CONVICTED (2023) | Derek Arthur Whittall, born August 1965, of Oaklands Farm, Weston-Under-Redcastle, Prees, Shrewsbury SY4 5LR – allowed his staff to kick, push and abuse calves at a livestock centre.
Whittall, co-director with wife Mandy Whittall, of Oaklands Livestock Centre Ltd, pleaded guilty to all six charges brought against him.
He admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a bovine calf whilst it was being unloaded from a trailer. He also admitted being responsible for two different people who repeatedly kicked, aggressively pushed or threw calves down a ramp whilst they were being unloaded from a trailer
In April 2021, undercover footage from animal rights organisation Animal Justice Project was released which showed animals being thrown down trailer ramps; kicked; pushed; dragged by their ears – and the charity said, being deprived of food and water for long periods.
Some of the calves came from farms contracted to the dairy giant Müller, whose headquarters are located nearby in Market Drayton. Müller released a statement saying that it had instructed farmers to cease supplying the centre with immediate effect.
The court documents also showed Whittall indicated pleas of guilty to removing ear tags from cattle without permission.
All of the charges Derek faced related to incidents that took place on October 10 and 11, 2020. The solicitor for Animal Justice Project said Shropshire Council pursued the charges against Whittall that resulted in a conviction.
A Shropshire Council spokesperson said Oaklands Livestock Centre Ltd is no longer in operation as a company.
Claire Palmer, director of Animal Justice Project, said: “The seriousness of Derek’s crimes cannot be overestimated.
“Not just the removing and inserting of the ear tags in the ears of calves – at a time when farmers are grappling with a Tuberculosis (TB) crisis – but allowing the abuse of calves on his holding. Our cameras showed vulnerable calves at Oaklands Livestock Centre, just a few days old, being treated like trash apparently because they were destined for the abattoir.
“This is indefensible and the sad, everyday, reality for so many farmed animals in this country. Consumers need to be aware so they can make informed food choices as, ultimately, the buck stops with them.”
Edie Bowles, Solicitor for Advocates for Animals said: “Following a hard-hitting undercover investigation by our client, Animal Justice Project, we are delighted that Shropshire Council pursued charges which resulted in a conviction, including a five-year disqualification order from keeping bovine animals. A recent report by The Animal Law Foundation revealed a systemic problem with violations of animal legal protections for farmed animals going unenforced.
“Shropshire Council’s decision to pursue this case should therefore be celebrated and we hope that more local authorities will follow this example and do more to protect farmed animals in future.”
Sentencing | 18-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days; ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £11,855.34 within 12 months. Disqualified for a period of five years from owning or keeping bovine animals (expires April 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Kevin Skelding, born c. 1983, of Liz Clare Court, Donnington, Telford TF2 7RB, Craig John Richards, born 10 August 1974, of 109 Harrold Road, Rowley Regis B65 0RL, and his brother Scott Richards, born c. 1989 and of the same address: caught armed with dogs to hunt hares.
L-R Scott Richards, Craig Richards , Kevin Skelding
Image: Facebook – Kevin SkeldingImage: Facebook – Scott Richards
The court heard that a member of the public called police on October 28 2022, after spotting the three men with lurcher dogs on land in Market Drayton, north Shropshire.
Police sent an armed response unit and scrambled the force helicopter.
At the scene, officers found an unattended Kia Sportage.
Image: Facebook – Craig Richards
Skelding and Craig Richards were found hiding in a wooded area and arrested.
Scott Richards was found in a location away from the other two. The lurcher dogs were found with the vehicle.
The three were found to be in possession of a catapult and ball bearings as well as slip leads. They claimed they were just walking their dogs.
Sentencing | Craig Richards was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work while Scott Richards was ordered to do 120 hours and Skelding 100 hours. All three men were ordered to pay £624 each towards kennelling costs.
CONVICTED | Victoria Louise Hart, born August 1987, and Gary Hart, born July 1958, both of Six Ashes, Bridgnorth WV15 6EP, Mark Walklate, born 16 July 1972, of Bromley Lane, Kingswinford DY6, and Steven Morgan, born c. 1970, of Foxdale Drive, Brierley Hill DY5 – neglected dozens of horses and kept them in poor conditions.
L-R Gary Hart, Mark Walklate, Vicky Hart
The RSPCA attended Six Ashes horse farm in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, on January 27, 2021 after receiving a call from police about concerns for horses kept there.
Officers from the charity attended alongside local horse veterinarians, and found three horses to be in a state of suffering: an Appaloosa mare, a skewbald filly and a Palomino.
The Appaloosa mare found at Six Ashes horse farm, Bridgnorth. Sadly, she did not survive. Photo: RSPCA
Both the Palomino and Appaloosa mare were lame with the latter struggling to walk even after being given pain medication. Vets considered euthanising the mare immediately on welfare grounds but decided instead to remove her for further assessment. Unfortunately there was no improvement in her condition and she was euthanised the following day.
In a written statement provided to the court, RSPCA inspector Thea Kerrison said the Appaloosa mare was found in one of the stables.
She said: “I was in the barn when the Appaloosa mare from stable two was led out. I hadn’t realised when she was in the stable how bad she was; she could hardly walk and she seemed to stumble across the barn floor as she was led out.”
The Skewbald filly found at Six Ashes horse farm, Bridgnorth. Photo: RSPCA
The inspector also noted the conditions the horses were kept in.
“The ground on both fields was very boggy and on entering to assess the ponies it was extremely difficult to not get our wellies stuck in the mud, even when staying to the fence line,” she said.
“As with the first stable, stables two to four had wet slushy floors and no dry bedding. On the opposite side were the remaining four stables.
The Appaloosa mare was lame in more than one leg and could barely walk
“Stable five had a group of five yearlings. The stable was of average size and so was very crowded with the five horses and hardly any room for them to move around.
“The floor was covered in faeces and urine and I could not see any evidence of bedding. Stable six contained four yearlings, again with a covering of faeces and urine on the floor. Some of the horses had rugs but it was clear all four were of lean body condition.”
An independent expert vet said in his report that it was his opinion that “all three horses were suffering”.
The report said: “The suffering of all three horses could have been easily avoided by provision of veterinary assessment and treatment to them.
“It is my expert opinion that the reasonable needs of the horses were not met and that the standards of animal husbandry at the location fell woefully below the most basic of standards.
“The fundamental problem is that the horses were severely overstocked in comparison to the facilities and space available at the property and this was compounded by a lack of effort to ensure that necessary daily tasks such as feeding, mucking out and checking on the welfare of the horses for signs of injury or ill health were carried out to an appropriate level.”
Sentencing |
Steven Morgan, Gary Hart, and Victoria Hart were all sentenced on November 28, 2022.
Morgan and Victoria Hart were convicted of six offences – four of causing the unnecessary suffering of the skewbald filly, the Appaloosa mare and the Palomino, and two relating to the conditions of 36 horses kept at Six Ashes.
Gary Hart was found guilty of six offences, the first four of causing unnecessary suffering to the filly, the mare and the Palomino, and two related to the conditions of three horses in total.
Gary Hart and Steven Morgan were jailed for 26 weeks each, serving half on licence, and banned from keeping animals for life, with no recourse to appeal for 10 years.
Gary Hart was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £22,684 and Morgan must pay £1,000 towards costs, with both men also to pay a £128 victim surcharge.
Victoria Hart also received a 26-week custodial sentence which was suspended for one year, and was banned from keeping all animals for life. She was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £128.
Mark Walklate pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act in that he caused unnecessary suffering to the filly and the mare and he did not take steps to ensure their needs were met.
Mark Walklate from Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands
He admitted a litany of failings including keeping the horses in muddy, filthy conditions with “negligible” room to graze, not providing veterinary care when needed and failing to protect them from pain, suffering, injury or disease.
In March 2023 he was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to pay a surcharge of £128 and costs of £850, plus carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He is banned from keeping animals for life.
Gary Hart and Victoria Hart had their lifetime bans from keeping animals modified to only cover horses, donkeys and ponies after winning a court appeal.
An appeal hearing at Worcestershire Crown Court was told that the lifetime ban which prohibited the Harts and co-defendant Steven Morgan from keeping any animals whatsoever was “excessive”.
Danae Larham, representing the Harts, said: “In relation to the breadth of the ban for both defendants… the blanket ban on all animals is somewhat excessive and unnecessary. This case dealt with one particular type of animal, namely equines.”
She added: “It is right in the course of the inspection [in 2021] that it was noted several dogs were present. They were inspected by RSPCA. They thoroughly investigated the property. There was more than one representative there and vets were in attendance. Should there have been any issue or concern with those animals there is no doubt the RSPCA would have taken action.”
Representing Morgan, Laura Rowe told the court her client’s appeal was was for similar reasons.
She said: “The order should only apply to equines. Mr Morgan worked with animals for a number of years before the prosecution was brought.
“It is clear these dogs were looked at. Both dogs they saw were in kennels, they had bed, water and straw on the floor and area reasonably clean.”
However Miss Sara Pratt, for the prosecution, told the court that there were 30 dogs on the premises when the RSPCA visited in January 2021 and that the animals, who are now in the possession of Victoria Hart’s niece, had been bred as a “commercial venture”.
She said: “In terms of the dogs, that was also a commercial venture in the same way horses were used as a commercial money-making venture.
“I invite the court to take an inference in how the horses were kept. The defendants indicated they were experienced horsemen and horsewomen and knew how to look after horses. That resulted in a wholesale disregard to animals that were in effect a commodity for making money.”
She added: “It is not simply in this case it is a desire to keep one or two, to keep family pets, but in this case it was accepted there was dog breeding. It appears to have been a commercial enterprise as the horses were – similar amount of horses.”
She also reminded the court that both Gary and Victoria Hart had been convicted in 2018 in relation to the neglect of a horse.
Meanwhile, Morgan had been banned from keeping dogs for ten years in 2015 following a prosecution for neglect, for which he was jailed for four months.
Judge Seanin Gilmore told the court that the purpose of the ban was not “not a punitive order” but one to protect animals, but , she conceded in the original trial, no evidence was presented to suggest animals other than horses were mistreated.
She said: “It is safe to say the levels of neglect and poor management was simply staggering. In my view, the defendants were jointly responsible for numerous and highly serious failings. The horses were not given even the most basic of care but left to fester in muddy fields or crowded stables. The defendants acknowledge this and that a disqualification of horses was inevitable.
“It would a permissible for this court to draw inference that the neglect of horses may mean they may treat any animal in the same way,” she said.
But the judge added: “However, I have seen a witness statement from an RSPCA inspection of the premises in relation to dogs. There were found to be about 30 dogs in premises in various locations. And I understand the defendants engaged in a commercial breeding enterprise.
“While the inspector paints a rather chaotic scene, for the most part the dogs’ basic needs were appearing to be met.”
She added: “These two individuals are clearly more capable of looking after dogs more than horses.”
She decreed that in the case of the Harts, the order disqualifying them from keeping any animals should be reworded to “horses, donkeys and ponies” only.
However, the judge said as Morgan had previously been disqualified from keeping dogs, the order banning him from owning any animals for life would remain in place.
CONVICTED (2023) | hare coursing gang Joseph Smith, born c. 1984, of Lower Heath Caravan Park, Watery Lane, Stourport-on-Severn DY13 9PR, Michael Toogood, born c. 1996, of the Paddocks, Warrant Road, Stoke on Tern, Market Drayton TF9 2DZ, and Ben Evans, born c. 1999, of Pigeon Door, Ryton, Shrewsbury SY5 7NQ
Convicted for hare coursing: L-R Ben Evans, Joseph Smith, Michael Toogood
Travellers Michael Toogood, Joseph Smith and Ben Evans (who has previous for dog cruelty alongside wife Alexandra Evans) were prosecuted for trespassing with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs.
Joseph Smith from Stourport. WorcestershireSmith and a hare-coursing chum Micheal Mongan share some memoriesMichael Toogood from Market Drayton, ShropshireBen and Alexandra Evans from Ryton, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire
The trio pleaded guilty to the offence on 21 February 2023 and were sentenced.
The offence occurred on 28 October 2022, when the three men trespassed onto farmland in Letcombe Bassett, Wantage, Oxfordshire.
They had four lurcher type dogs and were looking for hares.
They were each fined £500, and have to pay £85 in costs and £200 in surcharge.
CONVICTED (2023) | puppy farmer Robert Bransby, born c. 1986, of Cae Pentre, Brynteg, Broughton, Wrexham LL11 6AQ – illegally bred and sold dogs kept in atrocious conditions .
Rob Bransby was originally prosecuted by the RSPCA alongside mother Alison Bransby and sister Kayleigh Bransby in relation to an illegal dog breeding business at White House Farm, Hollins Lane, Tilstock, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 3NU. Although the women were sentenced in October 2022, Rob Bransby failed to show up at court.
Alison (left) and Kayleigh Bransby together with Rob Bransby made a fortune breeding and selling dogs from the family’s disgusting puppy farm
He has now been sent to prison for 18 weeks and given a 15-year ban on keeping dogs for his role in the puppy farm after admitting breeding and selling dogs without a licence.
Thirty-five dogs, including cavapoos, cockapoos, dachshunds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels and terriers were found living in appalling conditions during a warrant carried out on February 24, 2021 by the RSPCA and West Mercia police.
The raid followed complaints from members of the public who had bought puppies and dogs from the farm which later became ill.
The family advertised ‘home-bred’ puppies for sale on different websites but the reality was a large-scale puppy farm with dogs housed in wooden sheds, pens and kennels, some barely bigger than a large rabbit hutch.
The court heard that the women had made £150,000 from illegally breeding and selling the puppies, and around £9,000 in cash was seized from a safe at the property during the operation.
In her evidence, Kate Parker, the RSPCA inspector who led the investigation, said: “There were wooden sheds with stable type doors.
“Inside I could see a typical breeding set up for puppies, with a heat lamp angled over a plastic dog bed, an empty bowl and some soiled rags inside the bed.
“Inside a lean-to type construction there was a row of metal constructed kennels.
“There was a thin layer of sawdust on the concrete floor, clutter, household items and electrical cables dangling inside, accessible by the dogs housed in each.”
Shropshire puppy farmer and NHS radiographer Kayleigh Bransby with boyfriend Dan Clare. Clare was also prosecuted but it appears the case against him did not proceed.
RSPCA animal centres in Leicester, Birmingham and Aylesbury, assisted by a number of the charity’s fosterers, took in the animals, who have been rehomed.
Speaking after the hearing, chief inspector Ian Briggs from the RSPCA’s special operations unit, who assisted the investigation on the illegal selling, said: “We’d always encourage anyone thinking of getting a puppy to adopt rather than buy, and to do lots of research first to ensure they source a dog responsibly.”
Sentencing | 18 weeks of immediate custody; £728 in costs and victim surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for 15 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | Hunt master Daniel James Cherriman, born June 1985, of Eaton Mascott, Cross Houses, Shrewsbury SY5 6HF – failed to call off dogs when they “disturbed” a fox.
Daniel Cherriman
South Shropshire Hunt master and ex huntsman of the Pytchley Hunt Daniel Cherriman was in charge of a hunt on National Trust land in the Long Mynd area of Church Stretton when the dogs caught scent of an animal.
According to Cherriman’s legal representative, the fox was not killed,
The court heard that footage captured by witnesses showed Cherriman making noises to disturb foxes. He then did nothing as the hounds hunted.
As hunt master, Cherriman should have identified what was happening and taken measures to take the hounds off the scent. The court was told Cherriman was responsible for the hounds on that day, and he should have taken reasonable action.
Cherriman pleaded guilty to hunting a wild mammal with dogs, contrary to the Hunting Act 2004.
Stephen Belford, mitigating, said that Cherriman would likely “be subjected to adverse comments for weeks, months and probably years” from hunt saboteurs who would “rejoice” in his guilty plea.
“It’s not a case where there was a kill,” he said. “On this occasion a fox was disturbed.”
Oliver Beazley
The case had been due to go to trial in December 2022, with Cherriman’s “whipper-in” or assistant, Oliver Beazley, also due to appear in court. However, Cherriman told his legal representative he wanted to plead guilty at the beginning of October 2022. The case against Beazley was discontinued.
Cherriman is a self-employed father-of-three who rides as an amateur jockey in point to point races.
Sentencing | ordered to pay a total of £803 in fine, costs and surcharge.
CONVICTED (2022) | puppy farmers Alison Bransby, born c. 1960, of White House Farm, Hollins Lane, Tilstock, Whitchurch SY13 3NU, and daughter Kayleigh Alice Bransby, born c. 1991, of Green Lane Farm, Tushingham, Whitchurch SY13 4QS – kept 35 dogs among other animals in horrific conditions.
Alison Bransby (left) and daughter Kayleigh Alice Bransby, an NHS worker.
Alison Bransby was jailed for 22 weeks after admitting 17 welfare charges relating to 27 dogs, eight puppies, two cats, a horse, a lamb, a terrapin and an African grey parrot. This included one offence of breeding and selling puppies without a licence.
Her daughter, Kayleigh Bransby, who works for the NHS as a radiographer, admitted nine offences and was given an 11-week jail term, suspended for 12 months.
The court heard how mother and daughter were illegally operating an extensive commercial dog breeding operation at the site and advertised the enterprise on different websites.
Dogs and puppies, which included cavapoos, cockapoos, dachshunds, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and terriers, were housed in wooden sheds, pens and kennels, some barely bigger than a large rabbit hutch.
The court heard that Alison Bransby had made £150,000 from illegally breeding and selling puppies.
An investigation was launched after people alerted the RSPCA about animals bought from the pair at White House Farm and who had become sick.
A raid by the RSPCA and West Mercia Police discovered dozens of neglected animals, which were suffering disease and other health conditions and without adequate facilities.
These included:
Fifteen dogs, some with significant health conditions, living in dark, cluttered and unhygienic conditions with limited access to water and bedding.
Eight puppies born to a one-eyed mother dog, found in an outdoor kennel block with no water.
Two cats with significant ear disease. Both were put to sleep.
A lamb whose lower eyelids had rolled in.
A terrapin with a heavily deformed shell living in an enclosure with no UV or heat source
An African grey parrot with extensive feather loss living in a filthy cage
A thoroughbred mare called Ruby with severely overgrown hooves that had not been treated for at least six months and teeth that had not been seen for two years. Tragically she too was euthanised on the advice of a vet
The animals had been inadequately cared for for at least nine months due to the extent of disease present, a vet said.
One elderly, emaciated King Charles Spaniel, called Teddy, had been used for repeated breeding. He was in such poor condition that he had to be put to sleep to end his suffering.
A vet said that none of the 41 animals that were seized had been provided with a suitable environment.
All but three of the animals have since been rehomed, including a dachshund Eric, who was adopted by a police officer who assisted in the operation.
Kayleigh Bransby with boyfriend Dan Clare, who was originally charged in connection with the puppy farm business.
The court heard that Alison Bransby was suffering from physical and mental health issues during the time of the offences.
Alison Bransby’s son Rob Bransby
Rob Bransby, whom we believe to be Alison Bransby’s son, was also originally charged following the raid, as was Kayleigh Bransby’s boyfriend Dan Clare. It’s not known if they are to be sentenced separately or if the cases against them have been dropped.
Sentencing | Alison Bransby: jailed for 22 weeks; ordered to pay £42,000 costs. Banned from keeping all animals for life. Kayleigh Bransby: 11-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months; 200 hours of unpaid work; £20,000 costs. 10-year ban on keeping all animals.
Alison Bransby appealed against her conviction and custodial sentence but on Friday 18 November 2022 this was rejected by judges.
The defendant had been reportedly released to live with family members pending the appeal but she is now expected to serve her sentence in full.
Speaking after the hearing, chief inspector Ian Briggs from the RSPCA’s special operations unit, which investigated the illegal selling, said: “We’re pleased this case has finally concluded and that the vast majority of the animals who suffered such terrible neglect are now living happy lives in loving new homes.
“We’d always encourage anyone thinking of getting a puppy to adopt rather than buy, and to do lots of research first to ensure they source a dog responsibly.”
Rob Bransby has now been sentenced for his part in the illegal breeding operation. He was given a short custodial term and 15-year ban on keeping dogs. Full details here.
CONVICTED (2022) | commercial breeders and dog show judges Ray Mainland, born c. 1952, and partner Sue Tweedie, born 12 July 1962, both of The Banks, St. Georges Road, Donnington, Telford TF2 7NE – kept 18 dogs in squalid conditions.
RSPCA officers found the Bouviers de Flandres and Portuguese water dogs in a smelly and unsanitary environment at the couple’s home in 2020.
The RSPCA was alerted to concerns for the dogs’ welfare when Mainland and Tweedie sought to rehome the animals in January 2020.
During a visit the following month, inspector Kate Parker discovered heavily soiled blankets outside and a dog pen that was also heavily soiled.
“The window to the left of the front door, and the front door itself, had a thick layer of a black substance, and the smell that was coming from within was foul,” Ms Parker said.
“It was almost unbearable without being immediately in front of the door.
“The smell was an obvious smell of faeces and ammonia, which made me feel nauseous. I continued to knock on the front door, but I got no reply.”
An independent vet report found the needs of the dogs in the pair’s care were not being met.
The pair were found guilty of one charge under the Animal Welfare Act and were ordered to pay £1,800 in court costs plus £200 each in fines. Lifetime ban but can appeal after 12 months.
The court has granted the pair 21 days to rehome all of their dogs before the ban on keeping animals is enforced.
CONVICTED (2022) | puppy farmer Kenneth Stephen Purchase, born 18 March 1953, of the Allscott Mill, Allscott, Telford TF6 5EE – conned pet lovers into buying unhealthy dogs, some of whom had to be put down.
Ken Purchase, owner of the Allscott Mill Bed And Breakfast Telford, appears to have turned to breeding unhealthy puppies as a way out of his self-created financial hole.
Purchase, a B&B owner who has appeared on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed, sold at least 321 dogs after placing a number of adverts of puppies for sale on the Pets4Homes website between March 5 and September 12, 2018.
Several owners, who chose to buy from Purchase due to the fact that he had a legitimate dog breeder’s licence and thought he was a responsible person to buy from, found their beloved new pets were fraught with health problems including Canine Parvovirus – a highly contagious disease that affects a dog’s gastrointestinal tract and has a mortality rate of up to 91 per cent if untreated.
A number of dogs sold by Purchase later died, and one owner described how she kept thinking about the sound of dogs howling when she visited the squalid conditions, and that the thought of a dog she left behind gave her “nightmares”.
Purchase was told by Recorder Mr Anthony Hawks that his record keeping for the dogs including for their vaccinations was “a disgrace”.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Purchase had been granted a licence to breed and sell from a maximum of 12 female dogs, each of which would provide one litter per year.
A separate licence, known as a “pet shop licence”, must be obtained for a breeder to be able to buy dogs from other sources and sell them on. The court heard that Purchase had applied for such a licence, but had never been granted one.
One of Purchase’s customers said in a victim impact statement heard by the court that when she visited she was confronted with “a barn full of dogs”, and that she chose to buy a West Highland Terrier puppy “to rescue it”.
The dog suffered from health problems. She said there was another one in the pen which “appeared lifeless”, and said she “had nightmares” about the dog she left behind.
Another customer, who also bought a Westie puppy, took his dog to the vets to find out it had Canine Parovirus. It was hospitalised nine days after he bought it for £545. Purchase told him the dog must have caught the virus at the vets.
A third victim said she named her Bichon Frise pup Bonnie, after a friend who had recently died. The dog, which she bought from Purchase, also suffered health problems and had to be put down. The owner said the vet’s bills meant she couldn’t afford her rent and had to move house. “The whole ordeal was extremely stressful,” she said.
Purchase pleaded guilty to one offence of engaging in a commercial practice which was a misleading action, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and European Communities Act 1972.
His defence advocate appealed to the Recorder not to send him to prison due to Purchase’s own health problems.
Recorder Hawks told Purchase: “I thought about sending you to prison. You deserve to go to prison.”
But, given the fact that sentencing powers would mean a short period in custody, and that Purchase’s health issues would cause problems for prison staff, the Recorder chose to fine him £25,000 and order him to pay £25,000 in court costs.
The judge also made a Confiscation Order of £50,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
In addition, Purchase was told to pay £1,286 compensation to victims.
“You chose to make money by deceiving people deliberately, so now you are going to have to pay,” added the Recorder.
If he doesn’t pay, Purchase will face 15 months behind bars.
Purchase is a former boxing promoter operating under the name Boxfrog Promotions. In October 2016 Birmingham Live reported how scores of fight fans had been left out of pocket after a number of ‘meet and greet’ events failed to materialise. Fans trying to get their money back from Purchase met with a brick wall. Purchase told news reporters that he was in financial difficulty and likely heading towards bankruptcy.
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.
