CONVICTED (2023) | sadistic Daniel Taylor, born c. 1992, of 99 Shrewsbury Road, Manton, Worksop S89 2TX – tortured, killed and mutilated more than 100 deer, foxes, badgers and pigeons.
A police search of the home Daniel Taylor shares with company director wife Georgina Ruth Taylor, née Georgina Brigham, revealed over 100 graphic phone videos and images which showed him attacking, decapitating and encouraging his dogs to fight and kill wildlife.
Prosecutor Lucy Woodcock told the court: “In some videos he is seen dissecting the animals and ripping internal organs out”.
Officers also found 15 deer heads and 14 fox tails, as well as snares and weapons.
Police found a shocking hoard of deer skulls, fox tails and weapons at Daniel Taylor’s family home
A blood-stained quad bike and lamping equipment were also recovered.
Police arrested Taylor, confiscated his phone and removed his dogs from the house as part of the investigation.
Officers were able to map the images and videos on his phone to specific locations.
PC Mark Holland, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “From this we were able to prove when and where most of the animals were killed and link this evidence in with several reports of poaching.
“We also received intelligence which helped establish Taylor was in areas at the relevant times.”
PC Ben Harrison said: “At the back of Taylor’s premises we found what was essentially a slaughterhouse for animals.
“Taylor clearly took pleasure out of his dogs torturing these animals.
“They were clearly being trained to get hold of these animals and rip them to shreds.
“The videos were gruesome and the sounds of the animals squealing in pain were horrible.
“In one particular video, while Taylor was filming one of these acts, he dropped his phone and it flipped over. He bent over to pick it up and it captured a full face shot of him. There was no question over who was doing the filming or who was the owner of these videos.”
The court heard Taylor had played a leading role in “sadistic behaviour” which was “prolonged and repeated” between August 2021 and February 2023.
Sentencing Taylor, Judge Mark Watson told him: “These offences cannot in any way be described as sport. This was a barbaric hobby of yours.
“This was planned activity by you and you clearly revelled in the suffering of these animals.
“You encouraged your dogs to attack these animals with ferocity and they suffered immeasurably.
“These were prolonged and repeated incidents of serious cruelty and examples of sadistic behaviour.”
Sentencing | jailed for two years and eight months. Banned from owning, keeping or participating in keeping dogs for at least seven years
CONVICTED (2023) | Nathan Thompson, born 1994, of Melbreak Avenue, Cleator Moor CA25 – killed a young border collie after weeks of systematic abuse.
Neighbours heard Nathan Thompson beat his dog, causing her distress and to yelp in pain and cry.
Thompson mistreated the puppy, known as Daisy, so badly that she eventually died. He then tried to cover his tracks by setting a fierce fire, inside a metal bin.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Thompson had brought home the dog shortly after moving into the terraced property in 2022.
But throughout the late summer, neighbours heard sounds of the puppy being abused.
Neighbours reported Thompson had regularly beaten Daisy causing her distress and to yelp in pain and cry.
This included incidents of grabbing her by the scruff and banging her against the cage causing injury. These assaults increased in frequency in the lead up to her death.
“Thuds and crashes followed by the distressing noises of the animal crying in pain. This went on for night after night,” said prosecutor Andrew Evans.
Neighbours had described their deep distress at hearing banging, shouting and hearing the dog cry in pain “all the time”.
One woman would sit on her back doorstep crying because the dog was being beaten.
Thompson was seen to grab the puppy around her neck before dragging and pushing her head down into the grass, and also to hose her down while she was tied up.
The noises of beating became more frequent and “most days” there would be a “bang and a yelp”.
“It is the Crown’s case that the defendant, in rage and anger, repeatedly beat Daisy over the final few months of her life, and that the beatings she received, either with punches, kicks or the use of the metal cage door, caused the puppy distress and injury,” said Mr Evans.
Daisy had died at an unknown time on September 5, 20222, the court heard.
“Later that day the defendant placed her corpse into a large metal bin in his back garden,” added the prosecutor.
“Using an unknown accelerant he set a fierce fire which destroyed the body to such an extent that the veterinary post-mortem was unable to determine the exact cause of her death when, two days later, neighbours found the remains of the body and alerted the police.”
Thompson admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
He had claimed that Daisy escaped and war un over but this version of events was dismissed by a judge who heard evidence, including harrowing accounts from neighbours who had sought to intervene.
Recorder Julian Shaw imposed an immediate 27-month jail term, describing Thompson’s criminal conduct as “cruelty” and “sadistic” having used “significant force.
“What greater harm could there be to that animal than you killed it?” he wondered.
And of the brutal treatment meted out by Thompson, Recorder Shaw said to him: “You must have known, day after day after day what you were doing was grotesque.”
CONVICTED (2023) | Nicola Bradley, born c. 1988, of Welsh Road, Upperby, Carlisle CA1 3AU and Tracy Dixon, born c. 1976, of Warnell Drive, Harraby, Carlisle CA1 3LR – sadistically tortured and killed a friend’s African grey parrot.
Tracy Dixon (left) and Nicola Bradley were jailed for the sadistic killing of a friendly African grey parrot called Sparky
Friends Bradley and Dixon were collected from a night out by Paul Crooks, who took the women to his home at around 5.30am on July 30, 2022.
As the women carried on drinking, Mr Crooks went to bed. He woke at 8.30am to find his guests had messed around with shaving foam which had gone over the cage of the parrot, Sparky.
This was cleaned and, as he left his house to go shopping, he told the women to leave the bird alone.
But on returning home Mr Crooks found the women wearing his clothing with Sparky unresponsive and unrecognisable, her head hanging limply out of a cage.
After confronting the pair, he learned the parrot had been covered with Mr Muscle, Brasso, furniture polish, daubed in gloss paint, and also hit with a tea towel.
Attempts were also made to feed Sparky to Mr Crooks’ dog before the parrot was dumped into a tumble drier which was switched on.
Mr Crooks was told that Bradley had snapped Sparky’s neck with Dixon reporting the bird to be “gasping” when pulled from the drier.
But after police were alerted and the women were interviewed, they sought to blame each other for the shocking cruelty.
The women went on trial in July 2023 having denied causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal but were found guilty by magistrates.
Mr Crooks had told the court that singing Sparky was a big hit with his friends, and used to belt out the national anthem plus theme tunes from Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Sentencing them, Judge Richard Archer said “You, together, sadistically tortured and essentially killed Sparky. It is frankly beyond comprehension how anyone could treat an animal in his way.”
Sentencing | 25-month custodial. Both were banned from owning or keeping animals indefinitely.
CONVICTED (2023) | Reegan Smith, born 3 December 2004, of Dunstan Street, Netherfield, Nottingham but with links to the Gedling* and Sherwood areas of the city – kicked and hit a helpless pigeon with a tray while three women cheered him on.
Smith attacked the defenceless bird in a bike shed area off Winchester Street, Sherwood, on the evening of October 18, 2022.
The RSPCA was sent copies of three CCTV video clips taken of the cruel behaviour, which showed he was seemingly encouraged by three female onlookers.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Rebecca Lowe said: “The video clips show sickening violence being inflicted on the poor pigeon, involving not only the perpetrator but three female onlookers who seemed to be egging him on.
Reegan Smith was filmed torturing a helpless pigeon while the three females pictured egged him on
“When we spoke to the person who had sent the CCTV footage to us, they told us that they had found the injured pigeon and moved it to a place of safety. We provided the clips to a local vet who reviewed the footage and he confirmed that trauma had been inflicted on the pigeon.”
The vet reported that the videos showed a “young male inflicting repeated trauma to the pigeon by kicking [it] numerous times”.
He continued: “It is self-evident that the male’s foot makes contact with the bird, and… the bird jumps and flutters and tries to escape from the male.
“It is clear that this young male knows what he is doing as he re-approaches the bird to see what the bird is doing …. It is evident that this young man is playing to an audience and he is being egged on.
“The young females appear to be filming the incident with no effort to prevent the man from inflicting any further punishment on this bird. He attempts to inflict further damage and pain to the bird, he used a further object (tray) to hit at the bird. In addition the young man appears to throw a small object towards the bird.
Smith pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the pigeon and given a suspended sentence and short ban on keeping animals.
Sentencing | four-month suspended prison sentence; costs of £300 and a victim surcharge of £154; 15 days of rehabilitation. Three-year ban on keeping animals (expires August 2026).
CONVICTED (2023) | Lewis Hudson, born 9 June 2000, of Crispin Road, Netherley, Liverpool L27 7BE – tortured his girlfriend’s kitten over eight months by shooting her, scalding her in the shower and covering her in bleach before beating her to death.
Lewis Hudson shot a kitten with a BB gun, stamped on her with steel toe cap boots and covered her in bleach. He even hit her with a shovel.
During an eight-month campaign of terror, Lewis Hudson subjected the kitten, known as Binx to multiple sadistic attacks, culminating in her horrific death in August 2022.
The appalling catalogue of abuse began not long after Hudson had moved into a flat in Prescot with his now ex partner, Summer – who owned Binx – in August 2021.
In the months that followed Summer noticed several injuries on the cat. Hudson initially denied all knowledge, but soon began openly abusing Binx.
On one occasion he punched the kitten after she had scratched the furniture.
He also left her in the shower with the water running for long periods of time. Her owner found the distressed animal in the the bathroom, which was full of steam. She was crying and panting and her skin was hot to the touch.
In June 2022, Summer was watching funny cat videos on her phone when Hudson told her he had a funny video to show her. He then showed her a video of him stamping on Binx in steel toe cap boots. The cat was screaming and Hudson told her he would continue to do so if she did not do as she was told.
On another occasion Summer found Binx lying motionless and matted with blood in the bath after she had been hit with a shovel in the shower. This had been done with such force, the young animal’s teeth had been broken
Hudson would also shoot the cat with pellets from his BB gun. He even soaked them in cleaning fluids before firing them – and also hit Binx with a mop soaked in bleach “in the hope it would kill her”.
Summer tried to make arrangements for the cat to be rehomed but Hudson refused to allow this because he feared the injuries would be traced back to him and he wanted a dog.
In a disturbing series of text messages sent in August 2022, Hudson told his then partner that the cat was “going to get it” and he was “going to whack her with this shovel”.
He then told her “if you don’t get home now I am going to kill it”.
He finished by telling Summer “everyone in your family thinks I am a soft c because I am polite and quiet to them. I’ll f**** show them the real me if they want.”
She returned home to find Binx lying motionless. Her fur was matted with blood where she had been hit with the shower head.
Her fangs had been cleanly hit out of her mouth due to the force. Summer passed out when she saw the cat’s injuries while her mum called the police.
Hudson was arrested at the scene. When questioned by the police, Hudson claimed he “was all talk” and had kicked the cat away from him causing her to hit the TV stand.
In his witness statement RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes, who investigated for the charity, said: “Binx was wrapped in a bag, covered with a towel and contained within a cardboard box. I saw she had a number of fresh looking wounds around her nasal area and chin. I noted there were no obvious signs that might suggest Binx had been involved in a road traffic accident and her claws did not appear scuffed.
“The inside of her mouth was bloodied and I noted that both upper canines were broken. When handling Binx I noted a crisp packet type sound coming from the chest area which can be a sign of subcutaneous emphysema and indicative of chest trauma.”
Inspector Joynes arranged a post mortem examination. It showed that Binx’s body was covered with abrasions and bruises.
Her ribs were fractured and her lung was punctured, which was confirmed to be the cause of death. The court heard the cat had “suffered extensively”.
“Faeces and blood were reportedly seen in multiple areas of the premises, indicative that the cat was injured and mobile for a period of time immediately prior to death,” said a report by an independent veterinary expert.
“The most likely cause of death in this animal, otherwise healthy, was a traumatic and non- accidental pneumothorax. It is clear that the animal suffered multiple, different, blunt traumas and that the animal was conscious when this occurred.
“Furthermore, the healing fractured rib and the “aged” bleeding, support the existence of a previous traumatic event to the chest, many days ahead of the fatal set of injuries listed above.”
In mitigation, the court heard Hudson had experienced “traumatic events in his childhood”. He was supported by his dad in court and it is understood that his mother bakery owner Lisa Hudson and grandmother Marion Hudson are also standing by him..
Honour Judge Brian Cummings KC called the criminality “a sickening catalogue of cruelty to a defenceless animal”. He noted the totality of the offending and the prolonged and “sadistic” nature of the torture. In mitigation he took into account Hudson’s guilty pleas to two counts of animal cruelty and one of harassment relating to the text messages to Summer.
Judge Cummings jailed Hudson for two years and three months. He also imposed a restraining order that stops him contacting Summer for 10 years, as well as disqualifying him from keeping any animal for life.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, inspector Joynes said: “This case involved stomach-churning and sadistic levels of cruelty over a prolonged period.
“The extreme suffering Binx endured at the hands of Hudson was used to hurt and punish Binx’s owner – who was obviously devastated by what happened to her beloved pet.
“This is one of the most extreme examples of physical and psychological suffering inflicted on an animal I’ve seen in 14 years with the RSPCA. This case involved nothing short of torture and is exactly why the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) bill was introduced in 2021 to increase sentencing powers for the most extreme cases of animal cruelty.”
The RSPCA worked in partnership with the police to bring the charges against Hudson.
Sentencing | two years and three months in jail and a lifetime ban. 10-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Summer.
CONVICTED (2023) | Jamil James Khan, born 1 September 1993, of 9 Mason Street, Colne BB8 9BU – subjected two kittens to multiple attacks, causing one to suffer fatal injuries.
Khan, who has links to Norwich and Bacup, Lancashire, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the kittens called Obi and Amidala, between April 1 and July 4, 2022.
The court heard how Khan took Obi to Stanley House vets where he claimed the kitten had been injured by a dog.
An examination revealed Obi had suffered fractures to his jaw and skull.
Two days later, on July 3, Khan phoned the vets again and said Obi was shallow breathing but still alive. He attended the vets within a few minutes by which time Obi had died, This time he said the kitten had been involved in a road traffic accident
The vet challenged Khan since the kitten’s injuries were not consistent with this account. Khan replied three times “I just can’t tell you’”.
The matter was referred to the police, who arrested and interviewed Khan that same day. He refused to answer any questions and responded with “no comment”.
A search of Khan’s property found another kitten, Amidala, who was handed over to the RSPCA.
She was taken to Greater Manchester Animal Hospital where it was found she had at least one fractured rib.
A post-mortem examination on Obi at the University of Liverpool found multiple fractures across his body and blood in his stomach, which shows he was alive when being subjected to the physical violence.
Joanne Daniels, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said both animals had been subjected to blunt force trauma on multiple occasions, while Obi suffered from high energy blunt force trauma and was alive at the time.
Mitigating, Rhianydd Clement said Khan had spoken about being stressed at the time of the abuse. She said that he panicked when speaking to the vet and realised the gravity of the situation he was in, which is why he did not tell the truth.
She added Khan had taken full responsibility for his offending and he is extremely remorseful.
Khan had been studying a psychology degree at Burnley College but has abandoned his course after one year due to the prosecution case.
Sentencing, Recorder David Temkin said: “Over the course of three months you mistreated both of those cats.
“The vet pressed you on how Obi died and the police were called. You were arrested on July 3 and interviewed but provided no comment and the police searched your house.
“They found a second kitten and it was medically examined and found to have at least one rib fracture.
“Those kittens were subjected to blunt force trauma and on both occasions suffered pain from your abuse. You failed to meet their needs.
“Your behaviour was clearly violent and must have been regular. You continued until one lost its life.”
Sentencing | 18 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months; 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days; £300 fine to be paid at £30 for week. Disqualified from keeping, owning or caring for animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2022) | David Farrow, born c. 1951, of Thorne Road, Doncaster DN1 – tortured squirrels by trapping and drowning them.
Farrow pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a squirrel under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He also admitted using a Fenn trap in circumstances for which it was not approved for.
He was reported to the RSPCA by several people for trapping and drowning grey squirrels at his former home at Ranworth Close in Cusworth, Doncaster.
He said he’d used Fenn traps to catch the squirrels because they were pests, even though he was told the manner in which he was trapping them was unlawful.
RSPCA inspector Tamsin Drysdale visited Farrow’s bungalow on June 27, 2021 where the defendant showed her a humane trap he had set up in a lean-to.
Farrow explained he took the ensnared squirrels and drowned them in a water butt.
Inspector Dysdale said in a written statement presented to the court that she explained to Farrow that although his trap was legal, the drowning of squirrels was an offence.
He said he wasn’t aware of this and that he would now dispatch them with an air rifle,” said the inspector.
“He then said that he would get his nephew to kill them with a shotgun. I got the impression that he was not taking the situation seriously.”
Two weeks later the inspector paid another visit to Farrow’s bungalow with a police officer when he told them he was still trapping squirrels, but not drowning them.
He was told to stop his actions, but when RSPCA inspectors paid a further visit on October 15, 2021, a critically-injured squirrel was found dangling in a Fenn trap. The animal was put to sleep by one of the inspectors to end his suffering.
“The squirrel was hanging by its front leg from the trap, which was suspended with rope from the roof of the lean-to. The squirrel was alive, screaming and clearly in pain and distress,” said inspector Drysdale.
An expert report presented to the court by a veterinary surgeon said one of the squirrel’s front legs had been crushed by the trap and he would have been in “considerable pain”.
Fenn traps should be set in an artificial or natural tunnel and a person is guilty of an offence under the Pest Acts 1954 if they do not do so.
In mitigation, the court was told Farrow checked the traps twice daily and it was said had he known the animal was there he would have despatched it much earlier. He claimed he was unaware of the trap requirements and was trying to control the local squirrel population because they caused problems in his loft.
Magistrates fined Farrow £160 and told him his actions were incompetent, but were not those of “someone looking to deliberately ill-treat the animals”.
They said as he was now living in a bedsit without access to outdoor space he was unlikely to have an opportunity to continue this type of behaviour.
Farrow was also told to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £100 court costs.
CONVICTED (2022) | Akeel Bavington-Allen, born c. 2003, formerly of Great Horton, Bradford, West Yorkshire – tortured the family cat and stabbed a chicken to death.
Bavington-Allen’s animal cruelty came to light after one of his family’s chickens was found dead. When CCTV was checked the teenager could be seen chasing after the animals with a garden fork and stabbing one of the chickens several times. When questioned, Bavington-Allen showed no empathy and said he didn’t feel anything at the time.
His mobile phone contained a video of him stabbing the family cat with the footage posted on Snapchat. It’s not known if the cat survived.
Bavington-Allen was said to have been showing a fascination for knives, gang culture and drill music when he was caught with a knife on him while he was attending Shipley College in April 2021.
He admitted having “a shank” on him when he was challenged and claimed he was carrying the knife because he had been assaulted by a group from Leeds.
Bavington-Allen, who had stopped taking his ADHD medication, also poured bleach into the family toothpaste tube at his home, but the corrosive substance was discovered before it caused any harm to anyone.
While on remand at HMP Doncaster Bavington-Allen made threats to kill his parents accusing them of being “snitches”.
Bavington-Allen admitted a series of offences including threats to kill, possession of a bladed article, animal cruelty and attempting to administer a noxious substance.
Sentencing | 42 months in a young offenders institution. Banned from going within 100 metres of his family home for the next five years. Banned from having direct or indirect contact with his mother. Five-year disqualification on keeping animals.
#MostEvil | Vicki Holland, born c. 1983, of Wordsworth Road, Newport NP19 8HU – subjected her pet monkey to months of sadistic abuse.
Sadistic Vicki Holland terrorised monkey Milly over several months.
Mother-of-four Holland admitted three offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in relation to a marmoset monkey named Milly.
The court was also told Holland failed to provide a suitable environment for Milly and did not feed her a suitable diet.
Marmosets are native to tropical areas of South America, and when kept in this country their owners must meet the animals’ “very particular set of needs”, Aled Watkins, prosecuting, said.
But he said Holland did not meet these needs – she provided no UVB lighting for the monkey, her cage was “devoid of decor needed for environmental enrichment”, and she fed her “inappropriate food” including processed ham, kebabs and burgers.
The tiny monkey was tortured by her evil owner.
Milly’s abuse came to light after Gwent Police raided Holland’s property on drugs charges. Officers seized items including the defendant’s mobile phone, and while investigating the device they found 22 “very disturbing” videos involving the marmoset.
Holland lied to police she had sold the marmoset a week earlier but Milly was found and signed over to the RSPCA. She was then transferred to specialist primate experts at Monkey World in Dorset for ongoing care.
Three of the videos found on Holland’s phone were shown to the court, including one showing the marmoset in a “very distressed state”, cowering inside a toilet bowl. Holland could be heard on the video saying “I need the toilet” and “shall I flush it?”
The toilet was then flushed, and Holland called the animal a “fucking twat”.
Another video heard Holland offering Milly some bagged cocaine, saying: “Want some coke? Lick my fingers.”
A third video showed Holland’s pet dog in close proximity to the monkey. Mr Watkins said there was other evidence of the dog chasing the marmoset, which had “free rein” of the house in a “dangerous environment” around knives and electrical outlets.
Mr Watkins said Holland had “shown total disregard to the basic care and needs” of her pet.
“This is deliberate infliction, this isn’t neglect,” he told magistrates.
In May 2021, Holland and partner Russell Cox, 43, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply after £1,600 of cocaine was found hidden inside Kinder eggs in her home.
Cox, of Cwmbran, was jailed for 30 months and Holland got a suspended 20-month term.
Team Leader of Small Monkeys, who rehabilitated the abused pet, Steph Sawyer, said: “Rehabilitating Milly has been a long process. I have never seen such a terrified marmoset.
“Milly cringed away and hid from every person she encountered, any loud noise or sudden movement would sent her into a screaming alarm call and looking for somewhere to hide.
“She wouldn’t move or eat in front of us to begin with; only freeze and hide.
“Even now that she is settled and happy with a male, the sight of new people can still cause her to panic. The mental scarring from her abuse will always be with her.”
Abused marmoset Milly is recovering well in the care of Monkey World in Dorset.
Dr Alison Cronin, director of Monkey World, said: “Milly’s case was tragic and heart breaking.
“She spent her life living in fear and was subjected to abuse and cruelty that is the worst that I have seen in more than 30 years of rescuing primates.
“Milly will never fully recover from her abuse and will be psychologically damaged for the rest of her life but the key to saving Milly was companionship of her own kind.
“With Moon at her side, she has been able to relax and enjoy her life, finally.”
RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Sophie Daniels added: “I was immediately and gravely concerned about the welfare of this marmoset when I saw these disturbing videos.
“Videos from the defendant’s phone showed Holland offering the marmoset cocaine, while another showed the clearly terrified marmoset down a toilet bowl.
“Holland was shouting, swearing, laughing and at one point in the clip, the toilet is flushed, showing the petrified animal struggling to cling onto the side of the bowl.”
“An independent vet soon confirmed that the marmoset was suffering unnecessarily as a result of the way she had been treated.”
The RSPCA has said it was “totally opposed” to the keeping of any primate as a pet, because it is so hard to meet their complex needs in a domestic environment.
Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 120 hours of unpaid work; £568 in costs. Disqualified from owning any animals indefinitely, with a minimum duration of the order of five years.
CONVICTED (2021) | Niall S Sheridan, born 14 May 1999, with a most recent known address of Lothian Street, Bonnyrigg EH19 3AE but with links to the towns of Loanhead, Lasswade and Gorebridge, Midlothian – tortured and killed a hedgehog by stamping on her, stabbing her with a knife and striking her with a pool cue.
Sheridan also played football with the female creature in the corridor of his homeless accommodation in Midlothian and hit her with a ‘wet floor’ cone.
He used a knife to stab the hedgehog around ten times during the harrowing incident caught on CCTV.
As Sheridan laughed and joked with another man and filmed the abuse on his mobile phone, the hedgehog suffered an agonising 20 minute ordeal.
Police were called by concerned staff at the Kilbreck House homeless unit and officers were forced to restrain Sheridan using handcuffs, leg restraints and a spit hood.
The court heard he shouted threats including saying he would “slit their throats” and “harm their families”.
A postmortem conducted by a vet found the hedgehog likely endured “significant and unnecessary pain and suffering” as death wasn’t instantaneous.
The thug pleaded guilty to a number of charges including causing a protected animal unnecessary suffering before killing it on July 12, 2021.
Sheridan also pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, knife possession, and making threats of violence to police.
Sheridan’s lawyer, David Storrie, told the court his client was high on a mixture of drink and drugs at the time.
The court heard he had consumed an “alarming amount of vodka and Buckfast” as well as Valium before the incident.
Storrie added that Sheridan is now clean of drugs due to being on remand and the period of custody has “done him the power of good”.
But Sheriff Daniel Kelly told Sheridan he had committed a “cruel and prolonged” attack on the animal and had “caused significant injuries and ultimately its death”.
He added: “It does have to be recognised that this was horrific, and a horrific way to treat an animal.
“You were admitted to Kilbreck House and you did go out and return with the hedgehog so there is some intent there.”
Sentencing: jailed for 20 months and banned from owning or keeping any animal for the next 10 years.
