CONVICTED (2024) | Daryl Torrance, born 12 October 1989, of Sorn Street, Catrine, Mauchline – locked his dog inside a crate with “food out of reach and no water” for several days.
After receiving an anonymous complaint, Scottish SPCA officers who broke into Torrance’s home were met with “an overpowering stench of ammonia in the stairwell”.
The court heard that the officers discovered the dog “in an emaciated and collapsed state”.
The pet, a male brindle and white crossbreed, was locked in a crate lying on a blanket soaked in urine and covered in faeces.
In the opposite corner of the crate was a bowl of untouched dog food that he would have been “unable to reach” and no water.
The court heard that the dog was so weak he couldn’t lift his head and had to be euthanised due to extreme suffering.
A microchip revealed that Torrance – a self-employed painter and decorator – was the registered owner of the pet.
Alistair Duncan, assistant procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: “This was an appalling example of animal cruelty. This poor dog was left abandoned for a significant period and suffered the terrible consequences of Daryl Torrance’s shocking neglect.
“The law protects animals from harm and COPFS will continue to work robustly to ensure anyone who breaks the law faces prosecutorial action.”
Sentencing | six months in prison. Banned from owning animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2024) | serial domestic abuser and dangerous career criminal Arran Swift aka Arran Adey, born c. 1986, originally from Cowdenbeath, Fife but with links to the Lochend and Restalrig areas of Edinburgh and Cumbernauld in Glasgow – killed and mutilated a hamster with a hammer in a sick revenge attack against his partner.
The death of the little hamster, named Timmy, came to light after Swift sent the woman a chilling message, stating “Timmy isn’t going to survive”.
Police found the body of the animal, along with blood splatters where he had been thrown against a wall and a hammer covered in blood and hair.
The court heard that Swift carried out a litany of abuse after entering into a relationship with the woman in 2018 or 2019.
Fiscal depute Ronnie Hay detailed the abuse, including the destruction of the victim’s pet, committed after she took Swift back following a previous split.
He said: “The complainer felt sorry for him and invited him to stay with her.
“The accused’s behaviour did not vary – he began controlling what she was doing.
“He punched and kicked at walls and mirrors.
“They separated in September 2021 and she left her flat, leaving her pet hamster Timmy.
“Between September 6 and 16 telephone records showed 391 communications were made from his phone to her.
“These messages were also threatening – she received one saying ‘Timmy isn’t going to survive. Where are you?….bad move, goodbye’.”
Police went to the property and found evidence Swift was still living there – along with the grim discovery of the pet’s body.
Mr Hay continued: “They observed the deceased hamster, which appeared to have been struck off the wall.
“They contacted the SSPCA and an inspector attended and found the hamster and blood spatters on the wall.
“She saw a hammer with blood and hair on it.”
On an earlier occasion Swift trapped the woman inside her house, tied her hands together and followed her around the house – even watching as she used the toilet – and threatened to stab her.
On another occasion he hit her, resulting in her waking from unconsciousness in the bathroom.
After the woman left Swift initially, she found him inside her house. Swift had taken some important items, including jewellery and photographs, telling her he had taken “things that matter to you”.
He invited her to a Travelodge in Edinburgh with the promise of returning the items.
She texted her mother asking her to call the police as she needed help, only for Swift to beat her with a gin bottle.
Other incidents included stealing a television that had been taken in by a neighbour following delivery, making threats to kill her former partner, sending her photos to suggest he was in her local area and he stated he had put cameras in her home.
Swift, a prisoner at Edinburgh, admitted engaging in a course of conduct abusive of a partner or ex-partner at addresses in Fife, Edinburgh and Cumbernauld between October 2020 and January 2022.
Swift’s heinous crimes were so serious the case was remitted to the High Court in Dundee.
Presiding judge Lord Arthurson ruled that Swift poses a significant threat to the public should he be released from custody.
He said reports showed that Swift had “sadistic” tendencies and scored highly on a test to assess psychopathic behaviour.
He said: “You demonstrated extreme violence, controlling and somewhat sadistic behaviour towards your victim. You have used different aliases in relationships.
“When you are heavily intoxicated and in a state of inebriation you have felt the overwhelming desire to inflict serious pain on others. You have shown a lack of empathy. You have shown no anxiety about the consequences. There is an extremely high likelihood of you committing other offences and you have the capacity to cause lethal harm.
“You scored highly on the assessment for psychopathy. The risk of harm posed by you has been persistent over time. You have been violent against strangers and intimate partners.
“You have found it impossible to take responsibility for your behaviour. You have had eight previous partners and have shown concerning behaviour towards seven of them.
“You have described your own fantasies about harming others in the past. You killed your victim’s pet animal and mutilated the body. You repeatedly threatened to kill your victim and her family and burn down her house. This was sustained, coercive and controlling behaviour over 16 months.”
Lord Arthurson said: “I have concluded that the nature, gravity and pattern of offending are such as to demonstrate that your liberty will endanger the lives of the public at large.”
Swift will initially serve three years and nine months in prison but will be subjected to a lifelong restriction order meaning that only the parole board can decide if Swift can be managed in the community.
Swift was also made subject to a lifelong non-harassment order.
The court was told that Swift was already subject to two other non-harassment orders, had served 19 previous prison terms and was on a community payback order at the time of the latest offence.
Sentencing | three years and nine months in jail. Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR).
CONVICTED (2024) | Alexander Hamilton, born c. 1959, of 112 Windsor Drive, Penicuik EH26 8EP – trapped and starved magpies to death in his garden.
Hamilton, a former gamekeeper, pleaded guilty to confining /ibirds in illegal cages in his garden.
A trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how Hamilton deprived the animals of food, water and adequate shelter, which caused them deep distress.
His disturbing operation was uncovered by SSPCA animal welfare officers on July 29, 2022, after the alarm was raised by a neighbour who witnessed two of the birds being trapped at his property.
The magpies were discovered locked up in several small metal cages, as another bird was found lying dead on paving slabs outside.
Animal welfare officers reported how three of the traps were found in the bottom corner of Hamilton’s garden, hidden from the rest of the area by a large fencing panel. They discovered the first trap to be an illegal Larsen Mate trap containing one magpie, which was crammed into the tiny space and in poor condition.
In the second cage, another magpie was found in poor bodily condition. It had managed to squeeze through the mesh on the floor and enter a space underneath the adjacent shed.
The court heard how SSPCA officers could hear the bird scraping and pecking at the wooden floor, in a clear state of distress. After intervention, the magpies were released from the cages and into the wild.
Commenting on his sentence, SSPCA Chief Inspector Mark Rafferty, Special Investigation Unit, said: “We are pleased with the five-year ban at the sentencing result. All animals should be protected from suffering and this includes magpies.
“Our team treats these cases seriously and it is good to see that the courts share this view. We will continue to investigate this type of offending, to ensure people like Hamilton are caught and stopped from further cruelty acts.
“I would like to thank the Procurator Fiscal Karon Rollo and the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit.”
Sentencing | 100 hours of community service. Five-year ban on owning and keeping animals (expires March 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Gillian Moir, born August 1997, and Adrian Ogg, born c. 1979, of Ramana Farm, Barthol Chapel, Inverurie AB51 8TB – kept numerous malnourished animals in poor conditions.
Gillian Moir and Adrian Ogg were given a 10-year ban after SSPCA inspectors found dead and dying animals on their farm
Farm worker Adrian Ogg and his partner Gillian Moir admitted keeping small animals in “squalid” conditions while sheep, ponies and goats were discovered in an emaciated state.
The Scottish SPCA carried out an investigation into the couple after receiving a report of concern about the wellbeing of a pony named Leo.
The pony, a 30-year-old Connemara gelding, was described as having a poor body condition and despite having a “bright demeanour” his eyes were yellow and jaundiced.
A vet determined that it would be difficult to pin the condition of the horse on one matter given the age of the animal but stated that “it is likely that the body condition had occurred over a period of time, likely three weeks if due to malnutrition, but possibly longer if an underlying condition was involved.”
They concluded that veterinary assistance should have been sought for the animal to check for the underlying cause of the poor body condition.
Two older sheep who were housed with Leo were also found to have bodies that were in poor condition, showing lethargy and struggling to stand up to be examined.
Each of the ewes’ front teeth were worn down to the gum line and both had to be euthanised.
A pygmy goat named Pepper was found dead at the farm.
A post-mortem was carried out and found that “a failure to seek veterinary treatment” and “failure to the poor body condition” of the animal resulted in his unnecessary suffering.
Investigators discovered two hutches partially covered with a blanket in a shed where most of their dogs were kept.
In the first hutch – which was described as “filthy” – they found the carcasses of three dead ferrets.
One live ferret with no access to food or water was found in the first hutch.
His condition was “weak, lethargic, extremely dehydrated” and he could not open either of his eyes, which were covered in pus and appeared to be infected.
He was taken to Donview Veterinary Centre where they tried to treat his condition, but the decision was taken to euthanise him on welfare grounds.
It was believed that the ferret would have died within the next 24 hours due to starvation and dehydration.
The vet’s opinion was that he had suffered for at least a week, though probably longer.
Within the second hutch they found the carcasses of two more ferrets.
Moir and Ogg each pleaded guilty to four charges of causing animals unnecessary suffering.
Moir’s lawyer told the court his client had become “overwhelmed” after taking in too many animals and struggled to effectively provide care for them.
He added that a lightning strike during a recent storm caused the pony to stop eating and that the sheep’s teeth were worn down due to their old age.
However, when it came to the condition of the ferrets, Mr Burnett conceded that they had been “forgotten about”.
“They had not been provided with food and water – that’s accepted,” he said.
Mr Burnett asked if a disqualification order was made, that it not include animals the couple breed and sell as part of their livelihood.
Ogg’s lawyer said her client had been working as a farm hand in Aberdeenshire for 20 years and “would not have been kept on to look after animals if he was not good at it”.
She added: “He accepts he has done wrong but a recent visit [from the SSPCA] appears to have shown some improvement.
“This is all he’s ever done and he would struggle to find other work.”
Sheriff Johnston told the pair that she believed it was necessary to make a disqualification order banning them from keeping certain animals.
“Your actions in failing to secure veterinary treatment caused these animals unnecessary suffering,” she said.
The sheriff described the condition the ferrets were found in as “frankly squalid” and had to be euthanised.
Sentencing | fined a combined total of £4,950. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years, excluding sheep, pigs, cats and dogs; disqualified from dealing in animals, except sheep and pigs.
CONVICTED (2024) | John Smedley, 56, born c. 1967, of Priory Walk, Haddington EH41 4AJ – illegally shot and killed deer.
Smedley confessed to killing the roe deer without permission in Morham, East Lothian, and also admitted to having the animal’s carcass in his home at North Berwick on April 23, 2023.
He also pleaded guilty to a third charge of possessing a Texan Air Rifle Lethal Load weapon without lawful authority.
Smedley, who has a previous conviction for the same deer hunting offence, was blasted by a judge after trying to claim that shooting the animals was deemed “acceptable” in the area.
Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss stated: “I live in East Lothian and I can tell you that it’s certainly not acceptable to poach these animals.”
Commenting on the terrifying firearm Smedley owned, the judge added: “I have seen a picture of the rifle you used. It would have looked like a sniper rifle to anybody who didn’t know what it was if they saw you walking around with it.”
Fining Smedley £800, Sheriff Auchinloss continued: “That’s so you know it’s not worth your while hunting for deer – it would be much cheaper to just buy a carcass.”
Defence lawyer Mark Hutchison said his client had grown up watching his grandfather and father hunt for deer without any repercussions.
He explained: “Mr Smedley tells me that in East Lothian, there’s a culture of this kind of thing being acceptable. Obviously it’s not acceptable. I told him he will get the jail for doing it again and he said he’ll never do it again. “He’s never had a custodial sentence before and other than this matter, lives a pro-social life, working seven days a week.”
Addressing Smedley, Sheriff Auchincloss said: “This is not acceptable and is a crime. It may have been more accepted in your grandfather and father’s time.
“But time changes the law. I am satisfied that the custody threshold has been met. However, as this is a summary matter, I can only send you to prison if there are no other alternatives.”
A motion by Procurator Fiscal to have the rifle and ammunition forfeited was granted.
A source close to Smedley, who works as a scaffolder, claims he hunted the animals “for fun” and would allegedly give away the meat or feed it to his dog.
They added: “He’s done this before and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t do it again. This sentence absolutely does not send the right message of deterring others.
“Everyone in Haddington honestly expected him to get the jail for his cruel actions. Where’s the justice for these animals?”
All four deer species found in Scotland – red, roe, fallow and sika – are protected under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996. Permission to shoot them must be granted by the authorities.
CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder and wildlife persecutor William Scott, born c. 1962 of 24 Elliot Crescent, Calderwood, East Kilbride G74 3ET – for cruelty to a snake and five ferrets over a two-month period.
Scott, who is originally from Prestonpans, East Lothian, admitted failing to provide adequate food, water and living conditions for the pets.
Scottish SPCA animal welfare inspectors found the snake to be emaciated and suffering from infected lesions.
One of the ferrets was also significantly underweight and had a skin condition associated with dehydration.
Scott’s solicitor described his client as a “lifelong dog breeder” and “some kind of authority on hunting type dogs”.
He added that Scott’s own living conditions at the time were “very poor due to his poor mental and physical health”.
He was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to his ferrets and snake, by failing to provide a suitably safe and clean environment for them to live in. His not guilty plea of causing unnecessary suffering to a lurcher-type dog was accepted by the court.
He was ordered to pay a total of £420 and banned from owning and keeping ferrets and snakes only. Sheriff Colin Dunipace rejected the prosecution’s request to have him disqualified from keeping dogs.
Speaking about their investigation, a Scottish SPCA inspector said: “On August 31, 2022, we received a call in relation to a property in Elliot Crescent in East Kilbride from a local authority environmental health officer.
“The caller noted a strong unpleasant smell emanating from the property and a large build-up of flies around the door of the property.
“They also reported that the ferret hutch was in poor condition, and the ferret himself was shaking.
“We attended the property the same day and upon entering the communal garden, we found a ferret within his hutch in extremely poor body condition.
“He was wobbly on his feet and was visibly shaking. The hutch itself was in very poor condition, with a large build-up of faeces, no bedding and lack of all other necessary provisions.
“Two water bottles were present but both were empty. A food bowl with old, congealed, soggy food was present but was clearly not fit for consumption.
“Concerns for the ferret were such that we made the decision to remove him immediately in order to obtain emergency veterinary treatment.
“The ferret was examined by a veterinary surgeon who confirmed he was in an emaciated body condition and was extremely dehydrated.
“The ferret required immediate hospitalisation, for fluids and rehydration therapy.
“A veterinary assessment confirmed that the ferret had been caused unnecessary suffering. The ferret remained hospitalised for approximately 48 hours before coming to one of our centres to recover.
“On gaining entry to the property the living conditions were of immediate concern.
“There was a significant build-up of rubbish, household items, and dirt and grime throughout.
“There was an obvious strong unpleasant smell, and flies swarmed throughout the property.
“A small metal cage within the living room housed four polecat-type ferrets.
“The cage was dirty, and completely inadequate in size for the animals within. There was water provided and the ferrets appeared to be in good body condition.
“In the room obstructed by hazards, a vivarium containing an adult female dwarf hog island boa constrictor type snake was found.
“The vivarium glass had a buildup of dirt and within the vivarium, there was a lot of shredded skin and a significant amount of faeces and urine.
“There was no water present and the snake herself appeared lethargic, and lean in body condition.
“Due to concerns for the body condition of the snake, arrangements were made for her to attend an exotic specialist vet immediately for assessment.
“It was noted she was thin and mildly dehydrated. She has lesions on her ventral scales and an infection on her tail.
“Her movements and reflexes were weak and she was cold to the touch.
“The vet concluded that the snake had been caused unnecessary suffering for months due to a combination of unhygienic conditions, starvation, untreated conditions and lack of veterinary care.
“The snake was prescribed a specific course of antibiotics and provided specialist care advice for her recovery. She was transported to one of our centres for ongoing care.
“We are pleased that Scott received this ban but we would have preferred the ban to include all animals and not just ferrets and snakes.
“Some of the ferrets have since been rehomed and the others are waiting to be rehomed.”
A lurcher dog, Astor, was also taken from Scott by the inspectors and rehomed pending the outcome of the court case.
Sentencing | fined £420. Banned from keeping or owning snakes and ferrets for five years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2024) | Kevin Vivers, born 1965, with a last known address of Dalling Avenue, Bathgate EH48 2SB – for a catalogue of animal cruelty offences, rapes and sexual assaults over 36 years.
Vivers originally denied a series of charges, but was convicted of 27 crimes, including five animal cruelty offences alongside nine rape charges, seven assaults, and four sexual assaults.
His crimes in West Lothian and Stirlingshire spanned from when he was still a teenager in 1985 until 2021.
Vivers killed animals and subjected seven female victims, including a minor aged 13/14, to assaults, sexual assaults and rapes.
His first episode of animal cruelty was in 1985 when he began repeatedly punching a dog and kicking a cat.
In or around 2012 he attacked two dogs by lifting them by their collars, hitting them with sticks and kicking them.
In or around 1993 in Bathgate he killed two dogs by shooting one animal and slitting the throat of the other.
Vivers also apparently used dogs to hunt rabbits, deer and foxes and also allegedly drowned dogs.
A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh imposed a lifelong restriction order on Vivers and said he must serve a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Lord Lake told Vivers: “I must make it clear this does not mean you will be released automatically at the end of that period.”
He told the sex offender he would only ever be freed from jail if parole authorities were satisfied his release would not endanger public safety.
Expert reports prepared on Vivers concluded that he presented a high risk.
Lord Lake told him: “Your offences are of a serious kind, even when taken individually. When considered together they show a depraved course of conduct.”
He told the court via a video link to prison: “I have been penalised for something that is well and truly unproved.”
Det Ch Insp Steven McMillan said: “This was a difficult case due to the horrendous nature of Vivers’s crimes and the sickening animal abuse, which spanned so many years.
“I want to make it clear to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse that there is no time limit on when you can report these crimes. I would encourage any victims to come forward and report it to police.”
Vivers has been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Lord Lake also made orders prohibiting Vivers from directly or indirectly contacting his victims.
Sentencing | lifelong restriction order with minimum 10 years to be served behind bars.
CONVICTED (2023) | Scott Fleming, born c. 1996, of Redburn Road, Prestonpans EH32 9NA – downloaded depraved bestiality videos.
Cybercrime officers found a horror collection of videos on Scott Fleming’s phone showing a horse, a pig and a dog being raped by adult men and women
Fleming was found to have downloaded the films to his mobile phone when police officers raided his home in Prestonpans on May 10, 2021.
Prosecutor Debbie King told the court that police arrived at the home Fleming shared with older brother Gordon Fleming with a search warrant.
Ms King said that officers from the National Child Abuse Unit searched the property and seized electrical equipment including a phone, a laptop and an external hard drive.
Four MP4 videos were discovered on the mobile device showing “sexual acts between an adult female and a horse, a pig and an adult male and a dog”.
Ms King added that one film also featured “an adult female and an adult male inserting a live moving drill into another man’s penis”.
Fleming pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic material depicting bestiality but walked free from court with a community order. He also escaped being placed on the sex offenders register.
His brother Gordon Fleming, born c. 1994, also appeared in the dock accused of possessing child sex abuse images but he had his plea of not guilty accepted by the Crown.
Sentencing | nine month supervision order; 162 hours of unpaid work in the community.
CONVICTED (2023) | gamekeeper Ryan Martin, born 28 August 2000, of Balmanno Cottages, Marykirk, Laurencekirk AB30 1US – set his dogs on foxes and badgers and filmed the carnage.
Ryan Martin, who is a father, uploaded twisted social media videos of his dogs killing badgers and foxes
Martin, who is employed as a gamekeeper, posted twisted videos to TikTok and Snapchat showing bloody clashes between his dogs and foxes or badgers. Martin is heard on the videos goading his dogs into attacking the wild animals.
The shocking footage was used as evidence to convict Martin, who considered foxes and badgers as “vermin”
Martin was prosecuted following an investigation by the Scottish SPCA’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) after they received intelligence in January 2022.
On February 9, 2022, SSPCA inspectors and police officers visited Martin at the home he shares with fiancée Lia Stewart in the Aberdeenshire village of Marykirk.
A search was undertaken of the property and Martin’s mobile phone was seized. Three dogs, who looked similar to those in Martin’s social media videos, were also removed. .
The seized dogs, who all had fresh and historical animal fighting injuries, were brindle lurcher Boss, tan and white lurcher Storm and brindle deerhound/greyhound Beau.
Martin’s dogs had fresh wounds and historical injuries caused by illegal fighting with wildlife.
The dogs were examined by a vet who concluded: “It is my opinion that these dogs have been repeatedly involved in fighting with other animals and, in the case of Storm, the injuries are consistent with fighting with a badger.
“The injuries in Beau do not exclude fighting with badgers. The injuries in these dogs would have caused them pain and suffering.
“In summary, it is my considered opinion that these dogs were involved in illegal wild animal fighting activities.
“The type and distribution of injuries on Storm is consistent with wounds sustained during ‘badger baiting’ – an illegal activity where both the dogs and badgers suffer a great deal.”
Boss was found to have multiple healed injuries and scars, as well as a “deformity” to the lower lip. These injuries were deemed by a vet “consistent with, but not exclusive to, wild animal fighting injuries”.
Forensic examination of Martin’s phone uncovered numerous videos of his dogs fighting with foxes and badgers.
One 60-second video, which had been posted to Snapchat, showed Storm with the top of a badger’s head in her mouth whilst Beau and Boss are biting and attacking the badger all over his body and legs.
Depute fiscal Clair Stewart told the court: “The badger’s head and body are heavily blood-stained. A dog can be heard squealing and the badger can be seen to have a hold of Storm’s snout and lower jaw within its mouth.
“Throughout this clip, the accused can be heard shouting, ‘Get on, get on, chi chi chi chi’.”
Storm is seen “gripping the badger’s head in her mouth” while Beau and Boss bite at the badger, which is “twisting and wriggling on the roadway”.
Ms Stewart continued: “Storm’s face is buried into the chest of the badger, which appears to have a grip of her by her face.
“The accused can still be heard shouting encouragement to the dogs,
‘Get on, dogs, get on, get in there, chi chi chi.
“The video ends with Beau and Storm sitting within the rear of a vehicle with bleeding and fresh injuries to their noses.
“The accused can be heard to say, ‘Look at her, man. Go on, dogs. Piggies. Wayhay.’”
Pigs or piggies is a slang term for badgers commonly used by wildlife criminals like Martin.
A second video, posted on TikTok, shows Storm standing in a field with blood around her chest, face and head.
Storm and an unidentified lurcher dog then attack a live badger before the video cuts into another where a fox “appears to have Storm by the collar”.
At the start of a third video, posted on TikTok, Martin tells his audience: “Hold on to your fucking hats. What you’re about to see isn’t 100% legal”.
A series of photographs then show several dogs standing in a field followed by a video of Storm beside a dead fox lying on the ground.
Martin initially denied causing his dogs to fight with badgers and foxes on various occasions but later changed his plea to guilty.
His lawyer Gregor Kelly of Lefevre Litigation initially claimed his client was “out at night shooting foxes as he thinks he’s entitled to do with his dogs.”
Kelly continued: “At the time, when foxes have been shot, he encourages the dogs to go and retrieve, as they’re trained to do, and dispatch the foxes.
“On one occasion, they encountered a badger.”
Kelly conceded that “immature” and “frightened” Martin saw foxes and badgers as “vermin” but “accepts these are views not acceptable in modern Scotland”.
He told the court that Martin planned to work as a joiner to support his partner and children in the future.
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Martin: “I don’t accept the explanation you gave to the social worker.
“It’s clear from the narrative you were causing, intentionally, these animals to fight and that caused injuries and/or death to not just the foxes and badgers but to your own dogs.”
Martin has since signed ownership of the dogs over to the SSPCA, which has rehomed them.
Sentencing | 175 hours of unpaid work. Banned from keeping or working with dogs for just five years (expires December 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Stuart Connolly, born c. 1991, of Headwell Avenue, Dunfermline KY12 0JY but with family links to the Fife village of Oakley- “accidentally stood” on his puppy and left her with an untreated broken leg for days.
Stuart Connolly pictured outside court. Photo credit: Courier
Persistent petty criminal Connolly’s unnamed Staffy-type pup was only taken to the vet after police went to his house with a search warrant on February 21, 2022.
He was caught that day with more than 10g of heroin at his Headwell Avenue home.
He appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing, having earlier admitted drug possession and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the animal were met to the extent required by good practice.
Prosecutor Laura McManus told the court police went to Connolly’s home to execute a search warrant and found it in disarray.
Officers found a very small puppy resembling a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, who seemed to be walking irregularly, with her right hip protruding.
The fiscal said: “When asked about the pup he stated he stood on it accidentally about five days ago and intended getting it to the vet at some point but because the dog could walk on it he was not overly concerned and stated he had saved up to buy the dog.”
An x-ray of the animal showed there was a leg fracture and the vet said the injury was about two weeks old.
The vet said the break appeared to be healing and no treatment was thought to be necessary but the dog should have received medical treatment at the time to fix the injury with pins.
Ms McManus continued: “It was apparent the accused did not particularly think his behaviour had caused unnecessary suffering to the animal.”
The fiscal depute said police also found 10.7g of heroin inside silver wraps in a Kinder egg and other plastic wraps, with an estimated value of £550.
Defence lawyer Alan Davie said Connolly does not have the dog anymore as the Scottish SPCA removed her from him.
The solicitor said his client had bought the dog and ensured she had vaccinations about two weeks before the offence.
Mr Davie said after Connolly stepped on the dog he noticed she had a limp and did not appreciate how serious a case it was and, rather than address the issue immediately, he waited to see if it would improve.
Mr Davie said Connolly was a heroin addict and at the time of offending was using a considerable quantity – now reduced from two-to-three grammes per day to 0.3g per day.
The fiscal depute called for a court disqualification order in relation to Connolly keeping animals.
Mr Davie said Connolly would be opposed to this and has now got another dog which he has had for eight months.
The solicitor said the offence, though serious, was nearly two years old and his client seems to have looked after the new dog.
Sheriff Francis Gill sentenced Connolly to a 145-day curfew order but was persuaded a disqualification order is not necessary.
Connolly thanked the sheriff as he left court.
Sentencing | meaningless 145-day curfew order and no ban.
