He pleaded guilty to a number of charges that also included illegal trapping of a deer
An East Yorkshire man has been given a suspended 12-week prison sentence and a 15-year ban on keeping animals after admitting a number of offences including involvement in cockfighting.
Oliver Thomas Bates, 27, of Church Drive, Leven, pleaded guilty to five animal welfare offences. He also admitted charges of animal mutilation, illegal trapping and other offences concerning a hare, a deer, and an Irish pyle cock bird.
He was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a period of 18 months, when he appeared at Hull & Holderness Magistrates Court on December 23. He was banned from keeping all animals for 15 years.
The court heard how in October 2024, RSPCA officers, working alongside police and an expert from World Horse Welfare, visited a smallholding in Tickton, near Beverley, to carry out welfare checks in response to concerns about animals at the premises.
In a written statement, an officer from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, said: “A number of birds were underweight and the environment was unsuitable. The police officer seized the birds due to concerns raised and they were removed and taken to a vet for examination and opinion.”
Bates was not present during the visit, so warning notices about the conditions of the birds were issued to a family member of the defendant. A mobile phone belonging to Bates was later confiscated by the police for forensic examination.
Footage recovered from the phone showed cockerels being placed together to fight and spar, along with material relating to “dubbing”, which involves cutting off the comb, wattles, or earlobes of a cockerel.
The court also heard evidence of videos, recorded by Bates, showing animals caught in illegal snares, including a roe deer and a brown hare. RSPCA Wildlife Partnerships Manager Geoff Edmond said one video depicted a roe deer “caught in a wire type snare around the rear of the head and neck area”.
He said the snare resulted in the death of the deer. Another video showed a dead brown hare caught in a snare.
Mr Edmond added: “Snares can legally be used to catch this species, but must be inspected regularly, and no animal should be found dead in a snare. When used incorrectly, snares are capable of causing injuries and suffering to animals and to snare non-targeted species is entirely inappropriate and, in the case of deer, illegal.”
In mitigation, the defence said that Bates had experienced physical and mental health difficulties and argued that a suspended sentence was appropriate. The court also heard he had pleaded guilty at an early stage and had no previous convictions.
As part of his sentence Bates was also ordered to carry out 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and an Alcohol Treatment Requirement for six months. He was also ordered to pay £400 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Speaking after sentencing, an RSPCA spokesperson said: “It was rightly highlighted in court that animals are sentient beings, and it is widely acknowledged that they can feel emotion, pain and distress. Abuse and cruelty to animals will not be tolerated. This applies to all species, including wildlife, and those sometimes regarded as pest species, which are all protected by laws and regulations.”