Man admits animal mutilation and cockfighting

A man has pleaded guilty to cockfighting, animal mutilation and illegal snaring.

Oliver Bates, of Church Drive, Leven, admitted five offences at Hull & Holderness Magistrates Court on 23 December, including killing a roe deer in a snare trap.

The 27-year-old was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a period of 18 months and was banned from keeping animals for 15 years.

In mitigation, the defence said Bates had experienced physical and mental health difficulties and argued a suspended sentence was appropriate.

The court heard members of the RSPCA, police and World Horse Welfare, visited a smallholding in Tickton to carry out welfare checks in October 2024.

In a written statement, an RSPCA officer said they had found a number of birds underweight and described the environment as “unsuitable”.

The birds were seized by police and taken to a vet to be examined.

A mobile phone belonging to Bates was also confiscated. A forensic examination found footage of cockfighting as well as material relating to practices known as “dubbing”, which involves cutting off the comb, wattles, or earlobes of a cockerel.

The court heard evidence of videos, recorded by Bates, showed animals caught in illegal snares, including a roe deer and a brown hare.

RSPCA wildlife partnerships manager Geoff Edmond said a female roe deer had died after it was “caught in a wire type snare around the rear of the head and neck area”.

Another video showed a brown hare caught in a snare, which are permitted to capture but not be used to kill animals, Mr Edmond said.

He added: “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.”