Tag Archives: Yorkshire and The Humber

Animal Abandonment, Equine Abuse, Hoarders, horses and ponies, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire: Dianne Pearson

May 2, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Dianne Pearson, born c. 1953, from Sowerby Bridge – for cruelty offences to 10 horses, many of whom were put to sleep.

RSPCA prosecution of Dianne Pearson from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, for cruelty to 10 horses in her care.

Concerns about Pearson’s horses were raised with the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare in April 2023, and officers went to the scene in the village of Norland, Sowerby Bridge. There they discovered 10 horses and ponies kept in cramped, dirty stables and building. Faeces and soiled bedding had built up to the extent that the horses were struggling to stand.

Some of the horses had difficulty walking due to lameness while many were suffering from dental issues and other health problems. One horse was so thirsty he drank readily from a bucket of water when offered to him.

In her witness statement, RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby said all the horses were being kept in unsuitable conditions.

“There was no ventilation and very limited lighting inside,” she said. “All the stables were piled high with bedding and faeces and it was clear they had not been mucked out in some time. The bedding inside all the stables was piled so high that most of the horses’ heads were touching the roof. There was no water inside any of the stables.”

She added: “During our visit, Pearson admitted that Bud had not been out of his stable for two years and it took her over 10 minutes to dig the muck from behind Ellie’s stable door before she could open it and get her out. It also took her some time to dig out another horse called Rio.”

Rescuers had to dig their way into some of their stables owing to the build-up of soiled bedding and faeces.

Four horses were removed that day and six the next; all were examined by an equine vet, whose witness statement said: “In my opinion the environmental conditions these horses were found in were completely and wholly unsuitable.

“Many of the stables were in complete or mostly in darkness and most had little ventilation.This meant that when some of the horses reached the boarding establishment, they found normal visual things extremely stressful, and one horse had to be medicated for this. This shows the psychological suffering caused to these horses.

“The owner failed to take steps to meet the needs of these animals, and this has caused suffering in all of the horses due to the poor and unsuitable environments, and five out of 10 of these horses due to ailments observed.”

Pearson signed six horses over to the care of the RSPCA. After the case a deprivation order was secured so the remaining four came into the charity’s care.

After the case, Ms Hodby said: “I am so pleased to see Fern, Cody, Inca and JJ are thriving with our team at RSPCA Felledge, and delighted to hear that Tilly and Finn have already found their forever homes.

“This was a really sad case to work on and to see ponies kept in such awful conditions was heartbreaking. I’d like to say thank you to our colleagues at World Horse Welfare for their assistance in the rescue and investigating. Working together with other agencies allows us to reach more horses and ponies that need our help and make a big difference to animal welfare.”

Vets made the decision to put Bling, Bud, Ellie and Rio down for health reasons.

World Horse Welfare field officer Gilly Howard said: “Having been shut in those small and dirty stables for so long, Tilly was a very nervous pony and especially difficult to catch. But our amazing team at Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Lancashire are working with her to gain her trust and the conclusion of this case means that she can be assessed with a view to finding her a forever home.”

Pearson’s age and her early guilty pleas were considered in mitigation, and it was agreed that although she “feels no particular remorse for the suffering occasioned to her horses”, she “does feel a sense of sadness and believes she always tried her best”.

“The defendant has come to accept that she doesn’t want any of the horses returned to her. She has no desire to keep horses in the future.”

Sentencing | 20-week suspended prison sentence for each of the four offences, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months; 20 days of rehabilitation activity; £7,000 costs. Disqualified from owning horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and their hybrids indefinitely, with no right of appeal for 15 years.

Horse & Hound

Animal Abandonment, Cats

Wetherby, City of Leeds: Reece Glossop

April 28, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Reece Glossop, born c. 2000, of Wharfedale Lawns, Wetherby, Leeds LS22 6PU – abandoned two cats in an unhygienic flat littered with faeces and hazards.

RSPCA prosecution of Reece Glossop from Wetherby, Leeds, who abandoned his cats for 9 days

Glossop left his home over the festive season, leaving his cats Daisy and Mustafa behind for nine days to fend for themselves inside the filthy and hazardous flat.

No litter tray had been provided and RSPCA inspectors found faeces piled up on the floor which was also strewn with rubbish.

Glossop, who didn’t even have the decency to attend court for his first hearing, was found guilty in his absence of one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

In a a written statement read to the court RSPCA Inspector Emma Ellis described being met with a strong smell of ammonia in the communal area outside the flat during her visit on January 11, 2023.

The inspector met Glossop at the property, and he said he was cleaning to the flat.

She asked about the welfare of the cats and he said he had left on December 24 to go to London because of family issues. He said “someone was supposed to be looking after them”.

“He said he came back on December 28 to check on the cats, but he had to return to London and then he came back again on January 6. When I asked who was looking after the cats during that time he replied, ‘they were looking after themselves’,” said the inspector.

Glossop had left food in a bowl in the living room, but there was no water.

Daisy and Mustafa were in a normal body condition, but it was later found that Mustafa had a heart murmur, which could have been caused by stress.

In mitigation, the court heard how Glossop had been diagnosed with ADHD and suffered from psychosis. He had received therapy for a personality disorder while at a psychiatric unit.

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 hours of unpaid work and 15 hours of “rehabilitation”; £200 costs and £114 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for just three years (expires April 2027).

LeedsLive

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

Doncaster Hare Coursing Gang: Eugene Meenaghan, Joe Murtagh, Jay Poole, Jake Reidy

April 28, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Eugene Meenaghan, born 10 February 2001, of 43 Crabgate Lane, Skellow, Doncaster DN6 8LE, Joseph Murtagh, born December 2001, from Woodlands, Doncaster, Jay Poole born 2 April 2004, of 3 The Circuit, Woodlands, Doncaster DN6 7TE, and Jake Reidy, born 23 May 2005, of 58 Princess Avenue, Stainforth, Doncaster DN7 5QY – for the possession of hare coursing equipment and destroying a farmer’s field.

The four men, who are all prolific wildlife persecutors, travelled from Doncaster to the hamlet of Apley, near Wragby, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, in the early hours of 1 October 2023. They then drove through a farmer’s field, damaging the land and destroying crops, before attempting to leave the area.

Eugene Meenaghan

The crime was reported to Lincolnshire Police and patrolling officers from Spec Ops quickly identified the vehicle and stopped the group near Burton Waters.

Officers found longdogs and equipment such as lamps – used in lamping to stun wild animals before dogs are set loose.

They were arrested and subsequently videos of animal fights were found on their phones.

All four men were charged with being equipped to hare course, breach of section nine of the animal welfare act and criminal damage. They pleaded guilty to these charges.

On Thursday 25 April 2024 officials at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court told the group to pay out a combined total of £19,791.72 in costs and compensation.

Eugene Meenaghan will pay £5,262,93.
Joseph Murtagh will pay £4,842.93.
Jay Poole will pay £4,842.93.
Jake Reidy will pay £4,842.93.

Magistrates described the crimes as ‘cruel and despicable’ and said the events of that night had ‘caused great distress’.

This result comes after a lengthy police investigation and PC Karen Irving, who works for the rural crime action team, insists this behaviour won’t be tolerated.

She said: “We are determined to make Lincolnshire the safest place to live, work and visit. This result shows we will use all avenues available to us to bring people to justice and protect our communities and wildlife.

Sentencing | costs and compensation; 10-year criminal behaviour order not to enter Lincolnshire with longdogs; 100 hours of community service. Forfeiture of mobile phones and lamping equipment. Disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years..

Lincs Police
Lincolnshire World

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Todmorden, West Yorkshire: Leah O’Connor

April 21, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Leah Mae O’Connor, born 23 June 1999, of Summerfield Road, Todmorden OL14 – left two dogs to starve to death in an abandoned property.

RSPCA prosecution of Leah O'Connor from Todmorden, West Yorkshire, who left two dogs in an empty house to starve to death. — Leah O’Connor left two dogs to starve to death in a filthy house

Bulldog Doris and Rottweiler puppy Rox were left behind when single mother Leah O’Connor moved out of a house on Melrose Street, Halifax, in February 2023.

The RSPCA were alerted after the property’s landlord discovered the abandoned pets.

In written evidence to the court, Inspector Demi Hodby said: “The property itself was full of faeces and urine.

“Where there wasn’t faeces there was rubbish and other hazards on the floor and it was difficult to move around.

“It smelt strongly of urine and faeces and it was difficult to stay inside.

“The smell caused my eyes and nose to burn.”

There was a dog cage covered with a blue blanket in the house and inside was the body of Rox.

Inspector Hodby said: “There was no food or water inside the cage and it looked as though the dog had been trying for some time to get out.”

She added: “The dog itself was in an emaciated condition.

“One of its legs was poked through the cage and wrapped around the bars.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking to think what this dog has gone through leading up to its death.”

Doris was barely alive – emaciated, shivering, and lethargic, the court heard.

She was rushed for veterinary treatment and found to be severely dehydrated, covered in fleas, and had to be carried into the room because “she was too weak to stand”.

It was found she had eaten plastic to survive.

The bulldog was there for more than a week but her condition deteriorated and she had to be put down.

The court heard O’Connor had “spun a web of lies” to neighbours and family members, telling them Doris and Rox had been rehomed to someone on a farm.

She told Inspector Hodby in an interview she had done this after leaving the address and claimed someone must have broken in, as she was not aware the dogs were there.

O’Connor had concealed the dog’s suffering and the state of the property, which she wouldn’t allow anyone to enter, before finally leaving the house and abandoning the dogs to die inside.

In mitigation, the court was told O’Connor had been diagnosed with low maturity.

She also struggled with alcohol and drug issues – which she was getting help for – as well as depression and anxiety.

The magistrates were told that the “prolonged neglect” and abandonment of the dogs by their owner for a long period of time could not be regarded as anything other than “a deliberate act, perhaps short of sadistic behaviour”.

O’Connor pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was ordered to undertake rehabilitation activities.

Speaking after the case, Inspector Hodby said: “The sight of Rox, who had wasted away in that filthy cage, unable to escape, is something that will stay with me, and those who discovered her, for a long time.

“Along with Doris, she’d endured unimaginable suffering over a prolonged period of time, having been abandoned and forgotten about.”

Sentencing | suspended 20-week prison sentence; 33 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. Banned from keeping animals indefinitely.

Telegraph & Argus
YorkshireLive

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Lifers

Doncaster, South Yorkshire: Andrew Durkin

April 18, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Andrew Durkin, born c. 1992, of 4 Farndale Road, Scawsby, Doncaster DN5 8SH – left two starving dogs in a “cruel and nasty state”.

RSPCA prosecution of animal abuser Andrew Durkin from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. — Andrew Durkin received an indefinite ban on keeping all animals

Father-of-one Andrew Durkin pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to his two dogs: a black crossbreed called Bruno and an Akita cross named Cody.

The RSPCA began investigating Durkin in October 2020 after receiving a tip-off that two skinny dogs were being kept at his then address in New Street, Doncaster.

After Durkin failed to make contact with them, the animal charity enlisted the help of the police to enter and search the property.

Inspectors found both dogs in the kitchen, where the floor was littered with old pizza boxes, and the counters covered in mouldy food and rubbish.

Inspector Kim Greaves said: “A police officer opened the door to the kitchen and it was then that I first saw Bruno, a black crossbreed, male dog around six years old.

“Bruno was loose in the kitchen, and there was no bedding or water for him,” she said.

“Bruno was very friendly, eager and wagging his tail to greet us, but he was wobbly on his legs, and I could clearly see every rib. His spine and hip bones were all sticking up clearly from his fur which was oily with dry skin flakes all over his coat.”

Tan and white Akita cross Cody was being kept in a dog crate at the rear of the kitchen. This had no base and only bare wires to stand on. There was no food or water inside the crate. Durkin later explained that Cody was kept in a crate because he was destructive. He too was found to be very underweight.

A vet report read to the court stated that the dogs were believed to have been starved for an extended period – possibly several months.

The report continued: “Any reasonable owner looking at these dogs must have noticed the advanced weight loss and either sought veterinary attention or increased their nutrition.

“The owner’s failure to act has undoubtedly caused a great deal of suffering in this case,

“Dogs experiencing food deprivation are likely to experience this in a similar way to people who suffer with extreme hunger, shakes, anxiety, distress and weakness and lethargy.”

Sentencing Durkin a magistrate said it was horrifying that he had put animals “into such a cruel and nasty state”.

Durkin was unrepresented and did not offer any mitigation, although the court heard that he had no previous convictions and was “of good character”. He had agreed to sign over both dogs to the RSPCA.

Cody and Bruno were rehabilitated by the RSPCA and are in loving homes.

Sentencing | 200 hours of unpaid work; £500 court costs. Indefinite ban on keeping all animals which he can’t appeal for at least 10 years.

National World
Doncaster Free Press

Dogs, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire: Bridget Reilly and Andrew Keating

April 13, 2024 misanthropic 4 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeders Bridget Reilly, born 15 October 1977, and Andrew Keating, born 11 September 1981, of 11 Brackenhall Road, Sheepridge, Huddersfield HD2 1EU – bred dogs without a licence.

Backyard breeders Bridget Reilly and Andrew Keating from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Reilly and Keating pleaded guilty to breeding dogs without a licence, under Section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The case came to light when Kirklees Council Animal Health officers found evidence of the pair posting adverts for a range of breeds of puppies on various sales platforms.

Reilly pleaded guilty to 18 offences and was sentenced to two years’ community service and 15 days of rehabilitation activity.

She applied for a licence before attending court and is now a licensed dog breeder.

Keating pleaded guilty to 11 offences and was sentenced to 18 months’ community service and a further 25 days rehabilitation activity.

The outcome of the confiscation hearing will be heard in September 2024, which is when the financial penalties for the pair will be decided.

YorkshireLive
Kirklees Together

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

Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire: Sam Bodington

April 1, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Samuel Bodington, born 22 May 1990, of Aire Street, Goole DN14 5QE – strangled a chihuahua and attacked his girlfriend in a drug-fuelled rage.

Domestic abuser and animal abuser Samuel Bodington from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire — Image credit: HullLive

Bodington’s girlfriend was looking after the female dog, known as Luna, because she had been cruelly mistreated by a previous owner. Following the vicious attack by junkie Bodington, the tiny pet was left with her tongue hanging out and became “very shaken and jumpy”.

Sentencing was originally imposed in July 2023 after Bodington admitted the intentional strangulation of his girlfriend and causing unnecessary suffering to her pet dog. He was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence but this was activated in late March 2024 after he repeatedly failed to attend appointments with the probation service.

Michael Forrest, prosecuting, told the original hearing that Bodington’s girlfriend had been looking after Luna.

Bodington arrived at her home in Goole at 7.30pm on April 21, 2023, for a party where everyone was drinking. He and his girlfriend took Pregabalin tablets obtained from a drug dealer.

“The defendant’s behaviour changed like a switch had been flipped,” said Mr Forrest.

Bodington became agitated and he was hallucinating and being loud and aggressive, causing the woman to become scared.

“She told him to leave but he didn’t leave,” said Mr Forrest.

Bodington began calling her names. She was lying on a sofa with the dog when Bodington launched himself at her and dragged them both to the floor. While they were on the floor, he took hold of her throat and the neck of the dog.

He squeezed the woman’s neck, causing her to gasp for air, and he held on to the dog’s neck, causing her tongue to hang out of her mouth.

The woman forced Bodington to release his grip. She alerted the police and Bodington was arrested.

“Luna was very shaken and jumpy,” said Mr Forrest. The woman later said that Bodington’s attack on her was unprovoked.

During the original hearing Judge John Thackray KC told Bodingonn: “Your behaviour on the evening in question was appalling. Your victim must have been terrified. The dog must have been terrified.

“This could have been so much more serious. Sometimes it only takes a few seconds from when someone is strangled to them losing consciousness.”

Sentencing | 16-month immediate custodial (previously suspended), Banned from keeping animals for just two years (expires July 2025).

HullLive

abattoirs / animal slaughter, Food Production, livestock hauliers

Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire: Jonathan Botterill

March 29, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | livestock transporter Jonathan Botterill, born c. 1977, of Spellowgate, Driffield YO25 – filmed picking up a pig by her ears and flipping her onto her back.

Cruel lorry driver Jonathan Botterill picked up a terrified pig by her ears and flipped her onto her back

Botterill, an employee of Chris Waite Transport, pleaded guilty to using violence likely to cause unnecessary fear, injury or suffering and for using prohibited handling techniques when unloading pigs.

He was filmed on CCTV lifting a terrified pig by her ears and flipping her onto her back at Cranswick Country Foods in Preston on August 31, 2023.

The court heard Animal Health Officers from East Riding of Yorkshire Council began investigating following a referral from a vet who worked for the Food Standards Agency.

Botterill was trained in the correct methods of handling pigs and other livestock and had 20 years of experience. During an interview, he admitted it was not an appropriate handling technique and failed to use his pig board or ask for assistance.

Sentencing | ordered to pay a £670 fine, a £268 victim surcharge, and £884.94 costs.

HullLive

abattoirs / animal slaughter, Food Production, Organised Animal Crime, Traveller Animal Crimes

Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire: Bogdan Gruia

March 24, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Bogdan Gruia (aka Bogdan Gruya), born 28 June 1990, of 178 Frodingham Road, Scunthorpe DN15 7NN – part of a group of men that stole a pregnant ewe from a farm, slit her throat and left her to bleed to death.

Prosecution of Roma gypsy Bogdan Gruia of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who was part of a gang that stole a pregnant sheep and illegally slaughtered her.

Roma gypsy Gruia, who came to the UK from Craiova in Romania, indicated a plea of guilty to aiding and abetting “a person unknown” to cause unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by cutting her throat and leaving her to bleed to death.

The remains of the sheep and her unborn lambs were found in an alleyway near premises in the control of Gruia, a garage owner who gave the court an alternative address of Digby Street in, Scunthorpe

The sheep had been stolen from a farm near Epworth, and subsequently slaughtered in an inhumane manner.

Gruia was found not guilty of handling stolen goods.

A second man called Elvis Anghel, born c. 2002, of Church Lane, Scunthorpe DN15 7HD, was charged in relation to the same incident but the outcome of the case against him is not yet known.

Three other suspects are still being sought by Humberside Police who have released images of them.

Alleged accomplices of Roma gypsy Bogdan Gruia of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who was part of a gang that stole a pregnant sheep and illegally slaughtered her.

Speaking after Gruia’s conviction, PC Grant of Humberside Police’s Rural Task Force said: “This is the first conviction for an incident relating to the theft of sheep in the North Lincolnshire area since it became a local problem in 2018.

“Operation Bo Peep has been running since 2021 to tackle this issue and has, over the last three years, reduced sheep theft by 80%.

“I hope this conviction gives the farming community confidence that the police take this matter seriously and will bring offenders to justice.

“Three suspects for this incident are still outstanding, so I appeal to the public again to identify them.

“Anyone who believes they can identify the outstanding suspects can call Humberside Police on 101 and quote investigation reference 22901960470. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Sentencing | fined £769, ordered to pay a £308 victim services surcharge and £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Humberside Police Facebook post
GrimsbyLive

dog attack, Dogs, Lifers, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders

Halifax, West Yorkshire: Jodie Blezard

March 24, 2024 misanthropic 8 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | backyard breeder Jodie Leanne Blezard, born 11 September 1987, of Gladstone View, Siddal, Halifax HX3 9DH – failed to keep her dogs under control with one attacking a woman to her severe injury.

Idiot greeder Jodie Blezard from Halifax, West Yorkshire, allowed her dogs to be dangerously out of control, leading to one attacking a woman.

The victim had called to visit Jodie Blezard at her home in Halifax when she was “viciously attacked” by a Staffy crossbreed named Cally, causing blood to pour out of her neck.

As she was dragged to the floor she banged her head and was knocked unconscious.

Her wounds were so severe that they exposed her windpipe and required surgery.

The result was described at Bradford Crown Court as “significant cosmetic disfigurement” that left her voice impaired and her throat susceptible to infection.

Cally, who had recently had a litter of 11 pups, was removed along with Blezard’s other dogs. Callie was destroyed a month later.

Single mother-of-six Blezard pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog following the incident at her home on November 10, 2022.

The court heard that she had four dogs, three of whom were in the kitchen on the day of the incident, but that Cally was allowed into the living room.

The attack happened when the victim, who had been outside briefly, came back into the house and a baby gate became dislodged.

Mrs Recorder Taryn Turner said: “Very unfortunately, and in circumstances that will remain unclear, Cally attacked [the victim].”

Blezard had not seen the attack and, in an interview with police, said her animals were not dangerous. However she was “immediately remorseful” and apologised to the victim.

The court heard that Blezard had been spoken to in the past by various authorities about other dogs in her control, but that Cally had not been one of those animals.

Recorder Turner said: “You have a lot of children to look after, and it seems to me that if I were to impose an immediately effective custodial sentence today that would deprive them of their mother.

“You are truly apologetic and full of remorse for what befell [the victim] on that day when she popped in with a friend just for a chat.

“There is every reason to hope that something like this will never happen again because you don’t intend to keep dogs again.”

Sentencing | 16 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years plus 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Banned from keeping dogs for life.

Telegraph & Argus

UK Animal Cruelty Files