Tag Archives: Pre-2010 cases

Animal Abandonment, Birds, Cats, Dogs, Equine Abuse, Fish, Hoarders, horses and ponies, Lifers, Multiple Species, Pet Sitters, Dog Walkers, Boarding Kennels, rabbits, Serial Animal Abusers, Small Furries

Kettering, North Northamptonshire: Lee Howard

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CONVICTED (2023) | serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard, aka Lee Howard-Smith, born 12 August 1966, previously of Middlesbrough but at the date of his latest conviction of Scott Road, Kettering NN16 9JY – kept animals in faeces-ridden home despite lifetime ban.

Serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard originally from Middlesbrough, now of Kettering, Northants.

Howard was banned from keeping animals for life in 2006 after leaving 13 horses and ponies, 11 hens, four dogs and a rabbit to die of thirst and starvation in Trimdon, County Durham. The animals had been locked inside stables and left to die. Three dogs survived by eating the remains of the dead animals.

In March 2006 Howard was sentenced to six months in jail and banned from keeping animals for the rest of his life.

Just a few months later Howard was back in court after it was discovered he was keeping 11 dogs and 16 birds at a house in Delarden Road, Pallister Park, Middlesbrough.

The animals were kept in squalid conditions, with the dogs running around in piles of faeces and pools of urine. Six of them had problems with their paws and one had an ear infection.

Howard was given a further six-month jail term for breaching his ban.

Now Howard has received a suspended prison sentence after working as a paid pet-sitter. A licensed dog breeder that had used his services happened to see his name and photograph on an animal cruelty website and reported him to the RSPCA.

Animals were kept in squalor by serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard originally from Middlesbrough, now of Kettering, Northants.

On January 6, 2023, police officers and an RSPCA inspector searched Howard’s home in Scott Road, Kettering, and found yet more animals living in filthy conditions without access to water.

Confined in the kitchen was a Boston terrier dog called Harriet, who Howard said he was looking after for a friend.

The floor of the kitchen was covered in faeces and there was no access to water and no proper bedding.

Animals were kept in squalor by serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard originally from Middlesbrough, now of Kettering, Northants.

Bird cages were found in the lounge, with one containing an Amazon green parrot called Jud and the other housing two cockatiels called Paxo and Stuffing. Both cages were dirty with old food, faeces and no fresh water. Fish tanks with goldfish and tropical fish were also found.

Animals were kept in squalor by serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard originally from Middlesbrough, now of Kettering, Northants.

Two female cats called Sooty and Blacky were discovered in a bedroom described as ‘almost floor to ceiling’ with belongings and old cages and tanks.

The floor was caked in faeces and both cats were infested with fleas.

Serial hoarder and abuser Lee Howard's animal care certificates

Police also seized documents from as far back as 2012 with breeding and pedigree certificates, animal course certificates and even a judging education certificate from The Kennel Club found in a frame.

The dog, Harriet, was later taken back to her owner who was not aware of any animal welfare incidents relating to Howard. The court heard he had been looking after her since 2017.

Animals were kept in squalor by serial animal hoarder and abuser Lee Howard originally from Middlesbrough, now of Kettering, Northants.

The court heard that in his role as a pet-sitter for the breeder Howard had control of 15 dogs, four chickens and numerous finch-like birds and would be paid £35 a day. He looked after the animals on at least 15 occasions between August 2021 and August 2022 – including the odd overnight stay – and was even listed as a keyholder on the man’s council animal welfare licence.

In court, Howard pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to ensure animal needs were met and breaching a disqualification from keeping animals.

Mitigating, Sewli Kuddus said Howard suffers from physical and mental health issues and has problems with self-care.

She said he has no family and has only recently been given a carer.

She said: “He had no-one to say to him ‘what you are doing is wrong’.”

Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Susan Haywood said: “I hope that now that he has been sentenced by the court the defendant will learn from this experience and not get animals which he clearly is unable to look after properly.”

Sentencing | 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. 20 rehabilitation activity days; costs of £400 plus £154 victim surcharge. Howard was also handed another lifetime ban from keeping animals and cannot apply to have it lifted for 10 years.

Northamptonshire Telegraph

abattoirs / animal slaughter, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Killinchy, County Down: Nigel Foster

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CONVICTED (2023) | repeat offender Nigel John Foster, born May 1967, of 6 Whiterock Road, Killinchy, Newtownards BT23 6PR – for cruelty to pigs found in appalling conditions.

Nigel Foster, who owns a farm in Drumcaw Road, Clough, Downpatrick, admitted 10 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals and one charge of failing to dispose of animal carcasses in November 2019.

Foster was initially charged alongside wife Josephine Susan Foster, born December 1969 under the name Killinchy Free Range Pork Limited.

The court heard that inspectors found approximately 70 animals on the farm. Some were dead, others were “profoundly emaciated” and three were in such bad condition that they had to be euthanised.

Some of the live animals were feeding on the carcases of the dead pigs. Many of the pigs had no access to food while others were being fed flour. None of the animals, which were kept in pens, had access to bedding material or dry, lined areas.

Leaking pipes meant there was a build-up of water faeces.

When Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) inspectors contacted Foster, he claimed the animals were suffering from disease so he couldn’t sell them for fear of it spreading.

Foster further claimed to the inspectors that the pigs were under veterinary treatment.

Foster was ordered to dispose of the carcasses but they were still there a week later when inspectors returned.

The court was told that Foster was suffering from a broken left foot at the time of the latest offences, and told inspectors he had “made alternative arrangements” for the animals’ care.

During an earlier hearing the court heard that Nigel Foster was a declared bankrupt and he and his wife were facing having their home repossessed.

Imprisoning Foster, Judge Gordon Kerr KC said the offences amounted to a “very bad case” of animal suffering.

“The scene, as described, is absolutely appalling. No animals should be kept in this condition and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour,” said the judge, revealing that it was the third time Foster had been in court for animal welfare offences.

Sentencing | jailed for seven and a half months with the same period on licence; compensation order for £7,500. Banned from keeping animals for seven years (expires 2030).

Belfast Telegraph

In December 2006 Nigel Foster received a two-month suspended sentence and was fined £1,400 after he was convicted over cruelty to sows and piglets.

He was banned from keeping livestock for two years and received a two-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

Foster was convicted of permitting unnecessary suffering to a sow and permitting unnecessary pain or distress to five piglets.

He was also convicted on three counts of failing to provide access to an adequate water supply, two of failing to provide access to a well-maintained lying area with dry bedding and one count of failing to provide pigs with a wholesome diet.

Belfast Telegraph

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Serial Animal Abusers

Menstrie, Clackmannanshire: Mikey Nesbitt and Rebecca Ward

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#MostEvil | repeat offender Michael Philip Nesbitt, born c. 1989, and Rebecca Ward, born c. 1996, of 9 Main Street East, Menstrie FK11 7BH – showed total disregard for the well-being of a dog found almost starved to death at their home.

Rebecca Ward and partner Mikey Nesbitt failed to care for their helpless pet dog. Nesbitt is pictured during a court appearance in 2008 when he was convicted of cruelty to 3 puppies found starved to death at his then home in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh.

Career criminal Nesbitt, who has a previous conviction for dog cruelty, and his partner Ward neglected their pet dog, Zeg, so badly over a 10-month period he lost fur and developed sores on his body.

The couple, who have a young baby, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Zeg at an address in McLachlan Street, Stenhousemuir, Larbert, between June 11, 2020 and April 24, 2021.

The charges stated they failed to provide him with appropriate care or adequate nutrition until the point he became emaciated and developed multiple pressure sores, hair loss and chronic skin damage to his tail.

The court heard that given proper care Zeg had recovered from his ordeal.

Mikey Nesbitt

Following the conclusion of the case, Scottish SPCA inspector, Andrew Gray, said, “On April 12, 2021, we responded to a concern for a dog that was described as extremely thin with protruding bones.

“We attempted to visit and call a few times but were unable to reach the owners. However, I could see a dog in a cage through the kitchen window. Only the dog’s head was visible and I couldn’t determine body condition or if provisions were available for the dog.

“On April 24, 2021, we visited the property again and were met by Ward. A dog matching the description we’d received appeared at the door in a very thin state with staining on his legs and underside.

“We took Zeg, a five to six-year old white and brindle Staffordshire bull terrier, to be examined by a vet.

“The vet found Zeg to be significantly underweight at just 19.8kg. A healthy weight for this size and breed of dog is 25 to 30kg. Zeg was also suffering from chronic muscle wastage over his head, legs and body.

“His ribs were clearly visible through his skin and he had pressure sores over his joints. These lesions were thickened which suggest laying on hard surfaces for long periods of time.

“The hair loss and skin damage on his tail indicated long-term caging in a small environment. There were pressure sores which were close to ulcerating over his pelvic area due to lack of muscle and fat coverage to protect the skin.

“When Zeg was fed, he ate ravenously with no difficulty swallowing. The vet concluded that there was no clinical reason to explain why Zeg was so underweight. Sadly, his condition suggests months of chronic malnutrition and inappropriate housing which caused him unnecessary suffering.

“Neither Nesbitt nor Ward have responded to repeated attempts to contact them. In the year that Zeg has been in our care they have also never enquired about how he is doing.

“We’re glad that Zeg is out of the situation that caused him so much suffering and we’re pleased that Nesbitt and Ward have been given lengthy bans on owning animals. Their sentencing means that Zeg can now start looking for his forever home.”

Sentencing |
Nesbitt: 12-month community payback order with 200 hours of unpaid work. 10-year ban.

Ward: ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work within 12 months. Banned from owning an animal for five years.

Falkirk Herald
Falkirk Herald

Additional Information

In 2008 Nesbitt, who’s originally from Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, was fined £150 and given a five-year ban after starving three puppies to death and dumping their bodies in a shoebox.

The court heard how officers from the Scottish SPCA had visited Nesbitt after a neighbour reported him walking a thin dog.

They found that the bitch, who had just given birth, was significantly underweight and told Nesbitt to make sure he fed her more.

But less than a month later, another call was made from a concerned neighbour over a foul smell coming from Nesbitt’s flat.

When officers entered the Clovenstone Gardens home, they found four puppies and their mother locked in a cage surrounded by their own mess.

They also discovered that three other pups had died and their bodies were lying in a shoebox in the hallway.

Officers immediately took the mother and her surviving puppies into care. As they drove away with the animals, Nesbitt threatened to kill himself.

Defence solicitor Victoria Good, for Nesbitt, said her client had been “deeply distressed” about what had happened.

She said Nesbitt, who admitted neglecting the animals, had been unable to care for the dogs after suffering from severe depression when his relationship broke down.

Ms Good added: “He and his girlfriend bought the dogs together, when she left she took one of the dogs and he gave up.

“He knew they were there and he had to take care of them but he just couldn’t get up out of bed. He is deeply distressed about what happened to the dogs.”

Deadline News

Animal Abandonment, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Lifers, Serial Animal Abusers

Ratby, Leicestershire: Richard Brooks and Tracey Jarvis

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CONVICTED (2022) | previous offender Richard F Brooks, born c. 1962, and partner Tracey Jarvis, born c. 1960, both of Holywell Farm, Desford Lane, Ratby, Leicester LE6 0LF – breached a ban by keeping three cows as pets.

Brooks admitted keeping the animals at his farm when he was banned from doing so because of a neglect case 15 years ago.

The conviction for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal in 2007 saw him disqualified from having any role in caring for large farm animals after one of his cows was left up to its belly in deep mud for several days.

The stranded animal was rescued but had to be put down as a result.

Meanwhile Jarvis, who owned the cows, named Tufty, Buttercup and Brian, admitted three breaches of animal registration rules by not informing government officials she was keeping and caring for them.

The animals remain in her care at their new farm in Dadlington, just north of Hinckley.

The court heard from Kevin Barry, prosecuting on behalf of Leicestershire Trading Standards, how Brooks had been banned from keeping cows after the 2007 incident and was obviously fully aware of his ban, as he had made repeated attempts to get it lifted since October 2016.

Mr Barry said: “Mr Brooks could have been in no doubt he was disqualified for assisting Miss Jarvis with keeping her three cows.”

He said that after she bought Tufty in November 2015, Jarvis had failed to tell officials she was using Holywell Farm to keep cattle.

And then in May 2017 when Brian was born through artificial insemination, she failed to inform the authorities of the birth within 28 days, committing the same offence again when Buttercup was born in May 2018.

Mr Barry said: “The authorities have to be aware where cows are being kept. It’s an offence for a keeper of cattle not to register the keeping of cattle on a holding.

“It’s also an offence to fail to register the birth of a calf.”

Kevin McCole, representing the couple, said Jarvis was a former school administrator with no previous knowledge of farming who had taken a liking to Tufty after seeing the cow on an adjoining farm.

Mr McCole said: “She loved the look of it and it was acquired as a pet. Those three cows are loved by Tracey Jarvis and are her pets.

“She would hope that because of the attachment she has to those cows that she can continue looking after them.”

He said she had tried to complete the proper registrations but had failed to ensure she had done it properly because she was “naive”.

Margaret Edun-Fotwe, chairman of the bench, told the Brooks his offence was “very serious”.

He was fined £270, ordered to pay £3,300 in costs and a £21 victim surcharge.

Jarvis will have to pay a £311 fine, £2,000 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

They were given 28 days to pay the £5,917 total.

Leicester Mercury

abattoirs / animal slaughter, Birds, cockfighting, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Multiple Species, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Ripon, North Yorkshire: Michael Hawkswell

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CONVICTED (2021) | Michael Andrew Hawkswell, born c. 1975, of Haldgarth, Nunwick, Ripon HG4 5EE – a serial animal abuser with a string of convictions for offences including barbaric illegal slaughter.

Serial animal abuser Michael Andrew Hawkswell from Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK
2021 police mugshot of Michael Hawkswell

Hawkswell’s first known conviction was in or around 2001 when he abandoned a lorry-load of live turkeys on the A1, leaving them to freeze to death. For this offence he was apparently jailed but no details are available.

Two years later, in February 2003, Hawkswell was jailed alongside another man, Isap Lakha of 122 Saville Road, Dewsbury WF12 9LP after the pair were found to be running an illegal slaughter operation at the height of the foot and mouth crisis.

Hawkswell pictured outside court in 2003 along with co-defendant Isap Lakha.

An undercover investigator from the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in East Anglia began investigating the men after a tip-off. Working in conjunction with the RSPCA, the charity obtained secret video footage showing Hawkswell and Lakha killing 10 goats with a blunt knife in a dirty barn in Londonderry, North Yorkshire, causing the animals immense pain and suffering.

RSPCA prosecutor Tony Kelbrick told the court that the video showed the goats were dismembered and butchered “while they appeared to be still alive”.

Still image from horrific video footage which showed Hawkswell and Isap Lakha sawing at animals’ throats with a blunt knife.

He said the animals were being killed in the Halal way but the method used was “inept, clumsy and cruel and caused considerable pain and suffering”.

“It can clearly be seen on the video that a number of cuts were required to sever the arteries and veins and a sawing motion was required as opposed to a clean cut.”

The court heard how the goats were bought at a market in Haswell, Durham, before they were taken to North Yorkshire for slaughter on 14 January 2002.

The hearing was also told how Lakha bought the animal carcasses for about £200 after the slaughter.

He said the meat was to help feed his large extended family which included about 150 people.

However, a 2002 article by now defunct newspaper the Sunday People had already exposed Hawkswell as a “crooked trader” who sold “infected meat to scores of curry shops”. Aside from risking an outbreak of foot and mouth disease and BSE (the human form of mad cow disease), the newspaper described how he made “animals suffer shockingly by letting buyers try their hand at slaughtering in his makeshift abattoir”.

In court, Hawkswell admitted allowing goats he owned to be cruelly ill-treated and also allowing premises to be used as a slaughterhouse without a licence.

His co-defendant, Lakha – a retired slaughterman with 20 years’ experience – pleaded guilty to cruelly ill-treating 10 goats and slaughtering the animals without a licence.

District judge Roy Anderson said the offences were so serious he had no option but to jail the men.

He told the pair the botched operation was “inept, callous, squalid and cruel”.

Hawkswell received a four-month prison sentence while Lakha was jailed for two months. Both were banned from keeping animals for 10 years (ban expired 2013).

Writing about their investigation, Hillside Sanctuary told how Michael Hawkswell had boasted to their covert investigator how he could supply cows, lambs, goats, deer, pigeons and even peacocks. He gloated that most of the animals were stolen from farms late at night.

Hawkswell had also bragged about breeding cockerels for fighting.

Happily, Hillside were able to rescue five nanny goats (pictured) from a horrible death and took them into the care of the sanctuary.

In 2010 Hawkswell was banned from keeping animals for ten years and jailed for six months after livestock was found in squalid conditions. No further details of this conviction are available.

In December 2013 Hawkswell was back in court after repeatedly breaching his animal banning order.

The court heard how trading standards officers visited premises in Thorpe Underwood, between York and Boroughbridge and discovered that Hawkswell had been moving sheep.

Paperwork found in a stolen trailer revealed he had been to a slaughterhouse in Spennymoor.

Hawkswell admitted handling stolen goods and breaching an animal banning order, and was given a suspended prison sentence.

Judge Les Spittle described his actions as “a blatant disregard” for court orders, and also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Stuart Young, mitigating, said his client had “struggled to do what the courts tell him” adding that he had “shown poor problem-solving techniques.”

Serial animal abuser Michael Andrew Hawkswell from Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK
Hawkswell pictured in 2017

In February 2017 Hawkswell was jailed for six months after breaching a court order to protect animals from him. His latest conviction came after his vehicle was stopped by North Yorkshire Police and found to contain cardboard boxes holding 14 live chickens and a duck. A few months later Hawkswell was stopped again by road traffic police and this time officers found a sheep, two hens, two pigeons and four dead turkeys.

On both occasions Hawkswell was arrested and subsequently charged.

Sergeant Kevin Kelly, from North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said that Hawkswell was “a danger to animals”.

In May 2021 Hawkswell, still disqualified from keeping or owning animals, was charged with possessing 76 birds and a string of other offences.

They included buying and transporting two goats, possessing seven sheep in his trailer, possessing a duck, unloading poultry from a vehicle into sale pens at Highgate auctions in Rotherham and buying and selling poultry.

In September 2021 Hawkswell was jailed for a total of 32 weeks after pleading guilty to all charges.

The court also disqualified Hawkswell from owning or keeping goats, poultry, birds and sheep for a period of 10 years under the Animal Welfare Act.

Hawkswell was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for 16 months.

Speaking after the sentencing, PC Mark Atkinson, of North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force, said:

“Michael Hawkswell knew full well that he wasn’t allowed to have anything to do with animals – with a court order in place to protect them from suffering at his hands.

“However, he has repeatedly shown a blatant disregard for that court order, and persistently breached it on a number of occasions.

“Members of the farming community were aware of Hawkswell’s illegal activity, and came forward with crucial information, allowing us to arrest him and put him before the court. I would like to thank everyone who has spoken to the police in relation to Hawkswell’s activities – your assistance has been so vital and helped our team to put the strongest case together.”

North Yorkshire Police said it would now distribute posters highlighting Hawkswell’s banning order at livestock marts and other rural businesses.

Sentencing (September 2021 conviction): 32 weeks in jail. Disqualified from having anything to do with poultry, goats, sheep or birds for ten years (expires September 2031).

York Press

Birds, Domestic Violence - Animals Targeted, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Ystradgynlais, Swansea: Brandon Woods

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CONVICTED | Brandon Woods, born c. 1994, previously of Merthyr Tydfil and now Swansea – set fire to a neighbour’s budgie using an aerosol at the age of 14.

Brandon Woods
Brandon Woods’ sadistic behaviour against a helpless budgie was a red flag for the long history of violent crime to come

This is a horrific case of (non animal) violence from August 2020 but it’s mentioned in the newspaper report that Woods’ first offence was in 2008 when he set fire to a neighbour’s budgie using an aerosol so that earns him an entry on our database.

I can’t find the original media but I would imagine he was never named as he was only around 14 at the time.

Woods now has been sentenced to 15 months in jail (half in custody and the remainder on licence) after attacking a young woman.

The woman was left with more than 60 bruises and scratches on her face and body after the “cowardly” assault.

Some of the wounds left by Woods were described as looking like “claw marks”.

Woods; offending began in 2008 when he was a young teenager and he set fire to a neighbour’s budgie.

A judge said at the time that Woods’ pattern of offending demonstrated a “worrying personality trait” and he said he had concerns the defendant would go on to become a “very dangerous man” unless he changed his ways.

Woods’ convictions include spitting at a police officer, battery, criminal damage, drink-driving, driving while disqualified, witness intimidation, drugs matters, and two for assault occasioning actual bodily harm – one of these had seen him attack his mother and then go on to squirt ketchup around the house.

WalesOnline

Birds, Cats, Dogs, Multiple Species

Carluke, North Lanarkshire: Margaret Forsyth

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CONVICTED (2018) | Margaret Thomson Forsyth, born 1962, of Unitas Crescent, Carluke ML8 5AP – breached a 15-year ban on keeping animals imposed in 2006 following a case of appalling dog neglect.

Margaret Forsyth from Carluke breached a 15-year ban on keeping animals imposed on her in 2006
Margaret Forsyth from Carluke breached a 15-year ban on keeping animals imposed on her in 2006

In August 2006 Margaret Forsyth was banned from keeping animals for 15 years after admitting to causing suffering to three toy poodle dogs, two of whom had to be put to sleep.

Forsyth kept the dogs locked in her kitchen and refused to walk, groom or clip them. The poodles were described as being “in a terrible state” when found living in squalor. All of them had advanced dental problems: their teeth were loose, one poodle’s jaw had disintegrated and another had a hole in the roof of hear mouth. Two of the dogs had to be euthanised to end their suffering.

Forsyth pleaded guilty to causing the dogs unnecessary suffering by failing to provide grooming and veterinary treatment.

Twelve years on and Forsyth was found to have breached her ban after Scottish SPCA officers discovered a 12-year-old Jack Russell dog, a 15-year-old female domestic short haired cat and a budgie at her property.

In December 2018 she was ordered to pay a £360 fine. An additional 21- month disqualification order was added to her existing 15-year ban, which will now expire around May 2023.

Scottish SPCA news

Dogs, Hoarders, Serial Animal Abusers

Chorley, Lancashire: Arlene Ashcroft

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CONVICTED (2017) | animal hoarder Arlene Barbara Ashcroft, born 07/08/1952, most recently of Harewood, Chorley PR7 1XL – banned for keeping 11 dogs in appalling conditions; repeatedly flouted her ban

In June 2008 Arlene Ashcroft was banned from keeping animals for life after neglecting 11 dogs in her care. The lifetime ban was later reduced on appeal to just five years.

The RSPCA originally took action against Ashcroft after finding the dogs infested with fleas and living in squalor at her then property in Pennine Avenue, Chorley.

RSPCA inspector Lisa Lupson said: “The conditions these animals were living in were absolutely shocking. There was faeces and urine all over the house. We had to put wellingtons on to go in, and of course the smell was horrendous.

“These were all very young animals, being forced to live in incredibly awful conditions, and suffering as a result. It’s taken a very long time to rid them of some of the infections they picked up whilst in Mrs Ashcroft’s care.”

Ashcroft had been due to stand trial but pleaded guilty at the eleventh hour to failing to meet the needs of nine of her dogs and causing unnecessary suffering to two of them.

At the time Ashcroft’s neighbours spoke of their relief that the dogs had been found a new home because they said their constant barking and noise made their lives hell.

Her next door neighbour said: “I never saw the dogs because they were always in the house, I’m glad something has been done to end this.”

Another neighbour said: “She has had dogs taken off her before but it is about time she was banned for life. Seven dogs in a semi-detached house with a small garden is not right and they are stuck in that house permanently.”

The cruelty first came to light in July 2007 when a one-year-old shih-tsu dog was found tied up inside Ashcroft’s garage – the dog was underweight and police were called to seize him.

A German shepherd puppy, a spaniel puppy, and a mastiff puppy, all aged 12 weeks, as well as a mastiff aged six months and a shih-tsu aged nine months were rescued the following week.

In September 2007 another three dogs were seized: a German shepherd puppy, a Border terrier-type aged two years and a Jack Russell puppy.

In January 2017 Ashcroft was back before the courts after being found found in possession of a rabbit. Six months later in June she was given a community order with a curfew for breaching her banning order by keeping a lurcher dog.

Lancashire Post – June 2017
Lancashire Post – January 2017

Update November 2020

Arlene Ashcroft was summoned back to court to face allegations that she had breached her ban yet again by keeping a puppy and a kitten at her flat in May and June 2020. Ashcroft was a ‘no show’ however.

Her co-defendant, ex-partner Robert Ashcroft, 80, of Bolton Street, Chorley, faced two breaches of his ban, imposed in 2009, by participating in keeping a puppy and kitten at her address.

He also failed to attend and warrants were issued for their arrests.

No updates are currently available.

Lancashire Post

Dogs, farms / smallholdings, Food Production, Multiple Species, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders, Serial Animal Abusers, Worst of the Worst

Okehampton, Devon: Leon Smith

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CONVICTED (2016) | Leon Henry Smith, born c. 1949, of 1 Castleford Houses, Castle Road, Okehampton, EX20 1HZ – multiple convictions for abuse of dogs and farm animals spanning decades.

Leon Henry Smith left 13 collies in squalid conditions to fight over rotting pig carcasses for food
Smith left 13 collies in squalid conditions to fight over rotting pig carcasses for food

In December 2015 officials visited land farmed by Smith following complaints from members of the public that pigs and poultry were being kept in appalling conditions, covered in mud and with inadequate shelter.

On visiting one field , officers discovered it was mired in deep mud and almost impossible to access.

The pig enclosure itself was surrounded by rubbish, planks of wood and other hazardous materials.

Five pigs also discovered suffering in the back of a small broken down van in the enclosure, with no water, and no dry lying area and virtually no ventilation.

At another location near Boasley, Okehampton, pigs were also discovered shut in the back of a van in complete darkness and again without water and no grassed area.

Further visits were carried out in March 2016 to the same locations after more concerns had been expressed about the way in Smith was keeping his poultry.

At Meldon officers again found the conditions for the livestock to be unacceptable – pigs were again being kept in an enclosure which was full of thick mud and no grass and in a trailer without water.

At Boasley, they also found sheep and poultry being kept in part of a field littered with rubbish including broken glass, wire mesh, wood with protruding nails and other scrap which risked causing injury or unnecessary suffering to the animals.

In 2012 Smith was convicted for other livestock offences as well as cruelty to 13 dogs.

The dogs, of varying ages and sizes, were found in an enclosure in “appalling” muddy conditions in February 2011.

They had no access to adequate dry and clean areas, and had poor shelter from the weather.

More pig carcasses were found nearby, as were the remains of a dead sheep. Various animal bones were also discovered scattered across a field.

The most shocking incident was when police officers discovered one of his dogs confined overnight in a parked van with a maggot ridden sheep carcass, alongside two others in unsuitable cages without food or water.

As at 2012 Smith had already been banned from keeping cattle and sheep twice after previous animal welfare offences in 1998, 1999 and 2008.

On 12 November 2012 he was banned from keeping dogs for ten years and fined a total of £1300.

In February 2014 Smith was fined after breaching the order banning him from keeping dogs.

Exeter Magistrates Court heard that Leon Smith kept a collie dog in a livestock trailer on his land at Meldon, near Okehampton for at least six days.

Following a tip-off trading standards officers visited Smith’s farm and found the dog in the trailer, which was littered with dog faeces. The animal’s water was frozen solid and no food was available.

Sentencing in relation to his 2016 conviction for ill-treatment of pigs, sheep and poultry. Banned from keeping all animals for 20 years

Okehampton Times

Cats, Dogs, Fish, rabbits, Serial Animal Abusers

Darlington, County Durham: Pearl Barker

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CONVICTED (2016) | Pearl Barker of Ardmore Drive, Darlington DL1 3QB – neglected a German Shepherd dog and twice breached her disqualification order.

Barker had a cat and dog removed from her property in 2008 after an RSPCA vet found her German Shepherd had been neglected.

The dog weighed around 10kg less than the normal weight for his breed and he was found to have a severe flea problem which had not been treated.

The RSPCA issued a disqualification order to stop Barker from keeping any animals from 2008 until November 2018.

But two inspections at Barker’s flat in 2012 and 2015 found she had rabbits, cats and goldfish in her property.

Her original ten-year ban was extended by one year, but in 2016 Barker appealed to have her disqualification overturned.  She told the court she missed the company of animals and hoped magistrates could see she had turned her life around.

But the RSPCA recommended that the ban should remain in place while Barker continues to adjust aspects of her life.

Convicted animal abuser Pearl Barker from Darlington, UK

Prosecutor Kevin Campbell said: “This application is premature.

“The law is here to protect the animals and this case is not about her, it’s about the animals – we’re looking out for them.”

Chairman of the bench, Ruth Dent, said: “We’ve judged your application very carefully and while we realise you’ve made changes we feel this application is premature.”

Barker was told she must serve the rest of the ban until at least November 2017 before she can apply to own animals again.

Northern Echo