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

Kirkham / Lancaster, Lancashire: Ashley Grundy and Steven Robinson

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CONVICTED (2022) | Ashley Grundy, born c. 1990, of Preston Street, Kirkham, Preston PR4 and Steven Paul Robinson, born c. 1982, of Devonshire Street, Lancaster LA1 4TQ – decapitated a dog and left his head on a door handle in act of revenge

Steven Robinson (left) and Ashley Grundy

Violent career criminals Ashley Grundy and Steven Robinson were in The Baron’s Rest pub in Astley Village on May 19 2018 when they got into a dispute with another customer.

Grundy, whose previous convictions include dangerous driving and possession of a knife, threatened the customers in the pub and then in the early hours of the following morning the pair drove to the victim’s address in Whittle le Woods. They stole the pet Yorkshire terrier called Bailey and drove back to the Baron’s Rest where they decapitated the dog.

The victim’s mother and her child discovered the sickening sight after the duo dumped the dog’s body at the pub and left his head on the handle of an address in Astley Village where Bailey lived.

The pair were sentenced to 19 months in prison for criminal damage and outraging public decency.

The Crown Prosecutor described the incident as an act of revenge and intimidation which was intended to cause maximum fear to the victims.

Police launched an investigation following the incident and carried out extensive enquiries to bring the sadistic pair to justice.

The carcass of Bailey was later discovered in the bushes at the side of the Barons Rest. An extensive CCTV trawl showed the defendant Robinson discarding an item into the bush using a car mat to wrap the item in which was later found to be Bailey’s decapitated body.

Sgt Paul Harrison, who led the investigation, said: “This was a lengthy investigation which involved a number of officers. Officers sat through hours of CCTV and had to go through distressing incidents to compare the DNA from Bailey’s head and carcass to the DNA of the blood found in and on the vehicle that Grundy and Robinson were using. I’d like to thank all the officers involved who worked tirelessly to bring this investigation to a conclusion. I now hope that this can give some closure to the victim who lost a beloved pet due to the barbaric act of these two individuals.”

LancsLive

Additional Information

Steven Robinson’s previous convictions include:

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

Preston, Lancashire: John Bunting

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CONVICTED (2019) | John Christian Joshua Bunting, born 24 March 1995, previously of Garstang Road North, Preston and more recently (December 2020) of Sherwood Road, Lytham St Annes FY8 4BL – caught on camera beating his pet dog.

Disco was filmed being beaten by her cruel owner John Bunting from Preston, Lancashire, UK
Abused dog Disco

Bunting pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog, known as Disco, under the Animal Welfare Act.

The RSPCA was called by police on 8 September 2018 after they had arrested Bunting, seized the dog, and taken him to a vet practice.

RSPCA inspector Alison Fletcher said: “I met Disco before I saw the footage, which is distressing to watch.

“He was brought into the room by a male vet and he was extremely frightened. He had no obvious injuries but it was impossible to touch him without causing him distress.

“When I attempted to pick him up to place him in the kennel at the rear of my van and take him to the animal centre he went into blind panic. I did eventually manage to coax him inside after around 20 minutes of sitting with him and calmly reassuring him.”

In the first of three video clips Bunting can be seen entering the rear garden of a property on Garstang Road North, Wesham and walk over a grassed area partially out of view. A dog can be heard to cry out. He then appears at the corner of the house holding Disco in his left hand, by the scruff of the neck. He strikes the dog with his right hand a number of times while carrying him into the house. Disco can be heard to cry out again a number of times.

A second clip shows shadowy figures behind the frosted glass of the rear house door. Noises consistent with a slap and a dog vocalising can be heard. The door opens, a man’s voice can be heard to shout “Get out” and Disco runs out into the garden followed by Bunting. The dog runs onto the grassy area and sits down with his back to the garden wall and facing the house. The dog remains in the garden and Bunting returns back into the house.

A third clip shows Bunting standing over Disco before picking him up by the neck. Bunting carries Disco over to a brick-built outhouse within which the dog is placed. Bunting picks up a long piece of polystyrene and repeatedly hits something inside the outhouse. It is not clear whether he is striking Disco, though this was admitted by Bunting in interview.

The court heard that Bunting handled Disco in the manner seen in the footage because Disco wouldn’t go to the toilet, and would sit on the grass and not want to come in, then when he came back into the house he would urinate and defecate there. He said that he was trying to move Disco from behind the door to mop the floor.

Disco was filmed being beaten by her cruel owner John Bunting from Preston, Lancashire, UK

Veterinary opinion was that it was likely that Disco had been subjected to shouting or violence when urinating and defecating, which caused him to become anxious when performing these bodily functions. It continued that this had led to him associating the garden with a place in which he experienced anxiety. In a similar way, when Disco urinated or defecated in the house and he was punished, there would be an association with an unpleasant experience in the house.

“This poor dog was in turmoil, caused to suffer physically and mentally,” said Inspector Fletcher.

“It has taken a great deal of love, patience and training from the wonderful staff caring for him at RSPCA Southport, Ormskirk and District Branch Animal Centre, but I saw him today and he’s like a different dog.

“I’m very happy to say that he’ll be looking for a new home soon.”

Sentencing | 18-month community order, 15 rehabilitation action requirement days, 300 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay £500 costs and £85 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for four years (expired June 2023).

Daily Mail

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

Lytham St Annes, Lancashire: Stephanie Curwen

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CONVICTED (2015) | Stephanie Kathleen Carol Curwen, born 12/01/1991, of Walter Avenue, Lytham St Annes FY8 3DR – deliberately let her dog off his lead and goaded him to chase and kill a kitten

Cat killer: Stephanie Curwen from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

In July 2014 Curwen was captured on CCTV walking her dog Duke near her home in St Annes, Lancashire, when her neighbour’s black cat emerged.

Curwen, who had Duke on a lead, released him after watching him lunge towards the Bengal cat, named Regi, and then laughed as he chased him.

After clawing Regi, down from the top of a gate, Duke carried him in his mouth until passing neighbours intervened.

Regi later died from two puncture wounds in the neck.

Mother-of-three Curwen admitted causing an animal to fight and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

The court heard how she made no attempt to rein in her dog when he began snapping at the small cat.

RSPCA prosecutor Jonathan Fail said: ‘Throughout the whole of the attack, the female made no attempt to stop it.  In effect she seemed to be encouraging the whole incident.’

Curwen was given a 24 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months 

Mr Fail said a man who saw the attack tried to intervene and save Regi after he saw him in Duke’s mouth.  The dog was shaking the kitten and, after he was forced to drop him, the cat only lived for a few minutes.

The witness said Curwen was saying “naughty dog” but her words had no real meaning.

When Curwen was questioned about the incident she said she had only had the dog a week and did not know what he was like and did not know his temperament.

She told RSPCA investigators that after the incident people had gone round to her home shouting and screaming at her.

Victim Regi

A vet carried out a post mortem on Regi and found he had died from two puncture wounds, one of which caused a pulmonary haemorrhage.

Mr Fail said: “It was a trauma which caused the kitten significant suffering and pain.”

Speaking outside court, Regi’s owner said she would rather have seen the woman go to jail after being told the attack – which lasted six minutes – was over ‘in a split second’.

‘I’m happy about the ban but she should have gone to prison for what she did,’ said Lesley-Anne Brockleburst

‘Hopefully then it might sink in what she did, and how cruel it was. She’s not sorry for her actions, she hasn’t gone out of her way to apologise to me and my family.

‘She seemed to be getting a lot of pleasure out of it so maybe it’s not the first time she’s done something like this.’

Convinced it was Curwen’s encouragement and not the animal’s disposition which led to the attack, Mrs Brockleburst said she was happy the dog had been re-homed.

‘I have never wanted the dog to be destroyed. It was quite clear that it was only doing what it was told to do.’

Sentencing:
24-week suspended jail sentence; total of £280 costs and charges. Ten-year ban on the owning of all animals (expires May 2025). 

Daily Mai