Tag Archives: Southampton

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Totton, Southampton: Carrie Hansford

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CONVICTED (2024) | Carrie Hansford aka Carrie Matthews, born c. 1980, of Wickham Court, Totton, Southampton SO40 3GJ – caused a 10-year-old dog “unimaginable suffering” after leaving him to starve to death in an abandoned flat.

RSPCA prosecution of Southampton woman Carrie Hansford, who moved out of her home leaving behind her dog to starve to death
Heartless Carrie Hansford left her dog behind to die after moving in with a new boyfriend

Hansford left Staffy Rocky alone in her property on Junction Road, Southampton, after she moved in with a new boyfriend.

The court heard she saw Rocky the day after he died – December 17, 2022 – but left him there to rot.

RSPCA prosecution of Southampton woman Carrie Hansford, who moved out of her home leaving behind her dog to starve to death
Rocky died a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration and weighed only 6.75kg when he was found.

Eventually a dog warden found Rocky’s emaciated body surrounded by his own faeces.

A statement from an expert vet witness said: “In the kitchen area there were hundreds of faeces deposits.

“There were also a number of household items on the floor along with a deceased male brindle-and-white Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog. The dog was wearing a slack collar and the bony prominences were easily observed.”

The court heard that Rocky had died from starvation and dehydration. He weighed less than 7kg.

RSPCA prosecution of Southampton woman Carrie Hansford, who moved out of her home leaving behind her dog to starve to death

The vet’s statement explained the amount of faeces in the kitchen was consistent with Rocky having had access to food and water on a regular basis for a prolonged period.

It added: “However, at some point this must have stopped, and a lack of access to food caused Rocky to lose weight and arrive at an emaciated bodily condition.

“More importantly, at some point in time Rocky’s access to water must have also stopped, resulting in dehydration and death.

“In addition, Rocky would have been spending long periods of time in social isolation. As a social species, this would have affected the mental health of this animal.”

RSPCA prosecution of Southampton woman Carrie Hansford, who moved out of her home leaving behind her dog to starve to death

Hansford pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between 7th August 2022 and 7th December 2022.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Mark Knight, the dog warden who discovered Rocky’s remains said it was one of the most distressing cases of animal abuse in his career.

The former veterinary nurse added: “It is clear the owner intended to leave the dog to die. She easily could have gotten assistance and help and that would’ve given the dog a chance.

“He had no chance being locked behind a door with no food or water.

“There were ripped packages, ripped everything, everywhere. The dog had been searching for food and trying to find a way to survive.

“As an animal warden, I am there for the welfare of animals. I felt raw emotion at that time.”

Mark described the punishment meted out to Hansford as “quite shocking”.

RSPCA prosecution of Southampton woman Carrie Hansford, who moved out of her home leaving behind her dog to starve to death

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “Dogs are completely reliant on their owners and to not provide for their needs is a breach of the law.

“Providing food, water and a suitable living environment are essential elements of that care.

“The vet highlighted that Rocky had been left without food and water for a prolonged period of time and the suffering Rocky endured as a result is unimaginable.”

Sentencing | four-month prison term, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work. A FIVE-year ban on keeping animals.

Daily Mail
ITV News
Daily Echo

Dogs, hare coursing, hunting with dogs, Traveller Animal Crimes, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Hampshire Hare Coursing Ring: Leonard Pinnick, Shane and Lloyd Jefferies, Martin Buckland Jr and Sr

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CONVICTED | for hare coursing: Hampshire travellers Leonard Pinnick, born 25 December 1986, of 83 Montgomery Road, Bitterne, Southampton SO18 4RX, Shane Jefferies, born c. 1996, of 3 Hornbeam Close, Botley, Southampton SO30 2SZ, Lloyd Jefferies, born 18 March 1988, of Tanhouse Lane, Botley, Southampton SO30 2SZ, Martin Eli Buckland born c. 1983, and Martin Tony Buckland, born 13 December 2003, of Church Farm, Hound Road, Netley Abbey, Southampton SO31 5JS

Busted: Hampshire hare coursing ring comprising travellers Leonard Pinnick, Shane Jefferies, Lloyd Jeffries, Martin Eli Buckland, Martin Tony Buckland

The five travellers were sentenced for hare coursing offences under sections 63 and 64 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

This is the first time Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has secured charges and convictions under this particular legislation since it was introduced in April 2022.

On the evening of 18 January, 2023, police received a report that a group of people had driven onto farmland in the Itchen Abbas area of Winchester, damaging crops in the process, before they began hare coursing in a field.

Officers were deployed to the area and located the vehicles – a Mercedes and a Jeep – before the Jeep reversed and collided with a police car.

Once police detained the Jeep’s occupants, the vehicle was searched and officers located three lurcher dogs, five dead hares, bolt croppers and a lamp.

The Mercedes meanwhile left the scene and was followed by police to Southampton where the occupants were detained.

Inside the vehicle were two more lurcher dogs, two dead rabbits, a slingshot and a lamp.

Following enquiries, five people were charged with offences and pleaded guilty in Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 3 August:

  • Leonard Pinnick pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
  • Shane Jefferies pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
  • Lloyd Jefferies pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs, criminal damage, and dangerous driving.
  • Martin Tony Buckland pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.
  • Martin Eli Buckland pleaded guilty to trespass with intent to search for or to pursue hares with dogs, being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs, criminal damage, and dangerous driving.

Appearing at the same court on Monday 25 September, 2023, Lloyd Jefferies and Martin Eli Buckland were ordered to pay £550 compensation each to the landowner, covering the full £1,100 worth of damage caused to the crops.

Jefferies was also handed a 12 month driving ban with a requirement to complete an extended retest, a two year ban on owning dogs, a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 200 hours unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £100 kennelling costs for the seized dogs, £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Buckland was subject to the same costs and surcharge, as well as the same driving disqualification and dog ban. He was also handed a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 50 hours unpaid work.

The vehicles’ passengers were sentenced as follows:

Martin Tony Buckland was handed a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours unpaid work, a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.

Shane Jefferies was handed a 12 week curfew, a 12 month community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours unpaid work, a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.

Leonard Pinnick was handed an 18 month community order with a requirement to complete 60 hours unpaid work and attend a ‘Thinking & Skills Programme’. He was also ordered to pay a £40 fine, £100 kennelling costs, £85 court costs, £114 victim surcharge, and banned from owning dogs for two years.

The kennelling costs were recovered from all the defendants under Section 65 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act which was introduced last year.

Another passenger, a 17-year-old boy, was also arrested by police, and officers continue to work with the Youth Offending Team to reach a suitable outcome for him.

Police Staff Investigator Andrew Williams, from the Country Watch team, said: “Hare coursing is a scourge on our rural communities. It involves the senseless persecution of wildlife, whilst also making life miserable for innocent farmers and landowners, who suffer trespass and damage to their property which accompanies this type of offending.

“The Country Watch team take a very robust stance against hare coursing, and will do everything in our power to respond to reports, assist landowners and target the criminals responsible.

“Last year new legislation was introduced which is bolstering the police’s efforts to target hare coursers, bring them to justice and recover costs from them. I hope rural communities can be reassured that we are making the most of this legislation.

“We are coming into autumn now where we see the bulk of annual hare coursing reports. Please remain vigilant, and report any suspicious people or vehicles on private land to police. If a crime is in progress, dial 999.”

Hampshire Police

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Lifers, Traveller Animal Crimes, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Totton, Hampshire: Sean and Maxine McWhinnie

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CONVICTED (2023) | Sean McWhinnie, born 16 August 1980, previously of Jackie Wigg Gardens, Totton, Southampton SO40 9LZ – caught on CCTV subjecting a six-month-old foal to a 90-minute beating while sister Maxine McWhinnie (details tbc) looked on unconcerned.

Animal abusers Sean McWhinnie and Maxine McWhinnie from Hampshire.
Sean McWhinnie received a lifetime ban on keeping all animals while sister Maxine agreed voluntarily not to be involved with horses for 10 years

In November 2021 Sean McWhinnie, a traveller with links to Larkhall in Scotland, went to a farm in Romsey where a young New Forest crossbreed foal named Faith, belonging to his sister Maxine McWhinnie, was kept and carried out a sustained attack lasting more than one-and-a-half hours which left the six-month old animal “terrified”.

The attack took place while Maxine and another woman sat outside in full view of what was going on inside the stable. Neither woman did anything to intervene and appeared unconcerned.

Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Hazel Stephens told the court the charity had been alerted after staff at the yard saw the attack on CCTV.

She said: “It is a particularly shocking case. Faith had been caused pain and suffering through deliberate and unnecessary abuse.

“In one video clip McWhinnie can be seen punching the foal in the face causing it to spin 180 degrees.

Maxine McWhinnie appears unconcerned as her brother Sean McWhinnie subjects a foal to a prolonged vicious beating
Maxine McWhinnie appears unconcerned as her brother Sean McWhinnie subjects a foal to a prolonged vicious beating

“He repeatedly hits it with a rope halter and chases it. At one point the foal rears up and falls backwards and is extremely distressed.”

She added the foal, which would have only just been weaned and had no prior human interaction, was being cared for by someone with “zero understanding and empathy of its needs”.

In interview McWhinnie seemed unable to recognise any wrongdoing, she added, and he asked the officer “Have you ever broken a wild foal?”

The foal was removed and has since been kept at a rescue centre in Somerset, run by World Horse Welfare (WHW).

The welfare charity’s Field Officer Penny Baker said: “When I first got to the yard Faith was in a real state.

“She was very distressed and, when I tried to enter her stable, in self-defence she put her ears flat back, turned her bum towards me and tried to kick. She was terrified.”

Animal abuser Sean McWhinnie, a traveller from Hampshire but with links to Scotland.

Defending McWhinnie, Timothy Compton said he suffered his client was autistic, had ADHD and possible foetal alcohol syndrome.

He had suffered “many challenging situations” in his life including being placed in boarding school at the age of 13 due to his additional needs.

He added McWhinnie was from a traveller background and added: “In this society the approach to animals is not always the same as it is in wider society.

“He does [now] understand to a degree, given his difficulties, that the way he behaved was not the way he should have behaved.”

Career criminal McWhinnie, who has a history of violent offending (see here and here) admitted one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended sentence, intentionally causing alarm and distress, burglary, making off without payment, aggravated vehicle taking without consent and possession of class B drugs.

Animal abuser Sean McWhinnie, a traveller from Hampshire but with links to Scotland

For these offences he was given a further 12 months in prison, also suspended for 21 months

The sentence for these offences had been deferred to give McWhinnie a chance to prove himself, the court heard.

Judge Forster said: “This case is truly shocking. The victim of what took place was a foal, and the animal was subject to unnecessary assault.

“[Vet] Dr Green describes in a report how the the foal was repeatedly hit, wrestled and terrorised within the stable.

“I make it clear that all right-thinking people take a serious view of any cruelty towards an animal, and parliament has increased the maximum sentence [to five years] for that offence to reflect the public concern of such behaviour.”

Animal abuser Sean McWhinnie, a traveller from Hampshire but with links to Scotland

However, the judge said that despite the “shocking nature” of the offence he had suspended the sentence after taking in to consideration McWhinnie’s “difficulties in life” and said he believed his mental health challenges had contributed to his offending.

Commenting after the sentencing, WHW’s Penny Baker said: “We welcome the lifetime ban on keeping all animals, however, we are very disappointed that the prison term for this abhorrent offence was suspended because, in our opinion, this very young foal suffered terribly at the hands of Sean McWhinnie and the deliberate attack that he subjected her to.

“I feel – I’m sure along with the rest of this nation’s animal lovers – that this was worthy of a prison term with immediate effect.”

Sentencing |

Sean McWhinnie: five-month prison sentence, suspended for 21 months; 200 hours of unpaid work. Lifetime ban on keeping animals, although he can apply for this to be lifted after 10 years.

Maxine McWhinnie, who was charged with permitting the beating, agreed to a 10-year ban on keeping equines.

Horse & Hound
Daily Echo
World Horse Welfare

Dogs, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders

Woolston, Southampton: Artur and Joanna Kramer

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CONVICTED (2022) | Artur Kramer, born c. 1974, and his wife Joanna Kramer, born c. 1977, of Flat 50, 60 Victoria Road, Woolston, Southampton SO19 9TZ – illegally imported 43 dogs from Poland.

Artur and Joanna Kramer

Polish nationals Artur and Joanna Kramer pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed business, illegally importing 43 dogs and illegally transporting dogs. They also admitted two money laundering offences involving a total of £16,050.

Ethu Crorie, prosecuting, said Joanna Kramer was visited by officers from Southampton City Council in September 2020 and given a written warning.

The unscrupulous pair continued to flout the law despite being told to cease their activities

However the Kramers carried on with their illegal activities. They were travelling to and from Poland “on average around every six weeks, bringing back ten falsely described puppy litters”.

They then sold the animals using websites including Pets4Homes and Gumtree, with each being listed for more than £1,000, the authority said.

Recorder Charles Morrison said Joanna Kramer played a leading role in what he described as a group activity that had continued for some time.
He told the couple: “This was a business you were involved in to make money, without bothering to go through the usual steps to make it a lawful business.”

Sentencing | Joanna Kramer was handed a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, for a money laundering offence involving £11,250. Her husband received a nine-month sentence, also suspended for two years, for a similar offence involving £4,800. There were no separate penalties for the other offences.

Daily Echo

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

St Denys, Southampton: Jordan Campbell

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CONVICTED (2022) | Jordan Thomas Campbell, born c. 1993, of Westridge Road, St Denys, Southampton SO17 and with links to Petersfield, East Hampshire – hurled a French bulldog against a wall and brutally kicked him.

Jordan Campbell and his helpless victim Frank.
Dog abuser Jordan Campbell with his newborn baby and his helpless victim Frank.

Campbell, a violent career criminal with multiple previous convictions, also threw a ‘ceramic statue’ at the dog, known as Frank or Frankie.

He had returned to his partner Beth Wood’s flat after going to a nearby pub whilst she cared for their newborn son.

He lashed out at the defenceless dog and hit his terrified partner when she tried to phone for help, a court heard.

Campbell then took Miss Wood’s car, which was later found overturned, and racially abused a police officer when arrested.

Jordan Campbell. Picture: Facebook.
When he’s not committing crime, Campbell is trying to launch a career as a rap artist under the name JCZZ.

Campbell admitted a total of ten charges including assault by beating, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage and causing unnecessary harm to a protected animal.

In a statement read to the court, Miss Wood explained she had spent the day with Campbell and their baby before returning to her flat in the village of Kings Worthy near Winchester, Hants.

She said: “We arrived at my place in the evening and Jordan said he wanted to go out, but I was not happy as we had a newborn baby together.

“In the end I told him to go out, and he left to go to the nearest pub whilst I remained at home looking after [our son].

“When he came back he was stumbling all over the place. I had just put [our son] down.

“He was calling me a ‘grass’ and looking for my car keys. I was angry and told him to sleep it off.

“He said, ‘Give me the car keys – I will smash your face in and throw you around the room’.

“I went into the bedroom, and after a few minutes I heard him saying to my dog, ‘Frankie – you grass,’ and ‘Frankie you snake’.

“He was talking to him like he was a human, trying to start an argument.

“I saw him kick Frankie in the ribs, causing him to let out a high-pitched yelp.

“Then he picked Frankie up by the scruff of his neck and threw him against the wall, and he yelped again.

“Frankie ran into the living room and I could hear [Campbell] beating him. I screamed at him to stop and stepped between them.

“He picked up a ceramic French bulldog statue and threw it at the dog. It hit Frankie who again yelped and tried to run away.”

Campbell advertises Frank as a stud dog on Facebook
Campbell attempted to make money from Frank in the months leading up to his sickening assault on him.

When Miss Wood attempted to call police – fearful of Campbell’s destructive behaviour around their newborn baby – her partner grabbed her phone and ‘palmed’ her across the face ‘with the force of a punch’.
He then ‘smashed’ her iPhone on the end of a bed before throwing it against the wall.

Jordan Campbell. Picture: Facebook.

In her statement, Miss Wood added: “I was crying in hysterics whilst he stood and laughed… all I could think about was how I would survive and keep [my son] safe.”

After eventually finding Miss Wood’s car keys, Campbell drove and later crashed her £5,500 car.

He was arrested at around 11pm at a property in Highfield Road, Petersfield near Portsmouth – 20 miles away from Miss Wood’s flat.

The court heard he lashed out at police and racially harassed a Muslim officer.

Jailing Campbell for 20 weeks, Lead Magistrate Glen Bertram told Campbell: “There were a number of offences in a domestic situation where individuals should be entitled to feel safe.

“We will be sending you to prison for a total of 20 weeks. For causing unnecessary harm to the dog, [we sentence you to] three weeks in custody, reduced to two weeks for your early guilty plea.

“We further make an order that you are not to own an animal for 24 months.”

The court heard Frankie has been rehomed with a new owner.

Sentencing: jailed for 20 weeks. Banned him from owning animals for two years (expires March 2024).

Daily Echo
Hampshire Chronicle

Additional Information

Jordan Campbell is a part-time rap artist who goes by the name JCZZ. His YouTube channel is here.

Animal Abandonment, Reptiles / Exotics

Sholing, Southampton: Dominic Ash

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CONVICTED (2020) | Dominic Ash, born c. 1989, of Sullivan Road, Southampton SO19 – abandoned a neglected snake at a barbershop

Police mugshot of Dominic Ash


Dominic Ash, who has at least one previous criminal conviction, dumped the two-metre long boa constrictor in a tank with no water.

The reptile was found by police lying in “sludge” at the Office Barber Shop in Ashley Road, Poole.

Snake abandoned by Dominic Ash

Ash was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by failing to provide constant access to an adequate supply of clean fresh drinking water.

He had been due to appear before magistrates in January 2020 but failed to attend and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

At a subsequent court appearance he pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place between May 31 and June 5, 2019.

RSPCA inspector Jo Story investigated the incident for the animal welfare charity.

She said: “Police gained entry to the shop and once inside I could see the large vivarium with a common boa inside it. There was no water source and a sludge at the bottom of the vivarium.

“There was nowhere for the snake to hide.”

A vet examined the snake and found that she was dehydrated. It’s not known if she survived.

Sentencing: ordered to pay a total of £432. Banned from owning animals for five years (expires December 2025).

Daily Echo

Animal Abandonment, Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, UKACF Exclusive, Worst of the Worst

Sholing, Southampton: Annie Becheley-Gordon

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CONVICTED (2020) | serial horse abuser Anne-Marie Becheley-Gordon aka Annie Wakefield, born 25 August 1990, of Grove Place, Southampton SO19 9QY – left an eight-month-old filly to starve to death in a stable

Southampton horse abuser Annie Becheley-Gordon

The filly, known as Brownie, was dying when discovered lying in her own diarrhoea by a horrified member of the public. She was emaciated and covered in sores. She passed away in the arms of her rescuer.

A previous horse owned by Becheley-Gordon – 18-month-old Echo – had died in November 2018 due to an untreated worm condition, but the mother-of-two was never prosecuted for this.

Southampton horse abuser Annie Becheley-Gordon

Becheley-Gordon also had a Shetland pony, who was seized and later died in RSPCA care. A fourth pony named Faith was also removed from her.

Sentencing: 12-week suspended sentence suspended for 18 months. Ordered to pay a total of £315 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping equines for five years (expires November 2025).

Source: own research (this case never made the papers).

Wording of our Facebook post (sadly removed for breaching ‘community standards on bullying and harassment)

This is a case from last year that never made the papers and the abuser in question – Annie Becheley-Gordon aka Annie Wakefield from #Southampton – is about to get a well-deserved wake-up call as her cruelty is unforgivable.

Southampton horse abuser Annie Becheley-Gordon

Mother-of-two Becheley-Gordon locked an eight-month-old filly in a filthy stable without food and water. When discovered by a horrified member of the public, the young horse, known as Brownie, was found covered in sores and lying down in her own excrement. She died in the woman’s arms.

In November 2020 Becheley-Gordon was given a suspended prison sentence and banned from owning equines for five years. A previous horse in her ‘care’, Echo, died months earlier from a worm burden with another – a Shetland – dying a short time after being seized by the RSPCA.

The self-described ‘princess’ is a shameless irresponsible menace who will never learn from her ‘mistakes’. If there was any justice she would be in jail and that ban would have been for life.

Dogs, police dogs, service and working dogs

Hampton Park, Southampton: Ernest Kujawski

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CONVICTED (2020) | Ernest Piotr Kujawski, born c. 1978, of Mayfield Road, Southampton SO17 – repeatedly slammed a police dog in a door

Ernest Piotr Kujawski and victim Ernie
Ernest Piotr Kujawski and victim Ernie

Polish career criminal Kujawski slammed the dog, Ernie, between a door leaving him whimpering and yelping in pain.

PC Mark Farley and Mechelse herder Ernie rushed to Shirley High Street to attend reports of a car theft at around 12.47am on Wednesday, February 5, 2020.

Kujawski was spotted and suspected of having a weapon.

When the police arrived he fled the scene but Ernie was deployed to stop him.

Kujawski ran into his house and trapped the dog between a door injuring his paw.

PC Farley called for backup and with the help of a member of the public was able to free the dog.

A police spokesperson said: “Luckily Ernie has recovered well and is still a valuable member of our force.”

The duo received a Chief Constable Commendation for “showing courage, resilience, bravery and professionalism in detaining two suspects in a fast-moving, high threat environment”.

PC Mark Farley said: “Ernie did a fantastic job, and he would do so again without hesitation.

“It was by far the most difficult moment as a dog handler for me, putting him in harm’s way is never taken lightly, but we are here to protect the public.

“I am honoured to have received the award, but even more proud to see Ernie getting the recognition he deserves.”

Kujawski was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

Sentencing: unpaid work requirement of 100 hours; £123 compensation.

Daily Echo

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Traveller Animal Crimes, UKACF Exclusive

Sholing, Southampton: Billy Mitchell

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CONVICTED (2020) | William Ray Mitchell, born 9 July 1962, of Mitchfields Caravan Park, 191 South East Road, Southampton SO19 8LQ – left a tethered horse with overgrown hooves to fly-graze

The unnamed stallion, who Mitchell had used for driving, was tethered and fly grazed in a field near Southampton. He was eventually seized in April 2019 because he was deemed to be suffering.

The field where the horse was kept tethered.

The horse’s shod hooves were so long and bent up, he could no longer walk easily in his tethered circle.

Locals had to step in to feed and water the horse after his owner failed to attend to him, leaving him tethered in one area for several days at a time.

Sentencing: four-month curfew; costs and charges of £585; deprivation order on the horse. Two-year ban on keeping equines (expired March 2022).

Source: anonymous tip-off, confirmed at the courts.

Equine Abuse, horses and ponies, Traveller Animal Crimes

West End, Southampton: Mike Levy

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CONVICTED (2020) | Michael Edward Levy (aka Mike Stickland), born 08/05/1988, formerly of The Drive, West End, Southampton SO30 3AN, but gave his address in court as Metherell Avenue, Brixham, Devon TQ5 9QB – left horses in a field without clean water and shelter

Pictured is convicted animal abuser Mike Levy from Southampton
Convicted animal abuser Mike Levy is only banned from keeping equines for six months

Gypsy Michael Levy, who runs a company called Forest Falconry and Pest Control Ltd and has a previous conviction for fly-tipping, was found guilty of failing to ensure the needs of animals he was responsible for.

The father-of-five was also found guilty of transporting a pony in a way that was likely to cause injury.

Horse abuser Mike Levy with wife Maria Stickland
Levy with wife Maria Stickland

The court heard that RSPCA inspectors were called by the police after Levy allowed his ponies to fly-graze on land at Botley Road, West End, Southampton.

The land, which was littered with several hazards, did not have clean water, shade or shelter.

The fencing was also deemed inappropriate fencing for horses, which resulted in one horse getting trapped and losing a shoe.

RSPCA Inspector Tina Ward described the scene.

“A metal gate between two paddocks was hanging off its hinges,” said Inspector Ward. “The paddock also had a hidden dangerous hazard; a cesspit covered by grass and rubble.

“There was rusting metal and car parts as well as partly buried plastic blue piping. All of these had the potential to cause serious harm and injury.”

Pictured is convicted animal abuser Mike Levy from Southampton
Levy runs his own ‘pest control’ company

Police body-camera footage recorded a Shetland pony being unloaded by Levy from a white van.

Inspector Ward said the pony “had been travelling with a rope headcollar on that was loose. There were no windows giving light or ventilation, no partition to support the pony’s body, which is particularly important.”

She said: “If the pony was to lose its balance when the vehicle went round a corner or stopped suddenly, he could have injured himself significantly.”

Inspector Ward added where the pony had been standing was a number of items including a tin of paint and metal ladders.

“These also had the potential to cause the pony serious injury had he had fallen over. The method of transporting the pony was highly dangerous and would have also caused significant distress,” she said.

Inspector Ward concluded: “There were no windows giving light or ventilation, no partition to support the pony’s body. The method of transporting the pony was highly dangerous and would have also caused significant distress.”

Sentencing: Levy was ordered to pay a total of £1,233. He was banned from keeping equines for six months.

Horse and Hound
Daily Echo