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 (2022) | Sharon Parker, born c. 1968, and son Justin Parker, born 2 April 1991, both of Hillway, Amersham HP7 0JL – left their cat in immense pain with an untreated broken leg.
Sharon and Justin Parker. Pictures: Facebook.
The pair failed to act properly when the cat, known as Mama, broke her leg in unexplained circumstances. Instead of taking her to the vet the pair forced her to suffer for several months.
Ultimately Mama’s leg had to be amputated due to the length of time she had been carrying the severe injury.
The Parkers were found “highly culpable” in relation to Mama’s suffering and had caused her a “high level” of harm during those months.
Both offenders pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Sentencing: 12-week jail term suspended for one year; £278 in costs. Banned from keeping or owning cats for three years (expires January 2025).
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.
CONVICTED (2021) | kitten breeders Peter Rogers, born c. 1957, and wife Debbie Rogers, born c. 1961, of Field Cottages, Alkington, Whitchurch SY13 3NE – allowed their cat to become emaciated and suffer with ruptured eyes.
Toffee
Persian cat Toffee was so poorly after months of neglect at the hands of the Rogers she had to be put down. The vet who examined Toffee said the case was one of the clearest cases of severe neglect that he had seen in the last decade.
The couple both pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
RSPCA inspector Nayman Dunderdale visited the couple’s property on June 8, 2021, after the charity received a report about a matted silver tabby cat that was limping.
Peter Rogers told the inspector that Toffee, who was aged between four and five, had cancer and her eyes were missing. He said she needed to be put to sleep and it was his fault they had left it so long.
He said an appointment had been made at their vets for Toffee later that evening, but a check by the RSPCA inspector ten minutes later, revealed that while the practice had some of the couple’s other cats on their books, they did not have one registered under that name. Peter Rogers also told the inspector they were cat breeders.
In his statement, Mr Dunderdale said: “Mr Rogers brought the cat to me. Her eyes were closed and matted with green gunk and she looked very thin, with the bones of her hip spine and hind quarters easily visible.
“Mr Rogers asked me to take her, and said she needed to be put to sleep. I asked that Toffee be brought to my van so I could put her in a basket.”
Toffee was taken straight to a vet where she was examined and found to be emaciated, with a body condition score of just one out of nine. She weighed 1.1kg (2.4lbs) and should have been at least 2 to 2.5kg (between 4.4lbs and 5.5lbs).
Both her eyes had ruptured many days or even weeks before, indicated by the presence of thick dried discharge all over her eye sockets and cheeks, which were embedded with matted hair. The discharge was also present on both her forelimbs where she had rubbed herself in an effort to relieve the discomfort.
The vet who examined Toffee said: “She had a gentle nature despite the horrendous discomfort she was no doubt experiencing. Unfortunately, her welfare was so severely compromised, and with such a slim chance of returning her to an acceptable level of quality of life, that she was euthanised shortly after examination.
“Corneal pain is one of the most acute and severe pain an animal can experience as the cornea is incredibly sensitive to even the lightest trauma. Her owners plainly ignored obvious signs of severe pain and distress over a prolonged period of time. They also allowed her to become very underweight to the point of emaciation.”
He added: “I have been a practising small animal veterinary surgeon for over 15 years. I regularly see cats with sore eyes of varying severity in my daily work. I also work alongside a vet with an interest in veterinary ophthalmology and we communicate regularly about cases, so I am very familiar with corneal issues in cats. In the course of the last decade this is one of the clearest cases of severe neglect that I have seen.”
In mitigation, the court heard that there had been bereavement and illness in the family and Peter Rogers was having mental health difficulties and struggling to cope generally.
In total 15 animals which were owned by the couple have since been rehomed.
Speaking after sentencing, Mr Dunderdale said: “It was clear that Toffee had been suffering pain and distress for a long time and her owners should have done the right thing by her and sought treatment at the earliest opportunity. Her quality of life was so poor at the end that there was no other option but to end her suffering. We always urge people to seek help if they are struggling to look after their pets, rather than letting the situation deteriorate to the extent that it did with Toffee.”
Sentencing: 200 hours of unpaid work; total costs and charges of £345. Lifetime ban on keeping all animals.
CONVICTED (2021) | Barry George Searle, born c. 1943, of Riverslea, Clearbrook, Yelverton PL20 6JB – badly neglected his two ponies – one of which needed an eye removed.
Tinkerbell lost an eye after she was neglected by her owner (Image: RSPCA)
Pensioner Barry Searle was given a suspended prison sentence for failing to tackle infection, trim hooves and treat fleas and lice on his two ponies
Former riding stables/livery yard owner Searle failed to have horses Tinkerbell and Fudge treated by a vet over several months despite their obvious suffering.
Tinkerbell had an infected eye and four overgrown hooves which left her lame.
Fudge also needed hoof-trimming and both animals were infested with lice and fleas.
Searle admitted one count of causing unnecessary suffering and one of failing to meet the needs of the two mares.
The RSPCA said after the case that its inspector Claire Ryder worked with animal welfare charity Mare and Foal Sanctuary in May 2021. She was joined by police when she attended the field where Seale kept his horses.
Insp Ryder said: “Tinkerbell came up to us and I noticed there were flies around her eyes. You could not see the left eye and the hole appeared infected. She also had overgrown hooves and was lame.
“It was also clear that Fudge and Tinkerbell’s feet were in need of attention.”
She shared pictures and video footage with a specialist equine vet and the horses were seized by police.
A vet then examined the ponies at a stable.
The vet discovered that Tinkerbell’s right eye, which was later surgically removed, was shrunken into the orbit, leaving her with swollen eyelids and a discharge.
The RSPCA said she was also lame with all four hooves overgrown, suggesting a lack of farrier attention for several months.
Fudge also needed hoof trimming and both horses were found to need treatment for lice and fleas.
Inspector Ryder, commenting after the sentencing, said: “While this was not caused by deliberate harm, this was prolonged neglect which resulted in suffering for Tinkerbell.
“Owners of animals have a duty to provide them with appropriate care and treatment. Mr Seale was aware of the concerns and had numerous offers of support to improve welfare but instead chose to ignore their plight.”
Both horses are now doing well in RSPCA foster care after recovering and receiving the treatment they needed.
Sentencing: nine-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, ordered to pay £600 prosecution costs and £128 victim surcharge.
CONVICTED (2021) | Raimonda Burkauskaite, born c. 1985, of 20 Le Strange Avenue, King’s Lynn PE30 2PG – failed to get help for her badly injured Yorkshire terrier
Yorkie Gucci had to have a leg amputated after his owner, Raimonda Burkauskaite, failed to get him veterinary treatment for a fracture.
The tiny dog was left suffering with the broken front leg for six weeks before he was taken in by the RSPCA. By then it was too late for the leg to be saved.
Single mum-of-two Raimonda Burkauskaite, from Lithuania, had told police she could not afford the £1,000 bill for treatment but was told there were charities which could help.
A week later, after Burkauskaite was arrested for drink-driving at almost four times the legal limit, police noted she had still taken no action over Gucci.
She admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and drink driving.
Jonathan Eales, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said Burkauskaite, who had owned Gucci for eight years, didn’t know how he had suffered the fracture but the dog was seen to be yelping in pain.
He said: “Miss Burkauskaite failed to deal with that at all. The dog didn’t receive any veterinary attention for about six weeks.”
Mr Eales said: “What we find so frustrating with these offences is there is help available. Miss Burkauskaite was advised by the police officer that there was help available and she still didn’t take it.”
Magistrates heard the drink-driving offence occurred on April 17 in Wisbech Road, when police saw. Burkauskaite driving with her lights on full beam at 2.30pm.
She was arrested after failing a roadside test and in custody blew 134 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; the legal limit is 35.
Andrew Cogan, for Burkauskaite, said the drink-drive offence had occurred when she felt severely depressed and “foolishly” took her car to speak to a friend.
A new home has been found for Gucci by the RSPCA.
Sentencing: 12-month driving ban; 12-month community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work. She was ordered to pay costs of £50 to the RSPCA and £95 victim surcharge. Banned from owning a dog for five years (expires May 2026).
CONVICTED (2021) | William J Allan, born 24 December 1968, of Benula Road, Inverness IV3 8EH – battered a Labrador dog with a shovel
William Allan
Career criminal William Allan, who has the nickname ‘Hog’, was jailed for eight months after being convicted of a brutal and violent attack on the dog, named Bono.
Allan was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to the Labrador, who belonged to his former partner, by repeatedly striking him on the head and mouth with a shovel or similar instrument.
After reading a social worker report on the persistent offender, the sheriff noted that he continued to deny his guilt.
Allan had claimed the dog had followed him out the door, which had then slammed shut on his head but this wasn’t accepted by the court.
He admitted previous convictions and the sheriff told him : “You have a history of violent behaviour.
“You were found guilty of beating the dog repeatedly for a sustained period with a weapon.
“There were injuries – the dog’s teeth were broken and blood was splattered all over the walls. You then went on to lie about it.
“You have shown a lack of remorse and you still deny the incident.
“It was an abhorrent act and has had a lasting effect on those who witnessed it.
“The only reason I am not jailing you for 12 months is that the dog has made a physical recovery.”
Defence solicitor Marc Dickson said his client was on medication for anxiety and his condition may have contributed to “spontaneous acts.”
Sentencing: jailed for eight months. No mention of a ban.
CONVICTED (2020) | James Peter Backhouse, born 11 March 1980, and Brynne Sean Backhouse, born 6 December1965 of Ashdown Farm, Upper Hill Barn, Aston Tirrold, Didcot OX11 9DR – left sheep on their farm to suffer with maggot-infested feet and horrific injuries caused by chronic neglect
Former sheep farmer James Backhouse
When local authority inspectors visited the farm of brothers James and Brynne Backhouse they found sheep with maggot-infested feet and animal carcasses improperly disposed of. One sheep was found to have had her eyes pecked out because she was left unable to move.
The Backhouses, who also operate a motocross business called Ashdown Track Limited, were sentenced for 16 animal welfare and farming standards offences.
Following an initial visit to the farm by officers from Oxfordshire County Council Trading Standards Service, the two brothers were advised to seek veterinary help for their neglected sheep, however, when officers returned they discovered an illegal ‘dead pit’ where the men had disposed of dead animals.
James Backhouse with partner Sherrie Benning, who also lives on the farm
Prosecutors said that a number of the animals had experienced ‘unnecessary suffering’ and that minimal care was provided to them.
Detailing some of the neglect Kristiina Reed, prosecuting, said some sheep were found to have maggots in their feet eating at decomposing flesh.
A number of the animals were unable to stand and the court heard that some were in ‘significant pain’ from foot rot.
During an inspection the men were asked if they had treated the animals’ condition, called ‘fly strike’, and James Backhouse said ‘we never treat the lameness.’
Inspectors also saw five dead sheep visible in the field as well as the illegal ‘dead pit.’
One of the sheep, who was noted as being unable to stand on the first visit, was found to have had her eyes pecked out by the second day because she was unable to get up.
It was later revealed that the brothers had not kept appropriate medical records.
Prosecutor Reed described the neglect as ‘prolonged’ and said: “The injuries were allowed to develop and fester over a long period of time.
“The sheep sustained a high level of suffering from the injuries.”
Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £13,170 each. Disqualified from owning sheep for two years (expired July 2022).
CONVICTED (2020) | Aaron James Williamson aka Aaron-James Bagshaw, born 12 August 1999, of Westerdale Way, Grimsby DN37 9BY* – subjected a kitten to regular beatings and bit off his ear.
Self-proclaimed monster Aaron Williamson aka Aaron-James Bagshaw, a convicted cat abuser from Grimsby, Lincs
Williamson, who also uses the surname Bagshaw, was banned from owning animals for life after a court heard about his sickening catalogue of abuse against the young cat, known as Litten.
The abused kitten’s new family have said that he is doing ‘fantastic’ and is ‘absolutely adorable and really good-natured’.
The thug admitted he had lost count of how many times he had punched Litten, and said he did so whenever he was angry. He also bit the kitten’s ear multiple times, removing most of it.
Williamson admitted one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a kitten. Sentencing William, the judge described his actions as “sickening”.
The RSPCA confirmed three kittens were rescued from Williamson’s home on September 11, 2019, following a tip-off.
RSPCA inspector Kate Burris said: “Williamson tortured this kitten. He admitted repeatedly biting Litten’s ear, which resulted in the loss of most of it, and that he had lost count of the times he had punched Litten. He said he did it when he was angry.
“District Judge Curtis said his daily abuse of small, defenceless animals who were unable to harm him and were at his mercy was sickening.
“He said that Williamson had called himself a monster in interview, and that was accurate as to how he behaved.
“We are extremely grateful to the witnesses who contacted us, and got these kittens out of this situation despite the position that put them in. It was very brave.
“I was surprised how friendly Litten was when I first met him given the abuse he had suffered, he was so affectionate and loving and was rubbing his face against mine during his veterinary examination.
“I just knew he was going to make a perfect addition to any family.
“I am so happy that he has found a fantastic new home, with people who love him and are caring for him in the way he always should have been cared for. It could have been a very different outcome for him if we hadn’t been able to intervene when we did.”
Williamson’s two other kittens found a new home together in Derbyshire.
Sentencing | 12 weeks in jail. Ordered to pay £250 costs and a £120 victim surcharge. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2020) | equine sanctuary owner Ann Michelle Sim, born 26/08/1984, of Shearford Close, Barnstaple EX31 1AG – neglected and starved multiple horses in her care
Ann Sim with a rescued pony
Mother-of-three Ann Sim, who ran North Devon Equine Rescue in Rumsam, near Barnstaple, was given a 10-week suspended jail sentence and banned from keeping horses for 10 years after admitting three cruelty charges.
The RSPCA visited Sim’s so-called sanctuary and found horses so thin their spines and ribs could be seen through the skin.
Conditions were described as ‘chaotic’ with animals living in foul conditions among rubbish and with sparse and inadequate bedding.
Tiggy, Punchy and Bumble at North Devon Rescue Centre
Ponies and horses had overgrown feet and one had to have his eye removed because an infection had not been treated by a vet.
The court heard Sim had set up the centre with the best of intentions five years earlier but had struggled to cope when her personal life fell apart.
Prosecutor Kevin Withy said Sim had been on the radar of the RSPCA for some time before the offences were committed between June and September 2019.
Punchy at North Devon Equine Rescue in Barnstaple
In one of the foul stables inspectors discovered a mare and foal whose ribs and spine were visible due to lack of food. Conditions were filthy with little clean bedding and only ‘a limited amount of water’.
The animals had been suffering for a number of months and there was no control of parasites.
The chestnut mare, Bumble, also had severely overgrown feet and Sim had not called a vet. A Welsh gelding called Tiggy had an infected eye that needed to be removed and a pony, Punchy, was emaciated, anaemic and had overgrown feet.
“Well-intentioned” Sim ignored an RSPCA warning and continued to neglect horses and ponies in her care
Defence barrister Herc Ashworth said the 35-year-old set up the rescue centre to “help abandoned horses back to health” and had “no intention of causing suffering”.
“I accept it was not a deliberate act on your behalf,” the judge added.
All the animals have since been rehomed.
Sentencing: 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. Ordered to pay £322 costs. Banned from keeping equines for 10 years.
