CONVICTED (2023) | Brendan Dorothy, born c. 1994, of Bradshaw Street, Redhill, Sunderland SR5 4HR – kicked a dog in the face, injuring her jaw.
Dorothy was locked up by the courts after being deemed by a judge to be ‘incapable of rehabilitation’.
He was sentenced to immediate imprisonment when he appeared before South Shields Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 15.
Sarah Malkinson, prosecuting for the CPS, told the court how the defendant was to be sentenced on a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
He also faced charges of assault by beating and threatening behaviour – all committed on August 26 last year.
Dorothy admitted that he kicked a dog in face, specifically to her jaw, and bit a security officer, as well as used threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour likely to caused alarm or distress.
District judge Zoe Passfield accepted the defendant’s guilty pleas but concluded that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified.
This was due to the nature of the offences, as well as him using abusive language, his lack of true remorse and a determination that he has ‘no real prospect of rehabilitation’.
The condition of the dog was not reported/
Sentencing | 10 weeks in prison; compensation of £100 and costs of £300. No ban.
CONVICTED (2023) | David Lee, born c. 1983, of Roker Avenue, Roker, Sunderland SR6 0HP – carried out a bizarre sexual act on a baby herring gull.
David Lee carried out a bizarre sex act on a baby herring gull. It’s known if the bird survived
Sexual deviant David Lee was seen near Gladstone Street, Sunderland, at around 1am on August 18 2022, chasing a gull down the road, with a second piece of footage showing him chasing the same bird down the road again.
Finally, in a third piece of footage, Lee emerges holding a smaller bird.
He could then be seen putting the bird between his legs, before masturbating while watching pornography on his phone.
When he had finished, Lee put the gull down, kicked it away and walked off in the opposite direction.
Lee was arrested at a nearby takeaway and told police he picked up the gull because he thought it was hurt and was looking on his phone to find out what he should do. But instead of searching for a vet’s phone number, as he claimed to have done, police checks revealed Lee had actually been looking at animal porn, the court was told.
Lee, who is originally from Washington, Tyne and Wear, but lives in the city, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the bird.
Annalisa Moscardini, mitigating, said Lee was a heavy drinker who experienced blackouts.
“He accepts he must have done this act but he didn’t have a good recollection of it,” she said in explanation of his initial denials.
“To some extent he cannot explain what happened.”
A psychiatric report found he suffered from an unstable personality disorder and was detached from reality. He was also a pathological liar whose lies served no purpose.
Lee, who is on benefits, has a criminal record and was given a prison sentence in 2020 for possession of a blade.
Sentencing Lee, Chair of the Bench Angela Thompson said suffering was caused to the young bird and that Lee had consumed alcohol and accessed porn involving animals at the time of the offence – which were aggravating features.
Sentencing | jailed for 24 weeks; £300 costs and £150 surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Racheal Gudge, born c. 1982, of Pennycross Road, Pennywell, Sunderland SR4 – abandoned two bearded dragons for six weeks.
Callous Racheal Gudge left the unnamed bearded dragons to die in an empty home
Mother-of-four Gudge pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to her two pet bearded dragons.
The court heard how a concerned member of the public called the RSPCA to alert them to the fact the animals had been potentially abandoned in a property for at least six weeks.
After attempting to contact the missing tenant, an RSPCA inspector was let into the empty property on Petersham Road, Pennywell, Sunderland, by the landlord’s agent.
The dragons were found in very ill health before being taken to a vet.
The unnamed reptiles had been suffering for at least six weeks. Sadly they were too unwell to be saved
A vet said both pets were very cold and had empty stomachs. The female dragon died overnight and the male deteriorated to such an extent he had to be put to sleep.
In his witness statement, the vet said: “Reptiles are reliant on their environments for adequate health and welfare, and thus not providing these results in suffering.
“Reptiles can survive long periods of starvation with minimal effects, however due to their quick deterioration it is clear that their needs have not been met, and thus they have been suffering, for some time – at least the six weeks reported, if not much longer.”
RSPCA inspector Suzanne Edgar said: “This was a very distressing incident which caused prolonged suffering – leading to the death of these two little pet bearded dragons.
“Abandoning an animal is never acceptable and should never be an option. We do understand that people’s circumstances may change, but if anyone is struggling to cope with their pet, we would urge them to reach out for help from experts, friends or family, or charities like ourselves.
“Exotic pets often end up in our care after people realise they’re not easy to care for, or once the novelty wears off.
“Others are rescued after they have been abandoned, escaped or been released on purpose, which then could be an invasive alien species risk to our native wildlife. Some species can be difficult for us to rehome, due to lack of suitable homes or interest.”
Sentencing | fined £120, ordered to pay a £48 victim surcharge and £200 in costs. Banned from keeping reptiles for five years.
CONVICTED (2023) | Deborah Ferry, born 23 June 1973, of 69 Matfen Gardens, Howdon, Wallsend NE28 0ER – moved out of a filthy property leaving her pets behind to starve to death.
Debi Ferry left her cats to starve to death in her abandoned home
Ferry’s three-year-old tortoiseshell cat, named Megan, was found dead in the living room of her home in Tynemouth Road, Wallsend. Ferry had moved out of the property to live with her boyfriend and left the cat behind.
The severely decomposed remains of another cat were discovered behind a bath panel.
The house of horrors where the remains of two dead cats were found after their owner moved out
The court heard how RSPCA inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws visited the Wallsend property on August 25, 2022, following a report of concern for the welfare of a cat living there.
When there was no reply at the house, she looked through the letter box and noted a strong smell, the presence of flies and rubbish strewn across the floor.
The pathway to the rear of the property was also laden with mess and she could see the kitchen looked dirty and hazardous.
On August 29 police were called to gain entry to the property where Megan was found dead next to a shopping trolley in the living room.
RSPCA inspector Rowena Proctor told the court: “The smell through the letterbox was dreadful and there were a lot of flies buzzing at the window. Once the door was open, the smell was so much worse than expected. Flies seemed to be everywhere, hundreds of them.
“An old indoor cage base from a guinea pig cage was being used as a litter tray. This was very dirty with numerous piles of faeces. The cooker top was completely covered by dirty dishes. The kitchen bench was filthy and had empty tins of cat food, a very spoiled bowl of milk which had flies stuck into the solidified top and two pet food bowls with some old, dried food.
“The bedrooms were as messy and unclean as the rest of the property, again with bare floorboards, bare walls, cat faeces, general filth, food wrappers and stained mattresses. Entering the bathroom, it felt as though I was being swarmed by flies. The dirty toilet had at least 20 flies floating in it.”
The officer described how she noticed a “cat-sized” hole in the side of the bath and pulled the panel off to find a black and white cat which had been dead for some time. The animal’s pelvic bones were visible and no eyeballs remained in the head.
“Thousands of live fleas attached themselves to me once the panel was removed,” said the inspector. “I have dealt with a lot of flea ridden animals but I have never seen fleas to this extent.”
Police enquiries were made and Ferry was arrested at an address in Wallsend later that day.
During her interview, Ferry described the living conditions as a “s**t hole” and said it had been like that for two to three months.
She said she was disgusted with herself and confirmed that she had neglected the cats but couldn’t afford the gas or electricity at the property and was staying with her partner.
A post mortem showed that Megan had a portosystemic shunt which was affecting her liver function and food metabolism.
Ferry had also failed to seek veterinary help for Megan’s chronic flea infestation, which had caused her to suffer from inflamed skin and hair loss for several weeks.
Megan’s prolonged, untreated skin disease had also caused distress and abnormal behaviour of excessive over grooming, including hair ingestion, although this could also have been triggered by hunger.
The report said Megan died due to starvation, in combination with her liver shunt.
Speaking after the sentencing, inspector Proctor added: “This was an extremely upsetting case to investigate. The conditions inside the house were horrendous and the amount of flies and fleas were on a scale that I hadn’t seen before.
“No animal should ever be put in a position where they are left to fend for themselves. If people are struggling we would urge them to contact animal welfare charities for assistance and help with rehoming, rather than leaving their pets to suffer and die alone like poor Megan did.”
Sentencing | 12-week jail term, suspended for 18months; ordered to pay a total of £754. Lifetime ban on owning all animals.
CONVICTED (2023) | Paul Smith, born c. 1955, of Percy Court, North Shields NE29 6JG – left his two Bichon Frise dogs with severely rotting teeth and fur matted with faeces and failed to treat a Chinese water dragon’s ailments.
Smith pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences in relation to dogs Bobby and Molly and a reptile named Charlie kept at his home in Percy Court. The RSPCA rescued all three pets in January 2023.
Bobby, aged 7, had to have 14 of his teeth removed such was the extent of his dental disease. Eleven-year-old Molly’s coat was so badly matted that every movement tugged on her skin and she was unable to see out of her left eye.
Smith also neglected a Chinese water dragon called Charlie, who had an injury to the tip of his tail.
The court heard how RSPCA animal rescue officer Heather Wade had visited Smith’s home on January 15, 2023, to investigate a report of concern for his pets.
“There was an extremely unpleasant smell throughout the property and no flooring on either the hallway or living area floor,” she said.
“The house appeared run down, messy and very dirty with brown grime over most surfaces. In the living area, there were two dogs which Mr Smith informed me were Molly and Bobby.
“Both dogs looked as though they should have been white in colour, but had patches of brown matted fur all over their face and bodies. I was approached by Molly and could see the claws on one of her front feet were very overgrown.
“Bobby seemed extremely uncomfortable and was constantly rubbing his face on various surfaces throughout the visit.”
A vivarium housing a ten-year-old male Chinese water dragon called Charlie was also in the living area. The officer immediately noticed an abnormality with the reptile’s upper jaw/nose area and saw that part of his tail was missing. She was told by Smith that the reptile was unable to see the glass and kept hitting it.
When asked when the dogs had last been seen by a groomer or vet Smith said he could not remember and was suffering from functional memory loss.
Bobby went on to make a good recovery in the RSPCA’s care, but sadly the decision was made to put Charlie and Molly to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Molly had Cushing’s disease and had stopped eating, with tests showing a deterioration in her renal function, while Charlie also had severe mouth rot to his nose and upper and lower jaw on both sides.
Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Helen Bestwick who led the charity’s investigation said: “All three animals were clearly in a terrible and unacceptable state and this would have been obvious to their owner for months, yet veterinary help had not been sought.
“It’s imperative that people reach out and ask for support at an early stage, rather than letting animals suffer unnecessary neglect in circumstances like this.”
Sentencing | suspended eight-week prison sentence in court. Banned from keeping dogs and reptiles for two years (expires April 2025).
CONVICTED (2023) | Sean Michael Bell, born c. 1985, of Banbury Road, Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 – used his pet Staffy as a weapon against police officers, leading to the dog’s destruction.
Violent thug Sean Bell commanded his pet dog to attack two police officers during arrest, leading to a spell in prison for him and the dog losing his life.
In January 2022 officers from Northumbria Police attended an address in Blyth, Northumberland, in response to reports of domestic violence. On arrival they found Sean Bell drunk and sitting in his car outside the property where his then partner lived.
When officers attempted to detain Bell, he ordered his 10-year-old Staffy, Buster, who was sitting in the back seat, to “get them”. It was then that the dog attacked the officers. Bell encouraged the dog to keep attacking the officers while they tried to place handcuffs on him.
The female officer sustained bite wounds to her thigh and leg, with the male officer sustaining wounds to his thigh and calf.
Bell also attacked both officers and dished out verbal abuse before he was finally arrested.
In custody, Bell then spat at an officer, while screaming abuse from a custody suite.
Bell’s lawyer told the court that Buster is “not dangerous unless in the hands of someone not fit and proper”. She said members of Bell’s family could look after and insure the dog as well as muzzle him on walks. However, Recorder Mark Giuliani rejected this on the basis of Bell’s “chaotic” family background and instead ordered that Buster be destroyed.
A jury found Bell, who has previous convictions for criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, guilty of two counts of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.
He was also found guilty of two counts of an assault with intent to avoid apprehension and one count of common assault.
He was sentenced to eight years and six months and banned from keeping pets for 18 years.
After sentencing on 4 April 2023, Ch Supt Sam Renninson said Bell’s actions were “completely unacceptable”. He added: “As a force filled with animal lovers, it is also distressing to see a dog used in such a way to attack our officers.
“It is important that anyone responsible for such behaviour is brought to justice, and I hope this case sends a clear message that this conduct will not be tolerated.”
Sentencing | eight years and six months in jail. Banned from keeping pets for 18 years.
CONVICTED (2023) | serial animal abuser Stuart Eunson, born 12 February 1982, of Lucock Street, South Shields NE34 0NQ – neglected a dog found underweight, covered in faeces, with crusty eyes, leg and rib injuries and a severe skin condition.
Eunson was given a 10-year ban on keeping animals in 2020 in relation to another neglected Staffy. This followed a three-year ban imposed in 2018, which he had also breached.
In July 2022 the RSPCA received a tip-off that Eunson was keeping a dog at his home.
RSPCA inspector Rowena Proctor said: “When I visited Eunson’s home … [he] appeared at the door holding a white Staffordshire bull terrier which he handed over to me. The poor dog’s eyes were crusted closed, he smelled terrible and despite having a white coat, his legs were dark brown with what looked like faeces.
“Eunson confirmed that he understood that he was banned from keeping animals and while he allowed me to take the Staffie – called Rebel – to the vet, he refused to acknowledge the dog was his or to sign him over.”
The examining vet reported that Rebel had arrived in a very anxious and agitated state. He was underweight, had eye and ear infections as well as itchy, inflamed skin and a sore ribcage.
His skin and cat were soiled with faeces, he had overgrown nails and he was lame from a previous injury to his left forelimb.
The vet concluded that the lameness following the injury to the left forelimb; the itchiness; the eyelid changes and the head shaking and ear rubbing along with the unsettled behaviour would have been a cause of distress to the animal and should have alerted the owner to Rebel’s poor health. It was the vet’s opinion that by failing to protect his dog from pain, suffering, injury and disease – which would have included seeking vet care for the dog – Eunson allowed Rebel to unnecessarily suffer.
Inspector Proctor said: “Not only did Eunson disobey court-imposed bans on keeping animals, but during this most recent incident, while it was still illegal for him to have a dog, he was keeping and clearly neglecting Rebel”.
Sentencing | 18-month community order, 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 19 ‘Thinking Skills’ sessions. Lifetime ban on owning animals.
CONVICTED (2023) | Lee Jackson, born c. 1985, of Tumulus Avenue, Walkergate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 – turned a blind eye to the suffering of a dog and cat left unattended in an empty flat for at least a week.
Geriatric bull terrier Oscar had numerous tumours all over his body and legs and was half bald and covered in fleas
Lee Jackson moved out of his flat in Tumulus Avenue, leaving behind bull terrier Oscar and cat Major with neither food nor water. The RSPCA was alerted by police officers after Jackson told them to remove the animals as he had no intention of returning to the property.
RSPCA Inspector Jaqui Miller attended the “unkempt” flat with police and a housing officer on 16 June 2022 and took the animals to a vet for urgent treatment.
Oscar was put to sleep after being left “in a shocking state” by his owner, Lee Jackson.
Major was suffering from a flea infestation and was underweight, but went on to make a full recovery. Elderly Oscar, however, was very unwell with multiple untreated tumours including one large mass on his stifle and another in his mouth. The dog was also infested with fleas and patches of his skin were raw and seeping fluid due to damage caused by scratching.
Due to his poor condition, vets put Oscar down to prevent further suffering.
The vet who examined the elderly dog told the court: “Failure to provide veterinary care for the skin masses resulted in large, uncomfortable, awkwardly positioned growths which at the time of examination were very large. The weight of the masses and their positions caused difficulty in lying and would have made mobilisation awkward.
“The tumour on the chest had damaged skin where the stretch had made the skin thin and fragile. The suffering from the oral tumour was of a minimum of several weeks duration.
“The suffering was initially mild as it started to grow but it was moderate to severe when I examined him. The dog’s itchiness was relentless and the skin damage caused by the self-trauma caused progressively worse inflammation.
“His suffering was progressive over many weeks.”
In court Jackson, in prison on unrelated charges, pleaded guilty to four animal welfare offences and was given a suspended 12-week custodial sentence..
After the hearing, RSPCA inspector Jacqui said: “Oscar was in a shocking state with one of the worst flea burdens I have ever seen. He was in terrible distress and discomfort with his skin and the many untreated tumours all over his body.
“The mass in his mouth made it painful for him to eat and veterinary treatment should have been sought at a much earlier stage for both animals. Such was the extent of his neglect that Oscar’s life sadly couldn’t be saved, although happily Major recovered well from his ordeal and is now in a new home.”
Sentencing | 12-week prison sentence – suspended for 12 months. Victim surcharge of £128. Banned from keeping animals for five years(expires March 2028).
CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Brown aka Mark Defty, born 14 December 1999, originally from Seaham, County Durham, but more recently of Gateshead – thrashed a petrified dog with a metal lead.
Violent dog abuser Mark Brown is better known as Mark Defty. Of no fixed abode, he has a lengthy criminal record to his name. Pic: Facebook
Brown, who has previous for domestic violence, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the brindle and white dog called Rocco after being arrested by police.
“Vicious” Staffy Rocco endured a savage beating by his previous owner, Mark Defty
A 37 second video clip showed Brown hitting Rocco repeatedly on the head and back with the end of a metal lead. The cowering dog was hit eight times in 10 seconds and flinched with every blow.
The offence took place in the vicinity of Marion Court in Gateshead, on November 3, 2022.
Thankfully Rocco had no signs of physical injury following the attack, but had been caused to suffer fear and pain.
An independent expert veterinary report stated: “His fear was likely to have been a repeated state on previous occasions when this person was with Rocco as he immediately submitted to his attacker and attempted to flee.”
Police seized Rocco and passed him into the care of the RSPCA where he remained throughout the legal proceedings.
The court heard in Brown’s defence that Rocco was “vicious” and Brown had hit him after the dog tried to attack him.
Following the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws said: “This was a vicious attack on a young defenceless animal who had been in Brown’s care.
“It is completely unacceptable to treat any animal in this way and we will always look into reports of animal cruelty and, where necessary, seek justice for that animal.”
Rocco is now looking for a new home with a loving owner.
Sentencing | 18 month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years but can contest the ban after five years (expires March 2033).
CONVICTED (2023) | Callum Paramos, born 23 July 2001, of 14 Seymour Street, North Shields NE29 6SN – left an underweight dog unattended in an empty flat.
Paramos pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act in relation to a skinny lurcher named Zeus kept in the kitchen of his flat in Seymour Street, North Shields.
Zeus was underweight, with his bones seen protruding from his body, and had been left unattended for long periods of time
Investigating RSPCA inspector Helen Bestwick described the scene in a witness statement to the court.
She said: “I immediately noticed a strong smell of urine.”
“The dog was in a thin bodily condition and I could easily see its ribs, hips and spine. His nails were also long. The dog was bright, alert and friendly.”
Inspector Bewick noted that the flat seemed to contain no personal belongings, suggesting that no one lived there.
She said: “The sofa had been chewed and shredded by the dog. In the kitchen there was a large bag of Wagg dog biscuits which looked like it was nearly full.
“There was a bowl of biscuits down and a paint tray being used for water. They looked like they had just been put there. I suspected the dog was regularly being left alone in the flat for long periods of time.”
In a court statement a vet said that Zeus was 15% underweight, with his ribs, vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible.
They added: “The ability and willingness of the dog to eat and the lack of abnormal health conditions detected on examination led me to form the opinion that a suitable diet sufficient in protein, calories and quantity had not always been available.”
Addressing the dog’s living conditions, the vet said that the area where Zeus was kept was “littered with faecal material and looked to be wet”. His need for a comfortable, clean and dry rest area had not therefore been met.
In court, Paramos conceded that he had fallen short in caring for Zeus, whom he said he had taken on from a previous owner.
Zeus now
Zeus was taken into the care of RSPCA Felledge Animal Centre, before being transferred to the RSPCA Bryn Y Maen Animal Centre, where he is to be made available for rehoming.
Sentencing | 20-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work; £100 in costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for just two years (expires March 2025)
