Tag Archives: multiple abusers

dog fighting, Dogs, Lifers, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Walworth, London: Ricardo Byfield and Lisa Harvey

May 24, 2007 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2007) | Ricardo Byfield, born c. 1980, and wife Lisa Elizabeth Harvey, born 24/02/1973, previously of Whitton Avenue West, Northolt, Ealing, but as of 2020 of St Johns House, Lytham Street, Walworth, London SE17 2PW – illegally bred pit bull terriers to use in organised dog fights.

Pictured outside court: Lisa Harvey and Ricardo Byfield, who kept a pack of scarred fighting dogs at their one-bedroom council property in Northolt, Ealing — Lisa Harvey and Ricardo Byfield kept a pack of scarred fighting dogs at their one-bedroom council property in Northolt, Ealing

Career criminal Ricardo Byfield and wife Lisa Harvey were prosecuted under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 and the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Following a tip-off by neighbours, police raided the couple’s house in August 2006 to rescue 26 dogs. Most were pit bulls but three Dogues de Bordeaux, a rottweiler and a Staffordshire bull terrier were also found.

The animals were found locked in cages around the one-bedroomed council home, which doubled as a dog-training gym.

The dogs were found covered in scars from vicious dog-fights and some were marked on documents as “Champion” or “Grand Champion” – meaning they had won several fights.

Police mugshot of dog fighter Ricardo Byfield

Puppies aged between two weeks and four months old were also rescued in the raid.

A makeshift treadmill which officers believe was used to exercise the dogs and build up their powerful shoulder muscles was also recovered.

Byfield admitted 19 counts of possession and breeding of dangerous dogs and Harvey admitted one charge of possession and breeding of dangerous dogs.

Chairman of the bench Jeffrey Bonn said it was clear both Byfield and Harvey had been actively involved in dog fighting and breeding dogs over a substantial period of time.

“We owe the public the right to be protected from the possibility of these animals escaping and causing harm, which we are in no doubt was a very real possibility,” he said.

An order to destroy 19 pit bull dogs, made by prosecutor Noel Watkins, was unopposed by their owners and upheld by the court.

Sentencing: six months in jail. Lifetime ban on owning or keeping dogs. Byfield was ordered to pay £500 and Harvey to pay £250.

BBC News
Ealing Times

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Bridgnorth, Shropshire/Teignmouth, Devon: Matthew Corfield and Alex Lister

April 7, 2007 misanthropic 28 Comments

CONVICTED (2007) | Matthew Alex Corfield, born 05/11/1988, of Garden Village, Highley, Bridgnorth, Shropshire WV16 6HN and Alex John Lister, born 22/09/1989, of Bickford Lane, Teignmouth TA14 8QT – attacked a horse with a meat cleaver, leaving her so badly injured she had to be put down.

Recent (2019) photos of horse killers Matthew Corfield (left) and Alex Lister

On Friday 13th April 2007, a 19-year-old piebald mare, known as Maggie, was attacked at Essington Hall Farm, Essington, South Staffordshire, by drunken youths Matthew Corfield and Alex Lister then of Wednesfield, Wolverhampton. A third youth – Anthony Ronald Hinsley, born 07/09/1988, of Fryer Close, Wolverhampton WV11 3JD, was also initially charged, but the case against him was later dropped.

Charges against Anthony Ronald Hinsley were dropped

The trio, who had been drinking in local woods with two other youths, went into Maggie’s field and startled her. As she fled, Corfield and Lister proceeded to chase her with the former repeatedly hurling a meat cleaver at her.

The court heard Corfield laughed as he inspected the 12-inch by five-inch blade for blood.

Maggie was found the following day lying in a pool of blood. She had suffered a five-inch-deep cut to her neck, a three-and-a-half-inch cut on her shoulder and her right leg was broken. The tendon of one of her rear legs was severed by a blow that cut to the bone. Her injuries were so severe that she had to be put to sleep on humane grounds.

Corfield, Lister and Hinsley were arrested after locals raised £1,500 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

Remorseless Matthew Corfield and accomplice Alex Lister (inset) pictured outside court in 2007

Paul Jenkins, defending Corfield, said he did not accept he was “solely or exclusively” to blame.

Jenkins said it was not a premeditated attack and that Corfield had taken the cleaver with him to chop wood to make a fire for the five friends who were camping in Black Cat Wood.

Ian Hodnett, for Lister, said he had tried but failed to film Corfield and another friend chasing the horse on his mobile phone.

He said Lister’s only other involvement was to chase Maggie around the paddock.

Corfield and Lister both admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Maggie. Corfield was given five months in a young offenders institution but was released after just eight weeks. His father, Peter Corfield, told a local newspaper that he believed his son “had definitely paid his debt to society”. He added that his son had been rehired by his employer, a building company.

Sentencing:
Corfield – five months in a young offenders institution. Ordered to do 180 hours of community work.

Lister – 12-month community order and 180 hours’ community service.

Horse and Hound
BBC News

Equine Abuse, farms / smallholdings, Food Production

Peterlee, County Durham: Maxine and Paul Askew

January 5, 2007 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2007) | Maxine Askew, born c. 1971, and husband Paul Askew, born 14 October 1976, formerly of Briardale Way, Easington, County Durham, and as at March 2019 believed to be living at Dixon Rise, Horden, Peterlee SR8 4HX – failed to seek veterinary help for their emaciated, lice-ridden pony

Maxine and Paul Askew admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the male bay pony whom the RSPCA had discovered in a distressed condition at an allotment in Hackworth Road, Blackpool.

The yearling was examined by a vet and was found to be very thin. He was covered in live lice and eggs and had sustained large areas of hair loss.

The pony weighed only 101kg, but by August 2006, after being in the care of the RSPCA, he more than doubled his body weight to 233kg.

Paul and Maxine Askew from Peterlee — The Askews were banned from keeping horses for ten years.

When interviewed, Paul Askew said he had only had the colt for four to five months and he had been in the best of health “until it got these fleas”, which he said he treated with powder.

When questioned, Maxine Askew said her husband had been treating the fleas and she described the pony as a “fussy eater”.

Sentencing: total fines and costs of £875 each. Disqualified from keeping horses for ten years (expired January 2017).

Northern Echo

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

Druids Heath, Birmingham: Christopher Lees

August 1, 2006 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2006) | Christopher Lees, born 21/01/1986, last known address Wilsford Close, Druids Heath, Birmingham B14 5PS – one of a group of four teenagers who filmed themselves repeatedly hurling a cat from a balcony

Cat killer Chris Lees pictured outside court in 2015 — Chris Lees pictured in 2015

The individual shown is Christopher Lees, one of a group of four teenagers who filmed themselves repeatedly hurling a female cat named Kharlo 60ft from a balcony. Only Lees can ever be identified for legal reasons.

Kharlo limped off but was found by her owner, student Simone Warmington, and taken to the vet. She had suffered brain damage and multiple fractures and had to be put to sleep.

Cat killer Chris Lees - social media image from 2019 — 2019 social media photo of Chris Lees

The mobile phone footage was shared with numerous parties before it was reported to police and the RSPCA. Lees is heard giving a running commentary as the callous group carry out their sadistic act of cruelty towards the defenceless ginger and white cat.

The prosecutor for the RSPCA said of the case: “The most disturbing feature is not only the sustained cruelty, but also that that was seen as entertainment – it was being done for no other reason than entertainment. These people were enjoying it and sending it around on phones.”

Miss Warmington described her heartbreak at losing her pet in such cruel circumstances: ” “I was absolutely devastated, I cried, I was distraught really. I couldn’t get my head around it. She would have been so scared, I will never forget it.

In July 2006 Lees pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and was sentenced to four months in prison. He was also banned from keeping animals for five years.

In August 2006 an unnamed 16-year-old girl was detained for four months and banned from keeping animal for ten years.

A 14-year-old girl was given a 12-month referral order for aiding and abetting the cruelty.

A fourth, 17-year-old youth was due to be sentenced in September 2006 but we’ve been unable to find details.

BBC News 14/07/2006
BBC News 01/08/2006

Update 2015

In May 2015 Lees was given a suspended prison sentence after harassing his ex-girlfriend in a revenge porn case.

Animal Torture, rabbits, Small Furries, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Chatteris / March, Cambridgeshire: Bridget Cole and Peter Grant

July 26, 2005 misanthropic 2 Comments

#MostEvil | Bridget Louise Cole (aka Bridget Farley-Smith), born 17/11/1982, previously of Debden Green, Ely, Cambridgeshire but more recently (2019) of Whitemill Road, Chatteris PE16 6PG, and Peter John Grant, born 31/03/1986, of Station Road, Manea, March PE15 0HE – tortured a rabbit to death

Social media photos of Bridget Cole and Peter Grant — Animal torturers Bridget Cole and Peter Grant

Charity worker Bridget Cole, who was also a cub scout leader, laughed as she dunked a rabbit named Lucky in a bucket of bleach and water and hit him repeatedly with a metal pole. The male lop was also burned with a cigarette lighter during a sick party.

Evil rabbit torturer Bridget Cole from Cambridgeshire. — Bridget Cole pictured in 2021

Accomplice Peter Grant, who was tried separately, finally ended the rabbit’s agony by bludgeoning him to death with a glass bottle.

Cole had denied the charge of cruelly ill-treating Lucky and claimed she had tried to save him from the actions of others, but this cut no ice with the court who also noticed her lack of remorse.

Grant in the meantime claimed he had nothing to do with putting the rabbit in bleach and said he had hit him with a bottle to “put him out of his misery”.

Sentencing:
Cole – two-month suspended prison sentence; £1,500 costs. Banned from keeping any animal for 25 years (expires 2030).

Grant – 100 hours’ community service; £300 costs. Five-year ban (expired 2010).

BBC News

dog fighting, Dogs, Lifers, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

UK-Wide Dogfighting ring: Kenneth Langan, Anthony Mullen, Jeremy Brown and Ryan Nuttall

February 26, 2001 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2001) | dogfighting ring members with a twisted obsession for animal cruelty Kenneth Charles Langan, born 12/03/1968, of 277 Valley Road, Portslade, Brighton BN41 2TH, Jeremy Peter Brown, born 11/09/1954, of 4 Tennyson Street, Chesterfield S42 5TY, John Anthony Mullen, born 07/09/1957, of 8 Tarragon Gardens, Northfield, Birmingham B31 5HU and Ryan Nuttall, born c. 1971, of 129 Garden Terrace, Newstead Village, Nottingham NG15 0BX

The men pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to animals, failing to provide veterinary care, and providing premises for dog-fighting.

Ryan Nuttall pleaded guilty to 11 charges, while Mullen, Langan and Brown denied some of the lesser charges which included being present at an illegal dog fight.

All four were caught after undercover journalists bought a pit bull terrier and tricked their way into the gang by pretending to be interested in their animal fighting

Sentencing the defendants, District Judge Peter Nuttall said: “To any right-thinking member of the public, dog-fighting, and everything which goes with it, is offensive.

“These were dogs which were used to fighting and they were bred for that.”

He added that a large amount of dog-fighting literature, equipment and cartoons depicting dog-fighting found at the defendants’ addresses showed “an unhealthy obsession” with the practice.

Langan, Nuttall and Brown were sentenced to four months in prison, while Mullen received a three-month custodial sentence.

Paul King, prosecuting, had told the court how seven pit bull-type dogs seized by the RSPCA had suffered hundreds of cuts, puncture wounds and injuries – none of which had been treated by a vet.

The dogfighting ring had conducted fights at two hidden pits at Chesterfield and Newstead in the Mansfield area of Nottinghamshire.

The outcome was hailed by the RSPCA, whose special operations unit had brought the prosecution, as a “fantastic result”.

Speaking after the case RSPCA Chief Inspector Mike Butcher said: “I think this sends a clear message to the public and to other dog-fighters that if they are caught they will go to prison.

“Dog-fighting is a bloody, cruel and brutal sport carried out by people with a perverse sense of pride in their animals.

“Three of the dogs taken in this case had deep scarring and wounds to the face and chest.

“This sentence is a fantastic result for everyone involved, and to have these men taken out of the picture really strikes a blow against animal abusers.”

But despite the victory the RSPCA are concerned that the full picture of dog-fighting in the UK – banned in 1835 – is unknown.

Mr Butcher said: “I have been working to beat these kinds of people for more than 15 years and it is getting harder and harder to catch them.”

Another spokesperson from the animal welfare organisation echoed his fears, saying the illicit nature of dog-fighting meant “most of the time it is very difficult to know where it is being carried out, and the extent of the problem is difficult to assess”.

Sentencing: custodial. All four men were banned from keeping animals for life.