searched for animals and initially discovered six horses – including three foals curled up together in a heap on the floor.
RSPCA inspector Jack Alderson said: “This enclosure was too small for this number of animals. There was no hay or any other food available and although there was a large black trough in front of me, it contained nothing.
“The floor was completely sodden with a large build-up of faeces and the roof wasn’t large enough to cover the animals inside. This was compounded by the numerous hazards dotted around the enclosure including gates and ladders on the floor.”
Another horse was found in a pen with its ribs and hips ‘clearly visible’. There was no food or water in the pen, the floor was covered with faeces and there was a strong smell of ammonia.
Inspectors noticed the only access point to the pen had been blocked with car doors, pallets, a car engine, a large white box, and other large objects. Two kittens were also found inside a shed, along with another dead kitten with a hole in its abdomen exposing flesh and bone.
There was also a skull of another animal, the RSPCA said. Mr Alderson added: “Upon opening the door to the shed, both live kittens rushed to get out.
“Both were in very poor body condition and were calling frantically to show they were very hungry.” A horsebox inside the yard had no food or water and was covered in a build-up of faeces and contained another horse with visible ribs and hips.
The horse was also caked in faeces around his legs and feet. Two lurchers were discovered in ‘poor bodily condition’, tethered to their kennels with no food, water or bedding.
Six more dogs were found in an outdoor kennel – which had dried faeces and old bedding on the floor – without suitable access to water. The body of a decomposing puppy was also uncovered in the back of a white transit van, while a blue horse box-style container nearby had a horse with its ribs and spine visible inside it.
Three dogs were found in a garden and two puppies were uncovered in crates stacked on top of each other within the house. A collie-type dog and a long-haired terrier were also within a crate, which had no bedding, food or water. It contained children’s toys, urine and faeces. The dogs did not have space to sit down or rest comfortably.
Inspectors went on to find a shipping container split into two compartments housing a male German shepherd and female mastiff.
Both dogs were lethargic with their bones visible, while the female dog had a swollen eye which was discharging a large amount of green fluid.
Mr Alderson said: “The conditions in this enclosure were also horrendous.
“The floor consisted of animal faeces and there was no comfortable rest area. The mastiff was in a concerning state, clearly suffering from a painful eye issue, a lack of adequate nutrition, and living in filth.
“This was one of the worst animal welfare situations I have ever been faced with.”
Sentencing | John Evans was jailed for 16 weeks while Lisa Evans was handed a 12-week sentence, suspended for 12 months. She was also given a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. £500 costs and victim surcharge. Lifetime ban on keeping animals but may appeal after 10 years.
CONVICTED (2021) | breeder Richard Serl, born c. 1968, from Dudley – kept four Irish setter puppies on a canal boat in poor conditions
The red setter pups were surrounded by flies when RSPCA inspector Vicki Taylor first visited Richard Serl’s boat
Serl was banned from keeping animals for 20 years after the four underweight puppies were found in damp and unsanitary conditions on his boat.
The RSPCA investigated after concerns were raised about the welfare of dogs living on Serl’s boat on the Dudley Canal near Dunns Bridge in Bumble Hole in August 2019.
Inspector Vicki Taylor visited the boat and nobody answered but she could see four Irish setter puppies being kept in wet and dirty conditions inside, surrounded by flies.
Serl was contacted and advised to clean the area and to ensure that if any of the pups were ill they needed to see a vet.
However when Inspector Taylor returned she found the puppies clearly underweight and could easily feel their bones, ribs, spine and hips.
The dogs were taken to a vet who concluded all four were underweight as a result of their diet.
The vet report noted that all the puppy’s long bones were easily visible, as were the pelvic prominences and there was little body fat palpable.
They also found all the puppies were quieter than would be typically expected on examination.
Serl was charged with causing unnecessary suffering and failing to protect the needs of protected animals and found guilty in his absence after failing to turn up in court.
Inspector Taylor said: “Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.
“Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring appropriate diet and essential veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards our pets.
“Puppies require a specific diet for their age to allow them to grow and put on weight.
“Whilst in the hospital and under the care of the RSPCA all of the puppies gained weight and improved their body condition scores over a period of six weeks.
“A responsible owner would have increased the amount of food available to the puppies and sought veterinary advice if they were not gaining weight as expected.”
Sentencing: 18-month community order; ordered to pay £840.. Banned from keeping animals for 20 years, but can appeal after 10 years.
CONVICTED (2021) | backyard breeder and puppy farm dealer Stacey Skeet, born 15 August 1979, of Blaze Park, Wall Heath, Kingswinford, Dudley DY6 0LN – bred and sold puppies without a licence
Skeet, who also has a pet microchipping business, was charged with offences under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
The proceedings were brought by registered charity Animal Protection Services, who investigate organised animal crime. The prosecution followed intelligence-led investigations into the unlicensed sale of puppies in the West Midlands area.
In October and November 2020 alone Skeet advertised several litters for a variety of breeds including German Shepherds, Shih Tzus, Labradors, Cavapoos, Cavachons, Cocker Spaniels and French Bulldogs. Skeet claimed in court that one litter of chocolate Labradors had died and said that she had advertised cocker spaniel puppies for friends.
When undercover investigators visited Skeet’s address to view the chocolate Labrador puppies they asked to see their mother. Skeet brought an adult female chocolate Lab in from the back garden. The dog did not interact with with the puppies at all. She smelled strongly of urine and faeces and was covered in dirt.
Deceitful Skeet pleaded guilty to the charges against her and was given a three-year ban on dealing in dogs.
Sentencing: fined £720 and ordered to pay £500 towards costs. Disqualified from dealing in dogs for three years (expires May 2024).
Greyhound trainer Chris Sillars, based in the West of Scotland.
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has banned trainer Chris Sillars from racing after neglecting a dog so badly she had to be euthanised. A legal prosecution case may now follow.
A kennel inspector who discovered the emaciated black greyhound bitch, Dudleys Forever, said it was “the worst condition of a greyhound I have seen”.
The dog, who originally raced in Ireland before being exported to Scotland, weighed just over 16kg, with a body score of 1/5, and was put down by a vet a few hours later.
An inquiry by the disciplinary committee of the GBGB was held in December 2019 and found that Sillars had breached animal welfare rules.
A GBGB report said a steward at Glasgow’s Shawfield Stadium, Alex McTaggart, made a routine visit to Sillars’ kennels on 2 September 2019. Mr McTaggart reported that one kennel block had nine greyhounds and there were four greyhounds in another non-registered block previously deemed unusable.
The GBGB’s report said: “One of these dogs, Dudleys Forever, a black bitch that had last raced at Shawfield on 24 November 2018, was in such poor condition that Mr McTaggart described it as ‘the worst condition of a greyhound I have seen’.
Video evidence was presented to the committee. Mr McTaggart said that in his opinion this was a matter of animal cruelty.
“Mr McTaggart said that on the same afternoon as his visit, he had spoken by telephone to Mr Sillars who had informed him that Dudleys Forever was eating well, and had been to the vet two months previously. Mr McTaggart told Mr Sillars that the bitch needed to see a vet as a matter of urgency.
The report continued: “Mr Sillars complied and took the greyhound to Abbey Vet Group later that day. The veterinary report was given in evidence and stated that the bitch weighed 16.3 kg with a body condition score of 1/5. Further tests were not undertaken, and the bitch was euthanased.”
The committee was told that the following day McTaggart met Sillars who accepted it was not true that Dudleys Forever had been seen by a vet recently. The dog had last been seen by a vet on 2 December 2018 – 10 months earlier.
The GBGB’s disciplinary committee viewed this as “a clear case of animal abuse” and moved to ban Sillars from racing.
The GBGB report concluded: “The distressing video clip endorsed the opinion of a highly experienced stipendiary steward that this was the worst condition of a greyhound he had ever seen, and the committee concurred. The committee deplored the neglect of this greyhound and concluded that Mr Sillars had treated the greyhound with cruelty and in such a manner as to cause the greyhound unnecessary suffering.
“The deliberate decision of Mr Sillars not to seek veterinary attention was wholly unacceptable. The committee considered the offence to be a prima facie breach of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and urged the GBGB to send the details of the case to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Edinburgh.”
Campaign group Say No To Greyhound Racing In Scotland said: “The treatment of racing greyhounds in Scotland is absolutely appalling and this trainer must be prosecuted and feel the full force of the law. We would also like to see criminal prosecutions where greyhounds are doped with Class A and human prescription drugs.
“To date there have been no prosecutions in Scotland with 14 GBGB confirmed doping cases in the last two years at Shawfield track in Glasgow which includes five for cocaine. We will continue to campaign for as long as it takes to shut this disgraceful industry down in Scotland.”
A spokesperson for GBGB, said: “We have the highest expectations of welfare and care in our sport so there is no place in it for trainers like Mr Sillars. This was a clear case of animal neglect and cruelty and the independent disciplinary committee has rightly decided to remove Mr Sillars’ licence, ensuring that he is never allowed to participate in our sport again.”
Reporters from The Ferret asked to see the video evidence presented to GBGB but it declined to release it.
The Ferret reported in October 2019 that dozens of greyhounds at Shawfield had been doped. Steroids, beta-blockers and prohormones – used by bodybuilders – were among other prohibited substances found in the bloodstreams of greyhounds at the Glasgow stadium since 2009.
Five of the 28 positive tests at Shawfield – Scotland’s only licensed track – involved cocaine, which is potentially fatal for dogs and can lead to seizures, strokes and heart attacks.
As well as those incidents, a trainer based in Edinburgh who races in England had three dogs tested positive for banned substances.
The Scottish SPCA said it was notified of the case in February 2020. But because the legal timeframe for reporting animal welfare offences to the procurator fiscal is six months, the SSPCA said it only had three weeks to gather “independent evidence” and prepare a report, and was unable to do so.
Say No To Greyhound Racing in Scotland, which reported the case to Police Scotland in February 2019, told The Ferret: “This is a shocking case and Dudleys Forever has received no justice for the suffering she endured.
“We ourselves reported this case to the appropriate authorities in mid-January but the true culprits here, apart from Police Scotland for not acting quickly enough, are the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. That it took a full five months for the SSPCA to be officially informed by the GBGB is utterly appalling.
“This time delay is commonplace and smacks of delaying tactics to protect their own. Racing greyhounds are the forgotten dogs in this country and that is wholly wrong.”
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
