CONVICTED (2024) | prolific backyard extreme bully breeder Troy Eric Bowyer, born January 1992, of 5 Aberthaw Drive, Alway, Newport NP19 9QB* and Sam Hudacek, born c. 1999, of Albert Avenue, Maindee, Newport NP19 8FF – filmed themselves trying to artificially inseminate a pet dog.
The men were described in court as making a “crude and amateurish” attempt to inseminate a dog. A judge said when he first saw the footage he thought it showed “some sort of sexual perversion”.
The attempts of Troy Bowyer, who bred and sold cropped-eared bull-breed dogs under the name ‘One Hunna Bullys’, and Hudacek to impregnate the latter’s dog came to light after police executed a drugs search warrant and found the video on a mobile phone. The phone also showed Hudacek had been involved in dealing cocaine.
The video showed a female bull dog standing on her front legs with her back legs being held up and Bowyer moving his fingers in and out of the dog. A syringe could also be seen in the footage.
The court heard the footage was being shot by Hudacek and he could be heard laughing and giving Bowyer “encouragement” to carry on.
The court heard the footage appeared to show “some kind of artificial insemination” of the bitch.
When interviewed about the video footage Hudacek answered “no comment” to all questions asked while Bowyer accepted it was him on the footage but denied causing the dog unnecessary suffering.
Hudacek pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, while Bowyer pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Defence counsel for Hudacek said the defendant had moved to the UK from Slovakia as a 12-year-old boy and initially struggled at school in Newport as he could not speak English. When his parents later returned home, however, he decided to stay in Wales. He said “there are people who think he is capable of a lot more” and said the defendant wants to support his partner and be a better role model. He said his client’s role in the animal offence had been “peripheral”.
Counsel for Bowyer, who is no stranger to the Welsh courts, said the dog belonged to the co-defendant Hudacek and his client had been “asked to assist with the artificial insemination”.
He said Bowyer had a long-term partner of 18 years with whom he had two children with a third was on the way, although the couple did not actually live together.
Judge Simon Mills described the matters involving the dog as “frankly unpleasant”, and said when he first saw the footage he “thought there was some sort of sexual perversion going on” but in reality it was a “crude and amateurish attempt at artificial insemination” which would have caused the dog considerable discomfort.
Sentencing | Hudacek: three years in prison with one month to run concurrently for the animal welfare offence. Bowyer: 24 month community order for the animal offence with rehabilitation course; £500 fine. Neither man was banned from owning animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | Alyshia Diana Taylor, born c. 1999, of Keene Avenue, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 8DF – for the abandonment of two dogs and a puppy with only the latter surviving.
Taylor pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
Two of the counts related to “failing to provide a suitable diet for two dogs, a bull breed type named Dior and a Chow Chow type called Storm”.
The third charge related to a Chow Chow puppy called Chase in that she was responsible for “an environment that was unsuitable in diet and in the providing of adequate clean fresh drinking water”.
The court heard how the emaciated body of Dior was found in a kennel at Taylor’s then home in Cromwell Road Newport. Post-mortem examination found she had wood particles in her stomach which she had eaten in her desperation for food.
Storm was still alive but in an emaciated state. She and the puppy, who was described as thin, were found in the faeces-strewn property.
The RSPCA was alerted on January 30, 2023, after receiving a call from police regarding two dogs they had removed from the property and taken to a vet for examination and treatment. The charity was also advised that there was a dead dog at the scene.
In a written statement provided to the court RSPCA inspector Sophie Daniels said: “I established that of the two dogs removed, both of which were black Chow Chows, the adult female was in an emaciated condition and had been deemed to be in a suffering state by the vet Her male puppy was found to be thin and as such not having his needs met.”
Arriving at Taylor’s home to collect the body of the dead dog Inspector Daniels said: “There were toys and belongings cluttering the floor and there was a strong smell of dog. I walked through to a back room with lots of clutter left around.
“On the table, amongst other items, I saw an empty box of Bakers dog food and on the floor by the sofa, was an unopened sack of dry dog food.
“The kitchen was at the back of the property and was filthy with dog faeces all over the floor. The faeces was particularly concentrated by the back patio doors. There was a plastic dog bed on the floor by the back doors, which contained a dirty blanket. There were some plastic takeaway containers on the floor with a drop of water contained.”
Storm gained weight in the RSPCA’s care but was later put to sleep after she was found to have a debilitating condition
Outside in an enclosure furthest away from the house there were piles of dog faeces, a tipped over empty bucket and two silver dog bowls containing a small amount of brown/yellow dirty liquid. Dior’s body was found in a wooden open-fronted kennel in the back corner of the enclosure.
Inspector Daniels said: “The dog was laying on its left side on dirty bedding and there was an extremely strong smell of decay.
“The body was extremely thin with ribs visible. The eyes were sunken and there was dark/bloody liquid coming from the dog’s mouth and nose.”
As Inspector Daniels removed the body, large maggots – some over one centimetres in length – fell from the body.
Dior, who was nearly three years old, was examined by a vet, who said in a witness statement that her body was “emaciated with very little muscle mass remaining on her body.”
Commenting on the findings of the post mortem, the vet said: “The report showed that she had two bruises on her neck, wood throughout her guts and had died due to necrosis (or cell death) of multiple areas of her heart, the cause for the necrosis was not able to be determined.
“However the other changes of muscle mass loss, and severe loss of fat throughout the body indicates a severe energy imbalance or lack of food prior to her death.
“With her body at the lowest end of body condition score at one out of nine, this means that if she had had no food at all and just access to water, to get to the condition she was found in from a normal condition would have taken between two to three weeks of starvation, longer if she had access to food in that time.
“It is my professional opinion that Dior was allowed to suffer unnecessarily by her owner/carer from hunger due to lack of feeding over a prolonged period of time.”
Sentencing Taylor, magistrates said there was “a real prospect of rehabilitation” and suspended the custodial term.
Sadly, Storm later had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice after she was found to have a debilitating condition.
Chase was rehomed by the RSPCA.
Sentencing | 36-weeks custodial suspended for 18 months; 10 days of rehabilitation; £975 towards costs. 10-year disqualification order applicable to all animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | Roxanne Edwards, born 7 April 1997, of Clearwell Court, Bassaleg, Newport NP10 8JY – for cruelty to dogs Zeus and Zya.
Zoe Edwards with Zeus, Zya and a third unnamed dog. The fate of all three dogs is unknown.
Edwards admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a male pitbull terrier type dog called Zeus and being in charge of a dangerous dog in respect of him and causing unnecessary suffering to a female blue XL Bully known as Zya.
She also pleaded guilty to an animal welfare offence in that she failed to let them exhibit normal behaviour patterns, accommodate them in a clean environment, provide fresh clean drinking water and provide veterinary attention as required [in other words, she kept them in squalor, left them in pain and didn’t bother to give them water].
Edwards admitted committing the offences between May 19, 2023 and June 22, 2023.
The fate of the two dogs or indeed the third dog she owned has not been reported but given their breed we can probably guess what happened to them, if they even survived their time with Edwards.
Sentencing | “rehabilitation”, four-month curfew. £514 in costs. Five-year ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2024) | John Paul McDonagh (born 01/10/1990) and his wife Mary Louise McDonagh (27/05/1992); Francie Gabriel McDonagh (18/01/1989) and his wife Angela Christina McDonagh (13/10/1989); Patrick Christopher McDonagh Snr (02/02/1977) and his wife Mary Christina McDonagh Snr (13/04/1980); Edward ‘Eddie’ McDonagh (01/11/1995) and his wife Mary Christina McDonagh Jnr (08/11/1998); husband and wife Martin Joseph McDonagh (23/03/1981) and Rosaleen Marie McDonagh (21/08/1981) and their son Patrick Christopher McDonagh Jnr (06/12/2001).
These men and their wives were prosecuted following an RSPCA investigation into the illegal puppy trade2016 image of Francie McDonagh. Source: Bucks Free Press
Eleven members of the extended notorious McDonagh clan – all Irish travellers – have been convicted of animal cruelty offences and fraud after trading puppies illegally from the council-funded Ellen Ridge travellers site in Hartridge Farm Road, Newport NP18 2NH.
The six men pleaded guilty to fraud and all 11 admitted an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The case against the vile criminal family involved hundreds of puppies sold to the public under false pretences
The unscrupulous and greedy family made hundreds of thousands of pounds by conning members of the public into believing the puppies they were buying were much-loved pets when in reality they were being bred and traded like “commodities”
They falsely advertised the pups on popular Facebook pages and used dozens of fake emails, addresses, names, and staged photos showing the pups “at home” to hoodwink prospective purchasers.
The RSPCA-led operation found that most of the dogs and puppies, many of whom had health issues, had been imported from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ireland, while some had been bred in Wales. Others had been stolen
They had advertised and sold at least 40 different breeds of dogs, including Cavalier King Charles spaniels, pugs, beagles, miniature dachshunds, American pocket bully, shihpoos, French bulldogs, cavapoos, chihuahuas, labradors, rottweilers, German shepherds and whippets.
The callous and morally bankrupt family also dealt in stolen animals.
The offences were committed between January 1, 2020, and March 31,2021.
Many of the pups had been imported from countries which included Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
The scam was uncovered thanks to a vigilant vet who reported his concerns to the RSPCA. Police had also been called to the Ellen Ridge travellers site following a violent disturbance and undertook a search of the premises.
The total value of the illegal puppy operation is estimated to have netted more than £500,000 with the McDonaghs pocketing around £300,000 in undeclared income.
A judge at Swansea Crown Court said the fraud had been sophisticated and carefully planned. It involved the transportation of animals likely bred in East European puppy farms into the UK. Some puppies had been bred in Wales and kept in dirty and unsanitary conditions.
The judge told the defendants their motivation had been financial and little regard had been paid to the welfare of the animals involved.
RSPCA prosecutor Hazel Stephens told the court the investigation started after a vet became suspicious that a man had taken three litters of puppies into the surgery using the same phone number but calling himself by different names.
The vet contacted the RSPCA, who launched an investigation called Operation Earth. This involved analysis of Facebook adverts and messages, phone records, financial transactions, and details of dogs’ microchips and vets records.
The investigation led to the Newport-based McDonagh family being identified as being behind an operation involving cross-border transportation, breeding, and the sale of puppies and dogs on a large scale.
The investigation revolved around the activities of five couples:
John Paul McDonagh and Mary Louise McDonagh of Laburnum Drive Newport NP19 9AL
Francie Gabriel McDonagh and Angela Christina McDonagh of George Lansbury Drive, Newport NP19 9DS
Patrick Christopher McDonagh Snr and Mary Christina McDonagh Snr of Moorland Park, Newport NP19 4NB
Edward McDonagh and Mary Christina McDonagh Snr of Maesglas Street, Newport NP20 3BU
Martin Joseph McDonagh and Rosaleen Marie McDonagh and their son Patrick Christopher McDonagh Jnr all of 114 Maesglas Crescent, Newport NP20 3BY.
The court heard that the RSPCA applied for search warrants for a number of addresses in Newport but before they could be executed “there was an intervening event”.
On April 12, 2021, police officers responded to an emergency call at a property in Caerau Road, Newport, about “five Irish men” trying to kick their way into a property and asking for “the dogs”.
The men dispersed before officers arrived but a review of CCTV footage showed the group had been using two vehicles – a white Ford Transit van and blue Ford Focus car – and the vehicles were soon picked up by a police helicopter.
As a result of that information police officers went to the Ellen Ridge travellers’ site in Newport and two suspects who were identified from the CCTV footage were arrested.
The court heard that in the minutes between the men arriving at the site and police turning up at the gate the two males had swapped clothes and had started to shave their heads “presumably with the intention of evading detection” – those men were Eddie McDonagh and Patrick Christopher McDonagh.
Entrance to the Ellen Ridge travellers site in Newport
While at the site police saw a number of dogs and puppies that were kept in poor conditions and who did not appear in the best of health.
Some 21 dogs and puppies were removed from the premises and four of those were found to have been stolen.
The barrister said all the evidence gathered as part of Operation Earth showed the McDonaghs were advertising pups for sale on four of the main puppy selling sites – FreeAds, Pets4Homes, Preloved, and Gumtree – and the adverts were worded to make it appear that the dogs were from home-bred litters and were socialised and healthy puppies when in reality the defendants were trading puppies and dogs “like commodities with no care for their health or welfare”.
She said veterinary records acquired by the RSPCA “demonstrates the ill-health and frequent breeding of a number of dogs”.
Some of the puppies sold by the McDonaghs were found to have microchips from Poland, Hungary, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. In some cases they had been taken to vets in the UK to make them look like dogs from Britain before then being mixed with other puppies from different origins – thereby further increasing the risks to their welfare.
On one occasion two of the McDonagh couples – Martin Joseph and Rosaleen Marie along with Eddie and Mary Christina – were stopped by officers from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs at the Port of Dover with Dachshunds from the Czech Republic and Hungary in crates in their vehicles.
Martin McDonagh told an animal welfare officer that he and his wife had seen the pups while travelling on the Continent “on business”.
The passports for the puppies were in the names of Anthony Francis McDonagh and John Paul McDonagh. The prosecutor said five of the imported dogs were subsequently abandoned when it transpired they needed veterinary attention.
The court heard that as part of the investigation the RSPCA collected details of all the microchips implanted in the puppies and dogs in the case, traced the date the chips were implanted and to whom they were registered, and the details of who subsequently then sold the animals.
The results of this analysis showed the links between the movements of the puppies between the various members of the McDonagh family.
The investigation also showed that as well as many puppies having been imported some were being bred on the travellers’ site and other dogs were stolen.
The McDonaghs’ Facebook adverts were designed to dupe people into believing the puppies they sold had been bred in a loving home environment.
One read:
“This stunning little tri-coloured cavalier king Charles spaniel pup is now ready to leave for his new homes. We have one boy available he is very loving affectionate pup that likes to play and have cuddles. He has been raised in our family home with our kids and he is well socialised. Mum is our family pet and can be seen with pup”
while another was worded:
“I’ve come to the very sad sale of my beautiful beagle. He is four months old I have had him since he was eight weeks but I hate to say this but my circumstances have changed and I sadly cannot have him no more I am so upset about this as I really do love him but I can no longer give him the time that he deserves and has forced me into putting him up for sale”
The prosecutor said analysis of Facebook adverts and messages and of phone records showed the defendants had used 41 different residential addresses, 47 mobile phone numbers, and 39 email addresses during the puppy-selling scam.
It is estimated that between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, a total of £532,300 worth of dogs were advertised for sale online and the prosecutor said for the purposes of the case the value of the fraud was put at £300,000.
The court heard 20 victims of the scam had given statements to the RSPCA and between them they had paid the McDonaghs more than £30,000 for what they believed were socialised and healthy pups from a family home.
A number of those puppies subsequently required vet treatment with some being diagnosed with pneumonia, some with campylobacter, giardia; two puppies were diagnosed with parvovirus.
The prosecutor said many of the purchasers had been left with large vets bills.
Judge Geraint Walters said there was “carefully coordinated action” where the use of multiple properties, different vehicles and different vet practices had been used, along with false adverts, false documentation and various mobile numbers.
Ms Stephens said there were two sets of victims in the case: the puppies themselves and also the purchasers who suffered “considerable expense and considerable emotional upset through the illness and in some cases death of the puppy”.
She said the defendants “exploited the emotional vulnerability of potential purchasers, some of whom had small children excited about their new member of their family”.
The court heard that as part of the investigation an analysis was carried out into some of the bank accounts belonging to the defendants and “multiple deposits of large quantities of cash” were identified as well as multiple income transactions from “third parties”.
The court heard Patrick McDonagh Snr had 10 bank accounts and saw payments into his accounts totalling more than £120,000 a year while receiving a legitimate income from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and child tax credits accounts of approximately £16,500 per annum.
Francie McDonagh had a turnover in his bank account of £96,800 between December 12, 2019, and August 12, 2021, with cash deposits of in excess of £8,600 and third-party transfers of more than £76,000.
John Paul McDonagh had income from the DWP accounting for £18,310 of a total turnover of £63,122 with more than £14,000 directly referenced to “dogs”.
Martin McDonagh’s Halifax account saw cash deposits of almost £56,000 and only £64,000 of a turnover of £167,331 could be accounted for by DWP transactions.
Martin McDonagh, Francie McDonagh, Patrick McDonagh Jnr, John Paul McDonagh, Patrick McDonagh Snr, and Eddie McDonagh all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and to failing to meet the needs of puppies in the their care under Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Rosaleen McDonagh, Angela McDonagh, Mary Louise McDonagh, Mary Christina McDonagh Snr and Mary Christina McDonagh Jnr all admitted failing to meet the needs of puppies in their care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Heath Edwards, for Martin McDonagh, said the operation had been “unsophisticated” and said only a “fraction” of the dogs sold had been unwell. He said the criminality lay in misrepresenting the animals as home-bred and purchasers got “the same pet just not exactly the one they thought they were buying”. He said his client was a hardworking father-of-six and a good neighbour and he said they were his instructions that the defendant “has no available funds”.
Clare Wilks, for Patrick McDonagh Snr, said the father-of-six had been alcohol-dependent for more than 20 years and battles with his addiction on a daily basis. She said the defendant had been a scrap car dealer and said while the prosecution put the figure of the fraud at £300,000 that cash had been shared between members of the “family network”. The barrister said the defendant “led a rather solitary lifestyle” with his family, had depression and anxiety, and was “something of a closed book” in regard to opening up about the difficulties in his life.
Clare Wilks, for Eddie McDonagh, said the defendant had joined the conspiracy when it was already in existence and said his role had been limited to transporting puppies between locations including importing five puppies from the continent. She said the defendant was on medication for depression.
Andrew Taylor, for Francie McDonagh, said his client had been a roofer but when his work dried up due to Covid he became involved in the puppy conspiracy. He said the defendant was expecting his fifth child in June and was “extremely fearful” of the outcome of the case. The barrister added that “if chivalry exists it exists in his family” with the males taking responsibility and pleading to conspiracy while not guilty pleas on behalf of the females had been accepted by the prosecution.
Steve Burnell, for John Paul McDonagh, said the defendant had been involved in the buying ang selling of vehicles prior to the Covid pandemic and regrets getting involved in the puppy operation. He said the father-of-two was on anti-anxiety medication and was not currently in work.
James McKenna, for Patrick Christopher McDonagh Jnr, said his client had been aged 18 at the time of the offending and had been involved in the sale of some of the dogs. He said the client was married and had a one-year-old daughter and was keen to improve his literacy skills.
Andrew Kendall, for Mary Christine McDonagh Snr, said the defendant had no previous convictions and was the sole carer for her children.
The barrister also represented Mary McDonagh Jnr and said on her behalf she been present at Dover with her husband Eddie when dogs had been imported into the UK.
Stephen Donoghue, for Rosaleen McDonagh, said a report before the court concluded the mother-of-four presented a low risk of reoffending and it had not identified any rehabilitation needs on her part.
Rhodri Chudleigh, for Mary Louise McDonagh, said the mother-of-two was suffering with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Timothy Evans for Angela McDonagh, said the defendant was heavily pregnant with her fifth child and had dedicated her life to raising her family. He said his client had spent the last three years “agonising” over what would happen to her and her husband and said it was fair to say that she approaches the next year or so with “terror”.
Judge Geraint Walters said the background to the case was the dog population of some nine million animals in the UK and the buying and selling of around 800,000 puppies every year.
He said the McDonagh family fraud had been a sophisticated and carefully planned operation involving the transportation of animals likely bred in East European puppy farms into the UK as well as the breeding of pups in Wales, the keeping of animals in dirty and unsanitary conditions, a range of documentation, and the use of multiple emails, names, and addresses.
He told the defendants their motivation had been financial and they had paid little regard to the welfare of the animals involved. He said the puppy breeding selling had caused “unspeakable distress” to its victims.
The judge noted that in the cases of the female defendants the maximum sentence available at the time of the offending was one of six months in prison for a summary-only offence though that maximum had subsequently been increased to five years. However he said he was bound to pass sentence having regard to the law as it applied at the time and would effectively sit as a district judge to exercise the power to sentence a summary-only matter.
Following the sentencing RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Withnall, said: “We’d very much like to thank all those who helped us bring this case to court, from Gwent Police, veterinary practices, witnesses, Newport Council trading standards and The Animal and Plant Health Agency. The heart-breaking reality of puppy farming is that the welfare of the puppies comes second to making money.
“The sums of money involved are just eye-watering; and it’s another reminder of how unscrupulous this trade can be; and how dangerous poor breeding and trading practices are for dogs, pups and unsuspecting consumers. For anyone looking to buy a puppy, rather than adopt – we urge them to do their research, know the signs of an unscrupulous breeder and use tools such as the Puppy Contract to avoid becoming another victim of the puppy trade.”
Gwent Police constable Bianca Robson-Mallet, who was the officer in charge of the warrant, said the force works closely with the RSPCA in animal cruelty cases and said colleagues had been receiving “intel” for a few months prior to the warrant.
PC Robson-Mallet later rehomed one of the dogs seized during the operation.
Sentencing |
Martin Joseph McDonagh: three and a half years in prison Patrick Christopher McDonagh Snr: three and a half years in prison Francie Gabriel McDonagh: three years and two months in prison John Paul McDonagh: three years in prison Eddie McDonagh: 20 months in prison Patrick Christopher McDonagh Jnr: 18 months in prison.
They will each serve up to half those sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Rosaleen Marie McDonagh, Angela Christina McDonagh, Mary Louise McDonagh, Mary Christina McDonagh Snr, and Mary Christina McDonagh Jnr were each made the subject of a 12-month community order and were ordered to complete rehabilitation courses.
Mary Christina McDonagh Jnr was also ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work, Mary Louise McDonagh was ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work,
Rosaleen Marie McDonagh was fined £200, Angela Christina McDonagh was fined £200, and Mary Christina McDonagh Snr was fined £500.
The male defendants were banned from keeping dogs for 15 years while the female defendants only received a 10-year ban on keeping dogs.
CONVICTED (2023) | James Hamill, born 1986, of Forge Close, Caerleon, Newport NP18 3PX – left his ailing Westie to suffer with multiple painful health conditions for nearly two years.
James Hamill walked free from court with a community sentence and two-year ban despite the suffering he inflicted on a young dog
Hamill, who works as a bus driver with Newport Bus, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to the Westie, Bella, following a successful prosecution by Animal Welfare Investigations Project (AWIP).
The little dog, who was just six years old, had endured severe neglect over a period of around two years, resulting in extensive fur loss, dry eye, and ultimately, blindness. Tragically her condition had been allowed to deteriorate to the point where euthanasia was the kindest option.
Bella had endured severe neglect for just under two years. Image: AWIP
The case came to light when Bella, whom Hamill had owned since she was a puppy, was surrendered to pet sanctuary The Original Westies Rescued UK (WRUK).
In a statement to the court, one vet involved in Bella’s care said: “When I first saw Bella I was horrified at the state she was in. I rarely see a dog that is in such poor condition. My first observations were drawn to how little fur Bella had and her poor skin condition.”
At just six years old, she’d become blind due to her owner’s callous complacency. Image: AWIP
AWIP Investigator Serena James, who led the investigation, expressed her feelings on the case’s conclusion: “I am pleased with the outcome. This has been a lengthy investigation that has now resulted in a conviction.”
Jacob Lloyd, Head of Investigations at AWIP, remarked on the collaboration that brought this case to light: “We are pleased to have supported our animal rescue colleagues at WRUK. We will always work with animal rescuers to bring those who harm animals to justice.”
Sentencing | 180 hours of community service; £800 in costs and £95 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for two years (expires November 2025).
CONVICTED (2023) | Walter Rangariria Kanhukamwe, born July 2001, of Somerton Road, Newport NP19 but with links to Bloxwich in Walsall, West Midlands -for cruelty to a dog found collapsed due to heat exhaustion.
Following an RSPCA prosecution in relation to two American bulldog type dogs called Crystal and Peachey, Kanhukamwe was found guilty of animal welfare offences.
He had denied the offences but was convicted following a trial.
Kanhukamwe was found guilty of exposing Crystal “to high temperatures without providing the dog with suitable shelter or a sufficient amount of water”.
The offence was committed during a heatwave last summer on July 19, 2022.
He also failed to provide Crystal and Peachey with adequate shelter, a suitable clean dry lying area, suitable bedding, veterinary attention, fresh water, appropriate companionship and exercise.
The second offence took place between October 16, 2021 and July 19, 2022.
In a written statement presented to the court from RSPCA inspector Emma Smith, she said she was made aware of an incident where police removed Crystal from a garden after she was found ‘in a collapsed state suffering from heat exhaustion’. This incident was subsequently passed onto the RSPCA for investigation.
Crystal had been left without adequate water or shelter during hot weather and suffered near-fatal hyperthermia
A vet who saw Crystal in July 2022 told the court the dog was presented “after being seized due to being collapsed in a garden with no shade or water on what was an extremely hot day (30 degrees Celsius at the time of the incident with minimal cloud cover).”
“When she was brought in, this was after she had been left in a garden, since the evening before (arrived approximately 2pm). She had initially been actively cooled by the neighbours prior to her arrival,” she said.
“On arrival she was panting, almost in respiratory distress she was panting so much (they do this in an attempt to cool down as they cannot perspire).
“Her temperature when she came to us was 39.8, we class this as hyperthermia as it is an extreme increase of temperature but not due to an underlying disease (normal temperature should not exceed 38.5 degrees Celsius) and this was after she had been cooled down.
“From my clinical point of view, this dog was on the verge of going into heat stroke and from being this temperature could still have showed signs a few days later.
It was lucky she was found when she was as the consequences very likely would have been fatal if her temperature was not brought down to normal within the next hour/so, despite this she would have also become progressively more dehydrated.”
She added: “By not seeking veterinary attention in my professional opinion the owner of this dog failed in their duty of care to the dog with respect to the hyperthermia, verging on heat stroke and dehydration through his neglect caused the dog to suffer unnecessarily.”
The court also heard that the RSPCA had visited the home of Kanhukamwe multiple times before this incident due to concerns about two dogs being left for long periods and left in unsuitable conditions.
RSPCA inspectors issued Animal Welfare Warning notices and requested improvements were made in respect to Crystal’s and Peaches’ environment.
Crystal also had a condition known as cherry eye which RSPCA inspectors requested was seen by a vet.
During one visit, inspector Smith said: “He confirmed to me that Crystal had come to him with a cherry eye and that he was using drops on her which the previous owner had given him. He advised that he had not taken her to see a vet as he believed they would want to remove the lump and he was not prepared to have this surgery done.”
She spoke to him about the environment the dogs were living in.
“He claimed that the dogs had cardboard available to them for bedding and that there were no hazards present. He said he didn’t provide any other form of bedding as the dogs were destructive and would shred it.”
In March 2023 Kanhukamwe was jailed for 21 months after waving a hunting knife above his head in Cardiff before calmly entering a café. The court heard he had seven previous convictions, including the possession of a knife in 2018.
Sentencing | immediate 16-week custodial. Three-year ban on owning or keeping dogs (expires July 2026).
CONVICTED (2022) | James Midgley, born c. 1989, of Severn Sisters Close, Newport NP19 – kicked a dog.
Midgley was sentenced to a 12-month community order after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a dog called Winston by kicking him.
He was made the subject of a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, banned from keeping dogs for two years and ordered to pay £415 in a fine, costs and a surcharge.
CONVICTED (2022) | Christopher Peter O’Flaherty, born c. 1981, of Oliphant Circle, Malpas, Newport NP20 – neglected his pet dog so badly she went blind.
Princess was mistreated by her owner.
O’Flaherty was given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty causing unnecessary suffering to British bulldog, Princess.
He failed to treat a skin disease which severely affected the dog’s head, ears and eyes.
RSPCA deputy chief inspector Emma Smith said the dog was handed into one of their centres.
Princess was initially thought to be a stray and was immediately taken to a vet due to her poor body condition.
She was then taken into the care of Newport council and given immediate treatment.
Inspector Smith described her as being found “in a dire situation”.
She said: “At the vets a clinical examination found multiple abnormalities, most notably severe skin disease of the head, eyes and ears.
“The vets found that Princess only weighed 16.2kg (35.7lb) and she looked thin.
“She also had soft tissue swelling in her eyes, which was causing her to be functionally blind.”
Following an investigation by the RSPCA it was discovered that O’Flaherty was the owner of Princess.
Looking at vet records the animal welfare charity found she had not received any treatment for her condition.
Princess responded well in local authority care and was taken to a foster home specialising in the breed.
Inspector Smith added: “Princess was clearly neglected by her owner and should have just been given veterinary treatment as soon as he had spotted her health issues.
“Instead she was left to unnecessarily suffer.
“We are so pleased she was able to get the treatment she so desperately needed and we would like to thank the local authority for helping give Princess a second chance of happiness.”
Sentencing: jailed for six weeks, suspended for 12 months; £272 costs and charges. Two-year ban on keeping dogs (expires February 2024).
CONVICTED (2021) Cortez Marvin Belle, born 27 August 1983, of Orb Drive, Newport NP19 0RE – left his pet dog in agony with untreated ear masses, causing permanent deafness.
Failed professional footballer Belle, who now works as a part-time youth football coach, was sent to prison for eight weeks and banned from keeping all animals for life for the prolonged neglect of three-year-old French bulldog, Tinkerbell.
He pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.
Belle said he couldn’t afford to pay for Tinkerbell’s treatment despite breeding from her twice, with the dogs selling for £1,500 each.
The RSPCA said that the court heard animal rescue officer (ARO) Isobel Burston had visited Belle’s home on August 11, 2021, following concerns about his dog. She described smelling “rotting flesh” as soon as she walked into the property and seeing a tennis ball-sized growth tangling out of Tinkerbell’s left ear.
In her evidence to the court ARO Burston said: “I have seen something similar to this previously and knew that was where the bad smell was coming from. I knelt down to look closer. The growth looked wet and had debris and hair stuck to it in some areas, and open sore looking yellow patches underneath.”
Belle told the officer that he had taken Tinkerbell to see a vet about six to eight weeks previously but had been told she would need very expensive surgery which he couldn’t afford, and that his ex-partner had cancelled the pet insurance following the breakdown of their relationship.
Tinkerbell was taken to a vet by the RSPCA later that day. She was examined and found to be in a poor bodily condition, with her spine and ribs visible and a tucked appearance at the waist.
The vet who treated her said: “The growths looked polyp-like and these polyps had invaded both of her ear canals, leaving no obvious ear canal for hearing; at this point I imagine she is almost deaf.
“On the left ear, attached to the inner ear polyp there was another mass, this was attached via a stalk. The mass was approximately 20 by 20 centimetres in size, cylindrical in shape and hanging from the ear polyp.
“This mass was grossly infected and ulcerated in places and was also weighing that side of her head down, causing a head tilt.”
The vet said that the inner polyp masses would have taken at least three to six months to get to the size that they were, whilst the mass attached to the polyp on the left ear was so severe it could potentially have been growing for up to a year.
RSPCA inspector Gemma Cooper interviewed Belle on August 16. He told her there had been ongoing issues with Tinkerbell’s ears in the two and a half years he had owned her – including the times when she had given birth to two litters of puppies – and that he had been given antibiotics and steroids by a vet to treat her.
He said his insurance policy would not cover the £6,000 he had been told it would cost to operate on one of Tinkerbell’s ears.
In mitigation, the RSPCA said Belle told the court he was experiencing mental health problems and expressed his remorse and regret about what had happened, saying he did not seek to blame anyone but himself.
Newport magistrates said that the case of ‘prolonged neglect’ was so serious that it crossed the threshold for custody and sent him to prison.
After the hearing, Inspector Cooper said: “I’m very pleased that the court recognised the seriousness of Tinkerbell’s neglect. Belle had every opportunity to seek veterinary treatment or help from various animal charities across South Wales, but he didn’t.
“His inaction resulted in Tinkerbell suffering for months and she is now permanently deaf as a result.”
Tinkerbell was cared for at an RSPCA animal centre for several months. Unfortunately her health started to deteriorate, and sadly, she sent on to be put to sleep on veterinary advice.
Sentencing: eight-week prison sentence; costs and charges of £548. Lifetime ban.
#MostEvil | Vicki Holland, born c. 1983, of Wordsworth Road, Newport NP19 8HU – subjected her pet monkey to months of sadistic abuse.
Sadistic Vicki Holland terrorised monkey Milly over several months.
Mother-of-four Holland admitted three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in relation to a marmoset monkey named Milly.
The court was also told Holland failed to provide a suitable environment for Milly and did not feed her a suitable diet.
Marmosets are native to tropical areas of South America, and when kept in this country their owners must meet the animals’ “very particular set of needs”, Aled Watkins, prosecuting, said.
But he said Holland did not meet these needs – she provided no UVB lighting for the monkey, her cage was “devoid of decor needed for environmental enrichment”, and she fed her “inappropriate food” including processed ham, kebabs and burgers.
The tiny monkey was tortured by her evil owner.
Milly’s abuse came to light after Gwent Police raided Holland’s property on drugs charges. Officers seized items including the defendant’s mobile phone, and while investigating the device they found 22 “very disturbing” videos involving the marmoset.
Holland lied to police she had sold the marmoset a week earlier but Milly was found and signed over to the RSPCA. She was then transferred to specialist primate experts at Monkey World in Dorset for ongoing care.
Three of the videos found on Holland’s phone were shown to the court, including one showing the marmoset in a “very distressed state”, cowering inside a toilet bowl. Holland could be heard on the video saying “I need the toilet” and “shall I flush it?”
The toilet was then flushed, and Holland called the animal a “fucking twat”.
Another video heard Holland offering Milly some bagged cocaine, saying: “Want some coke? Lick my fingers.”
A third video showed Holland’s pet dog in close proximity to the monkey. Mr Watkins said there was other evidence of the dog chasing the marmoset, which had “free rein” of the house in a “dangerous environment” around knives and electrical outlets.
Mr Watkins said Holland had “shown total disregard to the basic care and needs” of her pet.
“This is deliberate infliction, this isn’t neglect,” he told magistrates.
In May 2021, Holland and partner Russell Cox, 43, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply after £1,600 of cocaine was found hidden inside Kinder eggs in her home.
Cox, of Cwmbran, was jailed for 30 months and Holland got a suspended 20-month term.
Team Leader of Small Monkeys, who rehabilitated the abused pet, Steph Sawyer, said: “Rehabilitating Milly has been a long process. I have never seen such a terrified marmoset.
“Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would sent her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide.
“She wouldn’t move or eat in front of us to begin with; only freeze and hide.
“Even now that she is settled and happy with a male, the sight of new people can still cause her to panic. The mental scarring from her abuse will always be with her.”
Abused marmoset Milly is recovering well in the care of Monkey World in Dorset.
Dr Alison Cronin, director of Monkey World, said: “Milly’s case was tragic and heart breaking.
“She spent her life living in fear and was subjected to abuse and cruelty that is the worst that I have seen in more than 30 years of rescuing primates.
“Milly will never fully recover from her abuse and will be psychologically damaged for the rest of her life but the key to saving Milly was companionship of her own kind.
“With Moon at her side, she has been able to relax and enjoy her life, finally.”
RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Sophie Daniels added: “I was immediately and gravely concerned about the welfare of this marmoset when I saw these disturbing videos.
“Videos from the defendant’s phone showed Holland offering the marmoset cocaine, while another showed the clearly terrified marmoset down a toilet bowl.
“Holland was shouting, swearing, laughing and at one point in the clip, the toilet is flushed, showing the petrified animal struggling to cling onto the side of the bowl.”
“An independent vet soon confirmed that the marmoset was suffering unnecessarily as a result of the way she had been treated.”
The RSPCA has said it was “totally opposed” to the keeping of any primate as a pet, because it is so hard to meet their complex needs in a domestic environment.
Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 120 hours of unpaid work; £568 in costs. Disqualified from owning any animals indefinitely, with a minimum duration of the order of five years.
