Badger baiter sentenced to 23 weeks

 

A man who urged his dog to attack and kill badgers kept footage of the brutal fights on his phone, a court heard today.

Magistrate Ann Scott wiped away tears while watching three videos of animal fights that Anthony Lee, 23, had recorded for his own "twisted and sick kicks".

Lee was jailed for 23 weeks at Bradford Magistrates' Court after a case the RSPCA said was "as bad as one can get".

In the footage, Lee's dog Bracken and others could be seen fighting badgers, Lee and a friend can be heard laughing "hysterically" and a badger is killed, prosecutor Nigel Monaghan explained, before playing the videos to the bench.

Mr Monaghan said: "In terms of animal cruelty the RSPCA regard this case as bad in terms of suffering and cruelty as one can get."

Lee had previously admitted to three counts of animal fighting and was given three concurrent 23-week sentences for the crimes.

In the first video played to the court, a badger could be heard squealing alongside the sound of "hysterical laughter" from Lee and another person, Mr Monaghan said.

The second video showed a badger being killed after being shaken around in Bracken's mouth while another dog had hold of it, Mr Monaghan said.

He said: "Somebody takes one of the dogs off the badger and another dog continues to bite and ultimately kill it."

The third video shows a dog fighting a badger in its sett, he said.

Badgers suffer an "extreme amount of pain" as a result of badger baiting, Mr Monaghan explained.

He said: "Badgers are robust animals, they don't die easily. They suffer multiple bites, punctures and external and internal bleeding.

"They suffer an extreme amount of pain and distress. In addition, the badger curls up to defend itself."

The dogs involved also suffer injuries, Mr Monaghan said.

He said: "Dogs suffer crushing and tearing injuries usually to the jaw or to the legs and suffer a high level of pain."

Lee, Coronation Way, Keighley, West Yorkshire, was given a three-week discount on the maximum sentence the court could hand down because he entered a guilty plea, chairman of the bench Robert Thornton explained.

He said: "This is the most serious case we can think of."

Badger baiters draw no financial benefit from their actions, RSPCA investigator Carroll Lamport said after the hearing.

He said: "It is just for their own twisted and sick kicks and there is a really high level of cruelty."

Lee was also banned from keeping or looking after animals for the rest of his life.

He was caught after information from a member of the public and on Facebook was passed to the RSPCA.

Police and the RSPCA raided his house in February and seized his mobile phone, his computer, a hawk, and his two dogs - Bracken and Titch.

They found photos of a dog biting a deer in the neck, a dog with a dead fox and one of Lee holding two dead deer, the court heard.

Both dogs have been re-homed.

Mr Lamport explained that the badger-baiting videos were found in the recycling bin of Lee's phone during forensic analysis.

He said: "This was a great example of a police and RSPCA joint operation in order to be able to catch those people and we are grateful to the police for their input.

"I am very pleased with that sentence. It is a very sensible sentence and I think it is a strong deterrent."

Mr Lamport described badger baiting as "rife" in the local area and said it was mainly a problem north of London.

PA

Top stories
News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
       
Independent
Travel Shop
Imperial Cities of Morocco
Seven nights half-board from only £799pp Find out more
Historic Sicily
Seven nights half-board from £799pp Find out more
4* all-inclusive Crete
Seven nights from only £399pp Find out more
Independent Dating
and  

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

Day In a Page

Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions

He's worked with Modest Mouse, the Pet Shop Boys and Beck, to name a few, and recently released his first solo album. So why, wonders Johnny Marr, do people still hark on about The Smiths?
After the flood: From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands

In pictures: After the flood

From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands
Death becomes her: Meet the very modern mortician who champions 'cool' funerals

Death becomes her: A very modern mortician

Ever considered baking a loved one's remains into a cake or putting their ashes in fireworks? If so, talk to Caitlin Doughty, champion of the alternative death industry.
How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

At first it seemed clever and cute. Then the 'Keep Calm' motif went mad, spawning endless offshoots.
The man who built Brum: A lament for the demise of John Madin's Brutalist Birmingham

John Madin: The man who built Brum

The architect's buildings were supposed to leave an indelible, futuristic mark on his beloved hometown but they are now being inexorably torn down.
School of chop: Learning the art of butchery at the Ginger Pig

School of chop: Learning the art of butchery

How do you butcher a lamb? Or make Mexican street food in a British kitchen? Christopher Hirst finds out.
James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats