CONVICTED (2024) | Mitchell Stuart Wright, born September 1990, of 20 Cartwright Road, Sutton Coldfield B75 5LF – kept birds of prey in appalling conditions.
Wright had 23 protected species of birds inside aviaries in Whitehill Road, Ellistown, Coalville, when officers arrived in September 2023.
Police said he was keeping the birds in poor conditions and did not have the right paperwork.
Leicestershire Police said Wright failed to hold the correct paperwork for the birds with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.
He pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, of failing to prevent the causing of unnecessary suffering of an animal, failing to ensure animal welfare and possessing unregistered birds.
Leicestershire and Rutland Rural Policing Team said: “We are really pleased with this result at court and are grateful to all those who helped us with caring for the birds, advising us and giving their expert opinions and statements. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
His birds are now being cared for by local falconers.
Sentencing | 12-month community order, which includes 15 days of rehabilitation requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work; fined £85 towards Crown Prosecution costs and a £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping any animals for five years (expires April 2029).
CONVICTED (2022) | Russell Whitehead, born c. 1988, of the Black Horse Inn, 2 Top Street, Appleby Magna, Swadlincote DE12 7AH – left a horse to starve until she became “skin and bones”.
Russell Whitehead (right) with husband Dale Whitehead
The horse called Paris was neglected by Russell Whitehead, who runs the Black Horse Inn with husband Dale Whitehead, for at least the last four months of her life. Whitehead said the pressures of running his business had got on top of him and long-term staff sickness meant he had less and less time to care for the horse.
Whitehead pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and failing to protect the animal from harm.
The RSPCA was alerted to Paris’s plight after photographs of her poor condition were posted on social media.
Inspector Harlock attended the location on February 19, 2022, and was met by the police. A number of the members of the public were also at the location.
Whitehead approached the officer and explained he was responsible for the horse. He said he had been ‘gifted’ the thoroughbred mare.
He had informed the owner of Paris – who then also attended the location to remove the horse from his care. The owner transported the horse to an equine clinic where vets examined her and provide the necessary care.
Inspector Harlock later said: “I went over to Paris and even with her rug on I could see her hip bones and that she had no muscle on her neck. With help from the police officers we moved her away from the other two ponies and removed her rug. I could see she was extremely underweight, she had no muscle on her body, all her ribs and hip bones were visible.”
A report by an expert vet who examined Paris concluded that: “There was no evidence that the horse was emaciated due to any other cause than inadequate consumption of nutrition. The chronic lack of nutrition led to catabolism of body fat and muscle.
“The neglect of preventative routine health care was evident in all aspects; foot trimming, dental care and basic grooming. The time period of suffering to get into this condition would be at least four months, more likely six months or more. The teeth appeared not to have been rasped for at least 12 months.”
Tragically although Paris had started to show signs of improvement she had to be put to sleep after she developed colic a few days later.
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 300 hours unpaid work; £295 in costs and charges. Banned from keeping all animals for life.
CONVICTED (2021) | puppy farmer Ellis Hopkins aka Ellis Hopkins-Elton, born 15 December 2000, of Bardon Lodge, Beveridge Lane, Bardon Hill, Coalville LE67 1TB – sold sick and dying puppies to the public
Ellis Hopkins is no longer licensed to breed puppies after several animal welfare breaches at her kennels
Traveller and professional boxer Ellis Hopkins sold poorly, underweight puppies under the name Bardon Bullies. Very sadly one of the puppies died shortly after being bought.
Licensed dog breeder Hopkins, who specialised in French bulldogs and American pocket bullies, was investigated for a number of breaches of dog breeding regulations. This followed reports to the RSPCA by three witnesses that puppies that were up for sale were underweight, lethargic and living in dirty conditions with animal waste on the floor.
Hopkins flogged the puppies she churned out to her followers on Instagram
Dogs that had been sold became ill shortly after they were taken to their new homes and one died.
North West Leicestershire District Council has now revoked Hopkins’ breeding licence.
Councillor Andrew Woodman said: “Our licensing teams play an important role in ensuring animal welfare standards are met in the district and will always respond to concerns and complaints raised by the public.
“It is clear that this breeder had no respect for their licence or the dogs they had a responsibility for and I’m sure our communities will join me in applauding our officers for the action they have taken.”
There were several regulations she was found to have breached.
They included breeding more than her licence allowed and providing misleading information to officers investigating her.
During a routine inspection in July 2020, Hopkins failed to provide council officers with records of litters, which are required under animal welfare law.
Puppies were also sold without records of vaccinations, vet checks, or being given flea and worm treatments.
She had been limited to one litter at a time and no more than five per year, with one litter per female. But during a visit by Leicestershire Police to Hopkins’ home in September 2020, they found 38 dogs, which included puppies from at least five different litters.
She had also bred at least two of her female dogs twice within a 12-month period. The animals should not have been bred more than once a year to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease, according to her licence.
Sentencing; licence revoked; not yet prosecuted for animal cruelty.
CONVICTED (2017) | Andrew Hogg, born c. 1967, most recent known address School Close, Albert Village, Swadlincote DE11 8FD and previously of Linton, Derbyshire – hit a cat on the head during a violent rampage
Andrew Hogg adds animal abuse to his long list of criminal convictions
Notorious localhellraiser Hogg admitted a series of offences, which included causing unnecessary suffering to the unnamed cat. The extent of the cat’s injuries was not reported.
Hogg also pleaded guilty to damaging a mobile phone worth £245 belonging to a man at an address in Chestnut Avenue.
He also admitted using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby on the same day.
A restraining order made against Hogg and he has been told to stay away from three named people and not to go to an address in Chestnut Avenue, Midway, for 12 months.
He was also fined £80, and ordered to pay £245 compensation, £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge. He was not banned from keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2015) | Sean Luke Wilkinson, born 01/02/1984, formerly of Silver Street, Barrow upon Humber, and as of December 2017 living at Radford Meadow, Castle Donington DE74 2NZ – laughed after throwing his pet cat out of 24ft high window, breaking her pelvis and five of her ribs.
Wilkinson pictured during his 2015 court appearance
Wilkinson laughed after throwing his cat out of a third-floor window in a fit of rage after she weed on him. He opened the window of his top-floor flat and flung the one-year-old cat nearly 24 feet to the ground below.
Luna was badly injured after being thrown from a third floor window by her owner, Sean Wilkinson
A neighbour saw him walk out of the block of flats laughing and later pick up the pet, called Luna, and suggest the neighbour let his dog out to have a go at her. The witness raised the alarm and RSPCA inspectors took Luna to a vets’ practice where she was diagnosed with five broken ribs and double fracture of the pelvis as a result of the 7.3-metre plunge.
The RSPCA had requested magistrates ban Wilkinson from keeping any pets.
2019 image of cat abuser Sean Wilkinson
But the court heard Wilkinson’s mum, who is a veterinary nurse, keeps a dog and a cat at home in Silver Street, Barrow, where her son lived at the time of sentencing.
She wept in the back of the court as magistrates imposed the ban on keeping cats which meant she had to find a new home for her kitten.
Luna survived the ordeal and has since been rehomed.
Sentence: 300 hours of unpaid work, vets’ fees and costs totalling around £2,500, which Wilkinson was allowed to pay off at £20 per week. Banned from keeping cats for 10 years (expires January 2025).
Source: Scunthorpe Telegraph (article removed)
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
