CONVICTED (2024) | Connor Weeks, born 8 July 2000, with a last known address of Park Hall Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield NG19 – subjected an XL Bully to beatings during a spate of violent and reckless offending.
Weeks, who has already racked up 12 convictions for 24 offences, repeatedly beat his dog with a frying pan. A witness saw the unnamed dog “cowering and whimpering” against a fence as she was struck time and time again by Weeks in his garden.
The thug’s crime spree also saw him him lead police on dangerous high-speed chases through Nottinghamshire on two occasions.
The first incident involving the dog took place in Sherwood Street, Warsop, Mansfield in March 2023, when a gas engineer working in the area heard shouting and screaming coming from the property behind. He saw Weeks and heard the sound of a dog whimpering.
The gas engineer had called police, and was waiting for them to arrive when Weeks got in his van and drove off a short distance, before returning with a wheel brace.
Weeks, who was wearing a balaclava, struck the engineer twice to the head with the wheel brace, causing a deep cut above his eyebrow, before driving off.
A second incident involving the XL bully happened in the garden of the defendant’s shared YMCA accommodation on July 10, 2024.
A neighbour heard the sound of a dog whimpering and looked out to see her cowering in a fence and with the defendant repeatedly striking her on the head and body with a frying pan.
When police arrived Weeks told them he was in poor mental health and reacted in the way he did as the dog had defecated in the kitchen.
The dog was taken away by the police and confirmed to be an XL Bully.
Weeks pleaded guilty to charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, criminal damage, dangerous driving and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
He also admitted owning a banned breed of dog.
Bianca Brasoveanu, mitigating, said in relation to beating the dog, her client “saw the red mist”. She added that he had had “a sad and violent upbringing”.
Sentencing | Jailed for four years and four months. Banned from keeping any animal for eight years (expires August 2032).
CONVICTED (2024) | John George Pickering, born 29 May 1973, of Eastwood Road, Normanby, Middlesbrough TS3 9NR – allowed his two XL bullies to attack a husky on a public beach, causing near-fatal injuries.
Violent career criminal and would-be backyard breeder Pickering was jailed after his two XL bullies nearly tore a husky apart.
Prosecutor Annelise Haugstad said police were called to Redcar beach on February 5, 2023, after reports two very large dogs had brutally attacked a husky, called Naevia.
The incident happened just after 3pm when dog owner Marie Hay was walking Naevia with her daughters.
Pickering and his now ex-partner, Nikki Banks, who was also initially charged, were also on the beach with the two XL bullies when they launched an attack on the beloved pet.
Ms Haugstad said: “Naevia was being walked on a lead when the owner of the XL bullies released them from his vehicle without any leads or forms of restraint. They raced on to the beach.
“When they came within five metres, the defendant called them ‘friendly’ and she [Naevia’s owner] responded ‘likewise’. The two dogs then approached making a snorting noise causing the husky to jump out of the way. One of them then lunged to attack.”
The court heard Pickering tried to “bear hug” the attacking dog, but there was nothing to restrain it and the second XL bully jumped in.
“The husky was on its back with one dog at its throat and the other at its chest,” Ms Haugstad said.
Beachgoers tried to intervene but the dogs were too strong.
The XL bullies then started to attack each other as they were being separated from Naevia, and Pickering managed to get them into his car before making off from the scene.
Ms Haugstad said: “When police arrived members of the public were shouting at the owners of the two attacking dogs that were driving away from the scene.
“Police caused the vehicle to stop – and the driver of the vehicle was the defendant, and the passenger was his then partner.
“There were two teenage girls in the rear of the vehicle and two very large dogs in the boot. Both dogs had cropped ears – a mutilation not permitted.”
Naevia was left with catastrophic injuries and lost 83 per cent of her blood, leaving her owner with a huge vet bill.
Thanks to multiple surgeries, a blood transfusion, intensive care and the kindness of strangers who donated to a GoFundMe campaign, Naevia was able to reunite with her family.
Following the attack, Pickering and Banks were charged with being the “owners/people in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury” and were due to face trial.
Prior to the hearing Pickering changed his plea to guilty – while a not guilty verdict was recorded for his former partner.
In mitigation, the court heard the dogs were not illegal at the time and Pickering had taken them to the beach previously without any incident. His barrister said he planned to breed from the dogs.
The court also heard the defendant has had “tragic circumstances” in his life.
The defendant’s son, Steven Willis, was murdered by members of his extended family and he turned to drugs and alcohol.
The court heard his relationship broke down and he became homeless, however, has always been in work in the scaffolding industry.
Sentencing, Recorder Hawks said: “I’m satisfied your purpose in owning these dangerous and highly unpredictable animals was that you were excited by the fact that owning them and taking them out in public was likely to frighten other people. The fact that you told me you were intending to breed from them makes matters worse.
“You must have known that if anything untoward happened with those dogs either in your own home or in public the size and power of them was such that you were never going to be able to control them. They are inherently dangerous animals.
“Within a matter of minutes they attacked a husky dog, someone’s cherished pet and nearly tore it to death. This was all witnessed by members of the public and little children who were no doubt terrified and will be traumatised for life after witnessing such a savage and despicable incident.”
The court heard the two XL bullies have been destroyed.
Sentencing | jailed for two years. Banned for life from having any other animals in his care,
CONVICTED (2024) | Prescilia Bameko, born 11 September 1995, of Havering House, Woodberry Down Estate, Finsbury Park, London Borough of Haringey N4 1QQ – starved a banned-breed dog to emaciation.
Single mother-of-four Prescilia Bameko is banned from keeping animals after starving a banned breed dog to skin and bone.
The dog – a pitbull named Haze – was taken to an animal hospital on January 21, 2024, in an emaciated condition and suffering from pressure sores. A vet scored him with the lowest body condition rating possible – one out of nine.
Haze was nursed back to health in the care of the RSPCA, but was later put to sleep because of his breed.
In a statement to the court the vet said that she had found and removed a corn cob from Haze’s stomach, one from his small intestines, a plastic fork and extensive food packaging. She also said his stomach looked like ‘the contents of a bin’, concluding that the dog had been starved and forced to scavenge for food.
She said Haze would have suffered from starvation for several weeks, telling the court: “The dog’s condition on presentation showed severe neglect. Even if chronic obstruction was the underlying cause, veterinary intervention should have been sought at a much earlier stage.”
While Haze made a slow recovery, a later assessment found that he was of the banned pitbull breed, and he had to be put down in line with UK Government legislation.
The court heard in mitigation that Bameko was “a domestic abuse survivor”.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work. Banned from owning animals – duration unspecified in source article.
CONVICTED (2024) | unlicensed backyard bully breeder Joseph McWilliams aka Joseph Martin, of Upper Meadow Street, New Lodge, Belfast BT15 2FR – for cruelty to a dog found with an untreated facial wound.
McWilliams, who sold American bullies under the name ‘Jays Bullys‘ was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog at his address in north Belfast.
He was also convicted of operating a dog breeding establishment without a licence from the same address.
His convictions followed a prosecution by Belfast City Council.
McWilliams with partner Ashleen Moyes, who was not prosecuted.
Council animal welfare officers visited McWilliams’ home on Upper Meadow Street on Monday 1 August 2022 and removed a bully type dog with an untreated wound to the muzzle. The dog was taken for examination by a veterinarian and had to undergo emergency surgery.
Several dogs and puppies were found at a neighbouring address on Upper Meadow Street on 2 August 2022.
Sentencing | a total of 14 months in jail suspended for 12 months for animal cruelty and the offence of operating a dog breeding establishment without a licence; legal and other costs totalling £722. Disqualified from owning all animals for 10 years (expires August 2034).
CONVICTED (2024) | Dontea West, born c. 2005, of Hilliards Croft, Great Barr, Birmingham B42 2ED – inflicted multiple injuries, including burns, on his puppy.
West spun a web of lies about how his five-month-old bully, Pepsi, had acquired a catalogue of horrific injuries.
In court he pleaded guilty to failing to provide vet treatment for the dog’s rib fractures and was found guilty of four more offences following a trial.
The court heard how the RSPCA had been contacted by a member of the public who was concerned for Pepsi’s welfare.
Inspector Vicki Taylor said in her witness statement: “Pepsi was clearly lame on the back end and was extremely wobbly, his back left leg was not weight-bearing.
“West informed me that he had fallen on the dog when carrying Pepsi down the stairs and injured the dog.
“The front left leg of the dog Pepsi also looked misshapen and abnormally bendy. There was fur loss on the side of the dog, which West stated was a burn as he’d had a hot drink which the dog had knocked over and burned himself with.”
Inspector Taylor took Pepsi to RSPCA’s animal hospital in Birmingham where X-rays showed multiple rib fractures and a fracture to the left side of his neck, all of which had healed on their own.
A vet witness who investigated the case said in a statement presented to court that Pepsi, while in the care of West, had sustained a number of skeletal fractures on various parts of his body, as well as a scald injury to the right side of the chest which was ‘not consistent’ with an accidental spillage of a hot drink.
The statement added: “Rib fractures are a common abuse finding in cats and dogs. In animal abuse cases, rib fractures may occur due to focal application of force, which includes the animal being struck, kicked, stomped or thrown against a blunt object. The finding of bilateral rib fractures is a strong suspicious indicator of abuse.”
The court heard that West had been diagnosed with “mental health issues”,
Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Taylor said: “West stated that Pepsi received these injuries accidentally, but following a trial the courts decided otherwise. It is heart-breaking that Pepsi was treated in this way.”
Pepsi has since been rehomed.
Sentencing | three-month prison sentence for animal cruelty with a further two-month sentence for possessing a bladed article and one-month sentence for assault. All custodial sentences to run consecutively. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires August 2034).
CONVICTED (2024) | Caitlin Cameron, aka Caitlin Erskine, born c. 1997, of Balnagask Circle, Torry, Aberdeen AB11 8TT, and violent career criminalJordan Forbes, born c. 2000, of Oldtown Place, Northfield, Aberdeen AB16 7LR – for the abandonment of several pets.
Single-mother-of-one Caitlin Cameron was caught out after she tried to bury the emaciated body of a puppy she had starved to death. Two other dogs in Cameron’s care had been put down weeks earlier due to her neglect and starvation of them.
Co-defendant Jordan Forbes abandoned a dog and cat at his flat with an SSPCA officer having to feed them through a letterbox to ensure they didn’t starve.
Two of the three dogs starved to death by Caitlin Cameron
On February 7 2023, a vet examined Cameron’s one-and-a-half-year-old tan Bully dog named Duchess. The vet found her “very underweight” and was forced to put her to sleep on “financial and welfare grounds”.
Another vet then carried out an examination of Duchess and concluded she had “suffered considerably” between February 1 and 7, 2023.
Boujee was put to sleep after enduring months of suffering in Caitlin Cameron’s care.
On March 13, 2023, Cameron contacted Vets4Pets regarding another dog, a one-and-a-half-year-old tricoloured Bully called Boujee. The practice offered her an appointment to put the animal to sleep on welfare grounds but she refused.
Due to Duchess’ poor condition previously, the practice had concerns that Boujee would also suffer and contacted the SSPCA.
An SSPCA employee immediately attended at Cameron’s home on Balnagask Circle.
There, Cameron agreed Boujee needed urgent vet care and signed her over to the SSPCA under an “animal welfare notice”.
Boujee was “very underweight, lethargic and barely responsive”.
Duchess
Cameron confirmed she had had full ownership and responsibility of Boujee, stating that the dog had been losing weight but was still “bright and eating” until that day.
She said she had been making attempts to take her to the vet but no one would take her as she couldn’t pay.
A vet then examined Boujee and “demanded euthanasia on welfare grounds”, estimating the timescale of suffering to be at least two weeks.
On March 21 and 25, SSPCA officers attended at the Balnagask Circle address but received no answer at the door and could not see any sign of animals inside.
However, on March 28, 2023, a neighbour phoned them to advise they had Ring doorbell footage of Cameron going outside with a shovel, a box and a yellow bag, then returning with only the shovel. The yellow bag was found sticking out of the ground near the block of flats as if an attempt had been made to bury it.
To the neighbour’s horror, inside it was the “emaciated” body of a dead puppy.
A vet later examined the body and found the emaciation was consistent with malnutrition and that the poor body condition “would have been obvious to anyone caring for the puppy”.
The vet also concluded the puppy would have suffered unnecessarily prior to her death.
On March 29 2023, Cameron’s co-accused Jordan Forbes picked up the keys for his tenancy on Oldtown Place in Aberdeen. The next day, an SSPCA officer attended at his property and, although nobody was home, a dog could be heard inside.
On April 1 2023, another SSPCA employee attended and again could not access the property.
Due to concerns for the dog inside, she fed her through the letterbox. The next day, she attended again and Forbes was still not there. Again she had to feed the dog through the letter box.
On April 3, 2023, a joiner was arranged to provide entry to the address, which was found to have urine and faeces covering the floor.
Inside they found a three-and-a-half-year-old Bully named Bella, who appeared scared, and a black cat aged around one-and-a-half named Rascal.
Both animals were removed.
Bella was examined by a vet and found to have bald patches on her body with inflamed and irritated skin.
Her right eye was prolapsed and infected and she also had an ear infection.
The vet concluded the conditions were likely the result of an unsuitable environment and inadequate access to nutrition.
Cameron pleaded guilty to three charges of causing an animal unnecessary suffering, leading to its death.
Forbes pleaded guilty to abandoning a dog and cat in circumstances likely to cause unnecessary suffering, and to failing to ensure the needs of the animals were met.
Defence agent Kayren Stewart, representing Cameron, said her client had been struggling with her mental health at the time and had stopped taking medication.
She said: “She was struggling to take care of herself and struggling to take care of the dogs.
“She understands how serious the offences are and she’s entirely remorseful for the death of the dogs.”
Ms Stewart advised Cameron had stayed out of trouble since the offence and was now engaging with support for her mental health.
Solicitor Debbie Ginniver, for Forbes, said a social work report on her client was “relatively positive”.
She explained Forbes’ grandfather had passed away around the time of the offences.
She added Forbes, who had had a “difficult childhood”, had asked a friend to look after the dog and cat but was not proactive in ensuring their wellbeing.
Ms Ginniver said: “He has reflected on his behaviour and is deeply regretful.”
Sheriff Ferguson told the pair: “It seems to me it’s quite clear you’re not to be trusted with looking after animals.
Sentencing | Cameron: 150 hours of unpaid work and one-year supervision order. Five-year ban (expires August 2029). Forbes: 90 hours of unpaid work and nine-month supervision order. Two-year ban (expires August 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | Jordan Richardson aka Jordan McClung, born c. 1997, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire – repeatedly stabbed an XL Bully dog after he argued with his girlfriend.
Serial violent offender Richardson, whose previous convictions include assault by threats to robbery, and assault to injury and danger of life, targeted the unnamed dog in March 2024 after his then partner kicked him out of her home.
Richardson, a prisoner in HMP Addiewell in West Lothian admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner, possession of a knife and repeatedly striking the dog with the blade.
Depute fiscal Aga Mathieson told the court: “His girlfriend informed him that she did not want to continue the relationship and asked him to leave her address.
“He left and returned within 15 minutes and was making some allegation that someone had assaulted him and she thereafter let him in.
“He went into the kitchen and grabbed a large black handled knife and was shouting and swearing.
“He attended a different address nearby where within the premises was an XL Bully dog which was running around.
“At this point, he began acting erratically and started swinging the knife towards the dog.
“He then stabbed the dog twice with the knife to the side of his body and was again shouting and swearing.”
The prosecutor added: “The dog was taken to the vet, received nine stitches and was kept in overnight.”
Patrick Brechany, defending, said: “He understands the seriousness of this matter and that there is no alternative to custody.
“He felt intimidated and felt threatened by the dog and reacted in the way described but thankfully there were no further long-term repercussions for the animal.”
Sheriff Linda Nicolson said: “Given the nature of the offences and your previous convictions, I have concluded that a custodial sentence is appropriate in this case.”
Sentencing | 15 months in jail. No mention of a ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2024) | Elliot Arnold, born c. 1992, of Marshall Street, Newland, north-west Hull – caused his XL Bully crossbreed excruciating pain and put him at risk of death after carrying out a horrific DIY castration job.
Arnold took XL Bully Staffy-cross Frank to a vet after trying to neuter him at home.
The vet noticed that there was an elastic rubber band around both the dog’s testicles. Skin in that area was falling off and there was a strong infected smell. He was suffering traumatic pain and running the risk of the potentially fatal condition, sepsis.
Frank was treated and, fortunately, he survived the ordeal.
Arnold later told police that he tied the elastic bands around the dog’s testicles because he was scared that Frank would be taken off him, as the XL Bully breed was due to be banned shortly.
He watched YouTube videos on how to castrate animals and he believed that, if he used the elastic bands on Frank’s testicles, they would eventually fall off.
He later noticed that the testicles had changed colour and told the emergency vets what he had done.
The judge was of the opinion that there was “an element of money saving” in Arnold’s decision to castrate Frank himself but accepted that his actions had been “a one-off”. and didn’t ban him from keeping animals.
Sentencing| 24-week suspended prison sentence ; £500 costs. No ban.
CONVICTED (2024) | persistent violent offender and backyard breeder Lee McDonald, born c. 2001, currently of 4 Burnfoot Court, Grangemouth FK3 0AL – punched his pet XL bully “full force” in the face three times.
Career criminal Lee McDonald from Falkirk and abused XL bully Kenzo, whose fate and condition are unknown.
Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court on May 2, 2024, McDonald, who has strong links to the town of Larbert and Langlees and Avonbridge areas of Falkirk, pleaded guilty to a number of offences. These included animal cruelty towards an XL bully called Kenzo.
Bernadette Cuthbertson, procurator fiscal depute, said: “Mr McDonald was in the kitchen, screaming at his dog. He was seen to have punched the dog three times full force to the face.”
It was stated the dog had been getting angry due to the disturbance going on around it and McDonald was trying to “control it”
McDonald with Kenzo and Cane Corso Mayhem.
No details were available regarding injuries to Kenzo or his whereabouts now.
McDonald is/was also the owner of a Cane Corso called Mayhem and bred the two dogs at least once, producing a large litter of puppies.
Sentencing | 18-month supervised community payback order with 180 hours of unpaid work within 12 months; four-month curfew; 16-month driving ban. Two-year ban on owning/keeping dogs (expires May 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | prolific backyard extreme bully breeder Troy Eric Bowyer, born January 1992, of 5 Aberthaw Drive, Alway, Newport NP19 9QB* and Sam Hudacek, born c. 1999, of Albert Avenue, Maindee, Newport NP19 8FF – filmed themselves trying to artificially inseminate a pet dog.
The men were described in court as making a “crude and amateurish” attempt to inseminate a dog. A judge said when he first saw the footage he thought it showed “some sort of sexual perversion”.
The attempts of Troy Bowyer, who bred and sold cropped-eared bull-breed dogs under the name ‘One Hunna Bullys’, and Hudacek to impregnate the latter’s dog came to light after police executed a drugs search warrant and found the video on a mobile phone. The phone also showed Hudacek had been involved in dealing cocaine.
The video showed a female bull dog standing on her front legs with her back legs being held up and Bowyer moving his fingers in and out of the dog. A syringe could also be seen in the footage.
The court heard the footage was being shot by Hudacek and he could be heard laughing and giving Bowyer “encouragement” to carry on.
The court heard the footage appeared to show “some kind of artificial insemination” of the bitch.
When interviewed about the video footage Hudacek answered “no comment” to all questions asked while Bowyer accepted it was him on the footage but denied causing the dog unnecessary suffering.
Hudacek pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, while Bowyer pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Defence counsel for Hudacek said the defendant had moved to the UK from Slovakia as a 12-year-old boy and initially struggled at school in Newport as he could not speak English. When his parents later returned home, however, he decided to stay in Wales. He said “there are people who think he is capable of a lot more” and said the defendant wants to support his partner and be a better role model. He said his client’s role in the animal offence had been “peripheral”.
Counsel for Bowyer, who is no stranger to the Welsh courts, said the dog belonged to the co-defendant Hudacek and his client had been “asked to assist with the artificial insemination”.
He said Bowyer had a long-term partner of 18 years with whom he had two children with a third was on the way, although the couple did not actually live together.
Judge Simon Mills described the matters involving the dog as “frankly unpleasant”, and said when he first saw the footage he “thought there was some sort of sexual perversion going on” but in reality it was a “crude and amateurish attempt at artificial insemination” which would have caused the dog considerable discomfort.
Sentencing | Hudacek: three years in prison with one month to run concurrently for the animal welfare offence. Bowyer: 24 month community order for the animal offence with rehabilitation course; £500 fine. Neither man was banned from owning animals.
