Tag Archives: Durham

Pity Me, Durham: Neil and Elaine Hamilton

March 5, 2023 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | hoarders Neil Hamilton, born c. 1965, and Elaine Patricia Hamilton, born c. 1981, of Front Street, Pity Me, Durham DH1 – neglected the six dogs in their care.

Durham couple Neil and Elaine Hamilton claimed they had a lack of money to care adequately for their six neglected dogs — Beau was skeletal with his hips, spine and ribs visible through his fur

Married couple Neil and Elaine Hamilton were convicted of neglecting their six pet dogs named Ozzy, Oscar, Megan, Beau, Lexi and Bella following an RSPCA prosecution.

When RSPCA inspector Lucy Green arrived at the pair’s home in October 2022 she found all of their dogs were in a neglected state.

In her witness statement, inspector Green said: “Lexi, a tan coloured female chihuahua type dog was lean,

“Beau, a white crossbreed type dog was very thin – his hips, spine and ribs were easily visible. He was lying on a sofa before standing up and vomiting onto the floor.

“Bella, a black and white female lurcher type, was underweight with hips, ribs and spine visible.

“Megan, a tri coloured terrier type dog, was also very thin. She was long haired but her spine, ribs and hips could easily be felt.

“Oscar, a black and white male crossbreed type dog was also underweight with his hips, ribs and spine easily visible and Ozzy a black and white male lurcher type dog was a little underweight with ribs hips and spine visible.

“While in the property Bella put her two front paws in a large empty bowl on the floor. Neil Hamilton went to fill the bowl with water and when he placed it on the floor Bella, Megan, Oscar and Ozzy all drank from the bowl immediately.

“Lexi was hiding under the table and Beau was still lying on the sofa”.

The dogs were taken to a vet for examination who confirmed Beau, Bella and Megan were in a suffering state and Lexi, Oscar and Ozzy would be caused to suffer if their circumstances did not change.

Beau was diagnosed as suffering from a gastrointestinal disease as he had diarrhoea. He was emaciated with a loss of muscle mass.

The vet gave him a body condition score of one out of nine. At 5.5kg he weighed half of what a dog of his breed would be expected to weigh.

Ozzy had suffered a leg fracture after being hit by a car, but the Hamiltons took him to a cat-only clinic and failed to seek follow-up treatment.

Bella had a fever while Megan was malnourished with overgrown nails and severe dental disease.

The RSPCA said that none of the dogs had been given adequate nutrition, fresh clean drinking water or necessary vet treatment.

The court heard in mitigation that the couple had a lack of money.

Following the sentencing hearing, Inspector Green said: “All of Mr and Mrs Hamilton’s dogs were underweight ranging from lean to, as stated by the vet, emaciation. Reasonable owners should have noticed this and taken the dogs to a vet to address the issues.

“Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment from veterinary experts when they need it.

“If people are struggling to cover the costs, there are a number of charities which provide help for veterinary care for pet owners in genuine financial difficulties.

“People can also work with their vet to spread the cost of treatment.”

Sentencing | Neil Hamilton was fined £300, and must pay £75 costs and a £120 victim surcharge. Elaine Hamilton was fined £125 and told to pay £175 costs and £48 victim surcharge. They were both banned from owning animals for 10 years (expires March 2033).

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ITV News
Sunderland Echo

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

Shotton Colliery, County Durham: Sean Nugent

June 14, 2021 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2021) | Sean Nugent, born 17 December 1986, of 3 Keir Hardie Terrace, Shotton Colliery, Durham DH6 2PS – subjected two dogs to a violent attack

By his late teens Sean Nugent, who’s originally from Stanley, County Durham, but with links to Peterlee, Ramsgate and Wellingborough, had already racked up a long list of convictions. His offences ranged from theft and driving without a licence to more serious crimes such as GBH.

In October 2006 local newspaper the Chronicle reported how Nugent, then aged 19, had turned his life around with the help of an organisation named Smart Justice and had “no intention of returning to crime”. Instead he said he planned to mentor other young people to try to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Sadly these were merely empty words and Nugent remained on the wrong side of the criminal justice system.

Prior to his conviction for violent animal cruelty in June 2021 his most serious offence took place in 2013. Now aged 26 and living in the Trafalgar Hotel in Ramsgate, Kent. Nugent led a gang of reprobates that carried out a “degrading, sadistic and vindictive” attack on a man with learning difficulties and suffering from a rare form of epilepsy.

Nugent, who had by then moved to Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, was jailed for 43 months after admitting two assaults, possessing an offensive weapon and robbery.

Now in June 2021 and back living in County Durham, Nugent found himself before the courts yet again, this time charged with inflicting blunt force trauma on two dogs.

He was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a tan and white American bulldog, named Apollo on November 3, 2019 and a black and White bulldog named Storm on January 15, 2020.

The condition of the dogs was not reported.

Sentencing: Nugent was given a community order. He was required to undergo anger management and rehabilitation. He was also made to pay £95 to fund victim services and £720 court costs. 10-year ban on owning dogs (expires June 2031).

Northern Echo

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

Burnhope, Durham: Kevin Knox

May 12, 2019 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2019) | puppy farmer Kevin Knox, born 02/12/1959, of The Grove, Burnhope, Durham DH7 0AH – sold poorly puppies without a licence.

Puppy dealer Kevin Knox of Burnhope, Durham — Kevin Knox, who was previously exposed in a BBC documentary on puppy farming, was finally jailed and has also been hit with a huge tax bill

Kevin Knox, who traded as Ivy Leaf Kennels, sold puppies which buyers complained were sick on three occasions, while not in possession of a pet shop licence.

Two of those sales were made to customers who had responded to adverts placed under the false name of Graham Thompson.

Knox has now been jailed for eight months and given a five year ban from operating a pet shop, following a prosecution by Durham County Council.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Knox was a partner in Ivy Leaf at a premises elsewhere in the village, under a pet shop licence, until March 2018.

A judge was told that the council’s animal health team investigated beyond this date and concluded that the premises was still being run as a pet shop despite a licence no longer being in place.

Evidence was found of Knox advertising on the pet shop’s website and other online sales pages using a false name.

The court heard how in June 2018, the council received a complaint of a puppy, having been purchased via the Ivy Leaf website, becoming ill on the day of purchase.

Enquiries revealed that the purchasers contacted the business and spoke to Knox.

They then attended the Ivy Leaf site where Knox’s business partner showed them a selection of puppies and sold them one.

Further enquiries revealed that the defendant bought microchips and that he took 33 puppies in to vets between June and August 2018.

Knox pleaded guilty to two charges at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court in March – operating without a pet shop licence and giving false information as to his identity.

The sentencing hearing was told how Knox’s licence had been due for renewal in December 2017 and how he had taken until the February of the following year to seek this.

However the council refused the application in April 2018. The business had considered appealing but chose not to.

At the time, it had 30 dogs on the premises and the court heard Knox panicked and did not know what to do.

He accepted he could have called the council to ask but did not. Knox chose to sell the remaining puppies without a licence and used a neighbour’s name, although receipts were given in the name of Ivy Leaf.

The judge was told Knox had since lost his business, his house and his wife. He had also, apparently, broken his ankles and was in receipt of Universal Credit.

Sentencing | four months in prison for the offence of giving false information and one month for not having a pet shop licence, with these to be served at the same time. He was given a further four months in prison for breaching a suspended sentence. Five-year ban on operating a pet shop (expires May 2024).

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Dogs, Lifers

Coxhoe, County Durham: Chris Adam

February 16, 2019 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2019) | Christopher Paul Adam, born 4 October 1992, of The Avenue, Coxhoe DH6 4AD – kept two dogs in horrific conditions and deprived them of food and water.

Animal abuser Christopher Adam from Coxhoe, County Durham

RSPCA inspectors turned up at father-of-two Chris Adam’s former home on Heathway, Seaham, in August 2018 where Lola was found in a dog crate in his backyard and Charlie was found in a brick outhouse.

Charlie and Lola were badly neglected by heartless Chris Adams from County Durham

The dogs were noticeably thirsty and starving and had nowhere comfortable to sleep.

RSPCA inspector, Rowena Proctor, said: “I was shocked to see how Lola and Charlie were living, particularly after being shown through what was an immaculately clean house.

“Lola was in a dog crate that was entirely empty aside from her, curled up in a ball. There was no bedding, food or water. Adam let her out then went to an outhouse from where he let out Charlie.

“It was immediately obvious that both dogs were very thirsty and that Lola in particular was hungry. They quickly started to drink dirty puddle water and what appeared to be rainwater that had filled a dirty kitchen bowl. Charlie toileted and Lola immediately ate it.

“Lola was obviously very, very thin and her white coat was dirty and smelly, her feet and legs were stained brown and yellow.

“Adam allowed me to look inside the outhouse which had very little natural light and was piled high with tools and other belongings leaving Charlie – who is a large dog – with very little space to move.

“There was no comfortable place for Charlie to rest. There was a piece of old carpet on the floor but, as she couldn’t escape from the tiny space she was in to toilet, it was heavily soiled with her own urine and faeces.

“The smell was overpowering. It must have been an absolutely awful place to be confined.

“There was a water bowl inside the outhouse but it was empty and dry.”

Convicted animal abuser Chris Adam now of Coxhoe, Co Durham, kept his dogs in shocking conditions and deprived them of food and water — Charlie has recovered from her ordeal at the hands of her negligent owner Chris Adam of Coxhoe, Co Durham

Both dogs were removed with the owner’s permission and taken to a vets for examination before being taken into possession by police on vet advice.

Lola weighed 6.4kg and was emaciated with her ribs, pelvis and spine all able to be seen through her coat and a vet said her size has been stunted and she will always be of small stature as a result of being starved at a young age.

Charlie weighed 25.2kg and was very underweight. The vet stated that a dog of Charlie’s size should weigh in excess of 30kg.

In mitigation, the court heard that construction worker Adam had been going through a difficult time and was of previous good character.

Sentencing | 18 weeks in jail – suspended for 12 months – and 15 rehabilitation activity days. Ordered to pay £300 costs and £115 victim surcharge. Banned for life from keeping animals.

ChronicleLive

Dogs, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Wheatley Hill, Durham: John Bainbridge and Donna Kennedy

January 28, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | John Christopher Bainbridge, born 28/12/1982, and Donna Kennedy, born 09/01/1984, of Luke Terrace, Wheatley Hill, Durham DH6 3RX – locked their dog in a dark, filthy shed to starve to death

Dog killers John Bainbridge and Donna Kennedy from Wheatley Hill, Durham, UK — John Bainbridge and Donna Kennedy are banned from keeping animals for life after RSPCA officers found the body of an emaciated dog locked in a filthy shed

Bainbridge and Kennedy, who have four children between them, were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an unnamed male lurcher by failing to provide him with an adequate supply of food and water resulting in his death. They also failed to seek veterinary care and attention for his pressure sores.

The dog’s emaciated body was found locked inside this garden shed. A concrete slab had been placed against the door to stop him escaping.

RSPCA chief inspector Mark Gent said: “RSPCA inspector Aislynn Balderstone found this poor dog, emaciated in a filthy garden shed with no food or water.

The unnamed dog was locked in a shed to starve to death by Donna Kennedy and John Bainbridge from Wheatley Hill, Durham — The saddest of sights: the starved dog was found dead inside the shed

“There was a concrete slab blocking the shed door preventing it from opening.

“Kennedy claimed not to have known the slab was there even though the front of the shed was only a few feet away from the kitchen window where she washed up daily.

A vet examined the dog who weighed just 12.1kg – his ideal weight would have been 18kg.

Chief inspector Gent said: “The physical and mental suffering this dog endured must have been enormous as he died alone in the dark.

“We hope by bringing this matter to court we have achieved some sort of justice for him.

Sentencing: 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for two years; 100 hours of unpaid work; six-month curfew order; £425 costs each. Lifetime ban on keeping all animals.

ITV News
Northern Echo

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Meadowfield, County Durham: Victoria and David Sams

May 14, 2013 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2013) | Victoria Jill Sams, born 24 June 1977, and husband David John Sams, born c. 1974, of Dorlonco Villas, Meadowfield, Durham DH7 8RZ – neglected two dogs so badly they had to be put to sleep

**Vicky and David Sams locked their two dogs in squalid pens riddled with faeces**

RSPCA inspector Nick Jones discovered Rottweiler Kizzy and collie cross Ebby living in deplorable conditions at the couple’s home in December 2012.

Both dogs were being held in an outdoor pen and kennel area, with no bedding and surrounded by faeces.

Victoria and David Sams kept their two starving pets in atrocious conditions — The two dogs were emaciated and close to death. Sadly neither dog survived.

Kevin Campbell, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said that inspectors found Kizzy in a ‘collapsed and almost rigid state’.

She had a piece of bone wedged in her mouth which prevented her from eating and caused a tetanus infection.

He said: ‘The dog was struggling to breathe; it would die without immediate vet’s attention.’

Ebby was so emaciated and riddled with arthritis she could barely stand. She later found to be suffering from an organ ailment known as Cushing’s disease.

Mr Campbell said that Ebby ‘would have been in severe pain and had muscle wastage and arthritis. She should have been on pain relief long before the vet saw her. The dog would have died within a few days.’

A veterinary examination rated both dogs’ health at level one – the worst on a nine point scale. Kizzy was immediately put down and Ebby was put down a few days later with the Sams’ consent. Afterwards, Mr Jones said it was the most distressing incident he had dealt with in recent memory.

Sentence: six-month community orders; £1060 each in vets’ fees, costs and charges. Banned from keeping any animals for life.

Northern Echo
Daily Mail

Additional Information

Until recently Vicky Sams had a popular YouTube channel under the name ‘Vicky Mouse’. Sams, who described herself as a Christian, used her channel to review products she had bought from budget retailers such as B&M. She was forced to close her account after followers discovered her animal cruelty conviction.

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

Belmont, Durham: Vincent Grant

April 27, 2011 misanthropic 1 Comment

#MostEvil | Vincent Dean Grant, born 17/12/1968, formerly of Frank Street, Durham and more recently (2019) of Longleat Walk, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 5BW – kicked a Cavalier King Charles spaniel to death while wearing heavy Timberland boots

Dog killer Vincent Grant previously of Durham, UK

Vincent Grant was left alone in his home with the dog, named Tilly, for a matter of minutes, when her owner left to give a friend a lift.

When the owner returned, she heard the sound of yelping and was met with the devastating sight of her five-year-old dog cowering and limping.

Grant claimed the pet – known for being docile and friendly – had bitten him.

Tilly was brutally killed by Vincent Grant previously of Durham, UK — Victim Tilly

Tilly died that evening, with a post-mortem examination showing she had five broken ribs and a punctured lung

Father-of-two Grant first told police he had gone to stroke her to apologise for stepping on her paw by accident, but hit out with the back of his hand or fist out when she bit him.

When he was quizzed again, the plant driver admitted he kicked Tilly two or three times while wearing his Timberland boots, having earlier claimed he had slippers on.

Grant admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by repeatedly kicking Tilly.

Evil Vincent Grant from Durham kicked a helpless Cavalier King Charles spaniel to death — Evil dog killer Vincent Grant from Durham

Tony Jackson, mitigating, said Grant had drunk four or five pints on the day of the incident.

Sentencing: 12-month community order with supervision, 200 hours of unpaid work, compensation of £1,483 and £85 court costs. Banned from keeping animals for just five years (expired April 2016).