CONVICTED (2024) | Kyle Vaughan, born 28 August 1997, of 100 Milltown Road, Lisburn BT28 3TZ – starved two dogs to a skeletal condition.
Vaughan, owner of vehicle valeting business K.V Carkleen, was convicted of cruelty to a Doberman-type and Husky-type dog.
The unnamed dogs were examined by a vet who found they were “suffering due to starvation”. Both had visible hip and rib bones and their spines were prominent.
The charges date back to September 2023 when a local authority animal welfare officer received a report of concern from council enforcement officers who had taken possession of the two dogs.
The dogs were taken into the care of a local animal sanctuary and nursed back to health. They have since been rehomed.
Sentencing | two-year conditional discharge; ordered to pay a total of £369 in legal costs and vet fees. Disqualified from keeping animals for five years (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2022) | drug dealer Marcus McMillan, born 13 June 1995, of Benmore Drive, Finaghy, west Belfast – kept 10 dogs with horrendous facial injuries in outdoor pens.
McMillan pleaded guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs and one charge of failing to meet the needs of five dogs under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. He was prosecuted by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
The 10 severely injured terriers were discovered in kennels during a drug raid by PSNI officers of McMillan’s farm yard in Drumlough Road between Royal Hillsborough and Anahilt.
Police immediately called animal welfare officers and a vet, but when McMillan was asked to sign over the animals to their care he refused.
The dogs were then seized over fears they may suffer further harm. When McMillan was cautioned by animal welfare officers he admitted he was the sole owner of the animals.
The court was told that one of the dogs was so severely injured she had to have her jaw surgically reconstructed while another was missing her nose.
Another had its his ripped off by force, a second had a staple lodged in his head in a suspected attempt to hold a tissue wound closed and another was missing his nose.
Many of the dogs had active infections, with one found with a hole between the inside of her mouth and the outside of her chin which appeared to be a recent wound.
The prosecution lawyer said there was no evidence of any of the dogs being given treatment or pain relief, with one of the animals found with injuries that would cause pain “with every lick and bite”.
She added that all of the dogs had since been re-homed except for two which were stolen from the sanctuary where they were being held.
Police also found a combined total of more than 100 tablets of pregablin (also known as Lyrica) and temazepam.
Just under £4,400 in cash was also seized with McMillan admitting at the scene that the drugs belonged to him.
McMillan was charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals, failing to take reasonable care of the dogs, two counts of possession of class C drugs and one count of possession of criminal property.
He pleaded guilty to all charges bar the one relating to criminal property charge, but was convicted of that as well.
The costs of treatment and care of the animals came to £5,814, according to the lawyer.
Describing the images of the dogs’ injuries as “horrendous”, Judge Watters asked if it was known what caused them.
An animal welfare officer said they were caused by hunting but couldn’t say for certain if they were caused by foxes or badgers.
McMillan’s barrister said he claims the injuries were sustained by hunting foxes and not badger baiting and said he has since expressed “genuine remorse” for what happened to the dogs.
For causing unnecessary suffering to the 10 dogs McMillan was jailed for five months, along with five months for failing to take reasonable care of the animals.
On the two charges of possession of class C drugs he was sentenced to three months in prison, with five months for possession of criminal property.
McMillan will serve the terms concurrently and will have to pay a total of £6,048 in council costs.
Sentencing | five months’ imprisonment. Lifetime ban on keeping animals. Lisburn Council was awarded full costs of £6048.
CONVICTED (2021) | Paul Green, born c. 1973, and wife Donna Green, age unknown, of Ballymacash Road, Lisburn – banned from keeping animals after six dogs they were looking after were found covered in excrement and urine.
Donna and Paul Green failed to look after six helpless dogs found in squalor
The Greens admitted a joint charge of failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of five little Shih Tzu/Lhasa Apso type dogs and one nursing Lhasa Apso dog on October 24, 2019.
The pair said they were asked to mind the dogs by a female friend while she was on holiday.
Paul Green admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs while his wife Donna admitted permitting them to be caused unnecessary suffering at a property on the Lany Road in Moira.
The court heard that when inspectors called at the property, the dogs were being kept in cages, stacked on top of each other in a barn which was “pungent” with the smell of urine.
A prosecutor described how all of the dogs’ coats were soaked in faeces and urine with a multitude of infected paws and none of them had access to water.
The lawyer said while the dogs were not overly thin, the conditions they were being kept in was not acceptable. Guilt
The couple’s lawyers revealed that while their clients accepted their guilt because they were in charge of the dogs at the time of the inspection, the pets actually belonged to a friend who had asked the pair to look after them while she went in holiday for six days.
Paul Green’s lawyer conceded his client “didn’t take enough care in washing the dogs” but said he felt “slightly aggrieved” that the owner wasn’t prosecuted as well “because the system of care was clearly her responsibility.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Donna Green’s lawyer who said the reason the owner wasn’t prosecuted “may be due to the fact that the Greens were responsible for that period of time.”
The lawyers submitted that while the councils were seeking costs awarded against the couple amounting to £3,239, they were unemployed and in receipt of universal credit.
District Judge Rosie Watters said that from looking at the photographs and statements, “it’s more than just a few days of neglect and I can’t help but wonder if it’s more than five days’ worth.”
Sentencing: two-year conditional discharge; ordered to pay costs of £1,500. Banned from keeping animals for five years.
CONVICTED (2019) | Aaron Hobby, born 9 July 1999, of Grove Park, Hillsborough BT26 6JF – failed to ensure the welfare of several reptiles in his care
A milk snake, a gecko and a bearded dragon were among the reptiles found in poor conditions when Animal Welfare Officers from Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Council visited Hobby’s property in August 2017.
The reptiles were taken into the care of council after a veterinary surgeon assessed them as being likely to suffer.
In particular, the bearded dragon – a cold-blooded reptile which originates from warmer climates and requires artificial heating to remain healthy when kept in captivity – was being warmed by a red bulb, exposing it to serious risk of injury.
A council spokesperson said: “The Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011 gives us the powers to prosecute anyone who neglects the needs of exotic as well as domestic animals.
“The substantial financial penalty imposed in this case is a positive outcome as it goes much further in sending out a clear message that those who fail to properly look after animals in their care may face more severe punishments.
“The conditions, in which these reptiles were kept, fell far short of what is acceptable.”
Sentencing | ordered to pay just under £2,100 in legal fees and care costs in addition to a £100 fine and a £15 offender’s levy. Five-year disqualification from keeping and owning animals (expires September 2019) .
#MostEvil | Marcus John Sarre, born 06/01/1994, of Avonmore Park, Lisburn BT28 1NE – crushed the skull of a 15-week-old puppy after she urinated on the kitchen floor
Puppy killer Marcus Sarre from Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Aspiring singer Sarre, who has admitted to having a problem with alcoholism, pleaded guilty to a single count of causing unnecessary suffering to the 15-week-old crossbred husky and collie, named Lilo, on April 14, 2018.
The court heard how neighbours called police when they heard screaming.
Prosecuting counsel Nicola Aurett told the court that when police arrived they saw blood on the hallway with a trail leading them to the bathroom.
“The dog was lying dead in the bath with blood all around it,” said the lawyer adding that Sarre, who had “drink taken”, admitted kicking the puppy.
She told the court that a report from a pathologist who examined the dog’s remains said the cause of her death was skull fractures.
Arrested and interviewed, Sarre said that he had let the dogs out after he had been away for a short time but his older dog, Polo, did a poo on the kitchen floor and he shouted loudly at him. This caused Lilo to urinate on the floor and he kicked her against a kitchen cupboard.
Sarre, who was upset during police interviews, told officers Lilo was bleeding from the mouth and was unresponsive so he took her to the bathroom where he tried CPR but without success.
Ms Auret submitted it was an aggravating feature that at the time of the incident, Sarre was on bail for assault.
In that case, the court heard that police were called at an address in Lisburn on January 21, 2017, and found a female sitting in a sofa, crying and bleeding from her swollen nose. The woman, the ex-partner of Sarre’s father, said the pair had been drinking when Sarre tried to kiss her but that when she pushed him away, he head butted her and then kicked her several times when she fell to the floor.
Defence counsel Damien Halloran conceded that both incidents had been “deeply unsavoury”. He added that Lilo’s tragic death was “almost instantaneous” and while Sarre tried to resuscitate the dog, it was a “futile exercise”.
The lawyer submitted it had been a “moment of madness” for Sarre to lash out but Lilo’s death had left him “completely hysterical, lying on the ground crying”, adding there was no suggestion of cruelty to his other dog Polo whom he rehomed from a rescue centre five years ago.
Mr Halleron revealed that Sarre had been abusing alcohol and drugs and had a difficulty coping with stress “if things didn’t go his way”, submitting that the judge could impose community service or leave “something hanging over his head”.
Judge Lynch disagreed however and jailed Sarre. For killing Lilo, Sarre was jailed for six months and the judge imposed four months for causing actual bodily harm, ordering the sentences to be served consecutively.
Sentencing Jailed for six months for kicking the puppy to death, followed by 18 months on supervised licence. He will serve a further four months in jail for head-butting his father’s ex-partner. Banned from keeping any animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2017) | James Steele, born c. 1969, of 15 Gobrana Road, Glenavy, Crumlin BT29 4LQ – for multiple cruelty offences to donkeys, sheep and cattle
Serial animal abuser James Steele has caused suffering to countless animals
Steele entered guilty pleas to a total of 16 charges including ten counts of causing unnecessary suffering to cows, sheep, calves and a bull on dates between 17 September 2015 and 10 January 2016.
The charges arose as a result of a series of inspections by the Dept of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) at land Steele was renting in Crumlin, Dundrod and Glenavy.
Over the course of the numerous visits, DAERA officials found:
Lame animals being kept in unsuitable slatted sheds
A cow with overgrown cleats
A calf which had to be euthanised due to an infected hoof and leg
A “distressed” sheep which was found to be suffering from “cerebrocortical necrosis,” a disease of the central nervous system, later euthanised by the vet
A young Charlois bull was weak and dehydrated. He was also suffering from pneumonia. G given the poor prognosis and “poor body condition,” he was also euthanised
At a yard on the Lisnataylor Road in Dundrod, inspectors found a cubicle house with 18 feeding spaces that was being used to feed 97 beasts, 49 cows, a bull and 47 calves. This meant it was inadequate for the number of animals to allow them to have sufficient access to food.
In addition passageways were knee deep in slurry and there was no bedding for the calves. There was also a dead calf in an area where other calves had access to.
Some of the animals found had not had feed or water for days
As a result of the inspections, DAERA officials were granted a seizure/deprivation order and seized the 153 cattle but when they were examined it was decided that 13 animals were not fit to travel and were euthanised.
In that case, also dealt with by way of suspended jail sentences, Steele was found guilty of two charges under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011 in that he had caused suffering to a number of donkeys which he kept in fields in the Dundrod area in June 2015.
The Animal Welfare Service responded finding 11 donkeys, nine of which had severely overgrown hooves making it very painful and difficult for them to walk.
After a full examination the Council’s vet stated that the condition of nine of the 11 donkeys was such that they should, in their own interest, be humanely destroyed.
Sentencing: nine-month prison sentence suspended for four years. Banned from keeping farm animals for 25 years.
CONVICTED (2011) | Henry Williamson, born 16/02/1942, of 56 Barnfield Road, Dunmurry, Belfast, County Antrim BT28 3TQ – ran a “dog factory” where animals were kept purely for profit and for repeated breeding.
In June 2011 Williamson pleaded guilty to six charges of causing unnecessary suffering to puppies and dogs in relation to his breeding operation.
Over 60 dogs were found at the premises in filthy makeshift pens with no access to natural light. Many of the animals had urine scalds on their paws and many more were suffering from skin and ear irritations. None of the dogs were being fed a proper diet. Any medical treatment had been administered by Williamson himself.
The Chief Executive of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) said this of Williamson’s horrific treatment of the dogs: “We believe that if one pup wasn’t fit to go in the shop window he disposed of it in what we would call a very, very callous manner.
“He wasn’t one bit interested in the dogs — he was only interested in what came out of their wombs. That’s all he cared about: what was pregnant and what gave birth”.
Horrifically it seemed that dead pups had been fed through a mincer, which was clogged with “blood, guts and animal fur”, and fed to Williamson’s ferrets. The half-eaten carcasses of still-born pups were removed from the ferret enclosure.
Williamson was due to be sentenced in July 2011 but we have as yet been unable to find any information on this.
