* GRAPHIC IMAGE WARNING *
A BARNSLEY man has been jailed after he subjected animals to abuse by ordering his dogs to attack them.
Ben Bates subjected deer, cats and wild birds to horrific abuse, filming it and boasting about his crimes on social media.
The videos sparked an investigation by Naturewatch Foundation, and the Police’s Motorcycle and Rural Crime Team investigated further.
After reviewing the deplorable images and footage, officers conducted a warrant at Bates' address in May 2024. Bates' phone was seized, and when examined numerous photos and videos containing wildlife offences, showing a dog called 'Billy', as well as other dogs, attacking multiple cats, deer and hares on farmers’ land. After digital forensic evaluation, it was found that most of these crime happened in the South Elmsall area.
During the warrant, three dogs were also seized, disclaimed to the force and will be re-homed, items relating to hunting including stolen 'no poaching' signs from nearby farming land were also found.
PS James Shirley, from the Motorcycle and Rural Crime Team, said: "We take crimes against our rural communities extremely seriously, and are working with those in these communities to build more intelligence and gather information so we can continue to bring people before the courts.
"Recently, we have doubled our investment in training of officers in rural crime offences, and now have an officer trained in every neighbourhood policing team across the force.
"In cases like these, animals are subjected to the most horrific abuse, but local farmers are also affected. Their land and crops often get damaged as well as their livestock.
"The Barnsley North East NPT coordinated the investigation, pulling experts in from the RSPCA Special Ops team, the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and our dog liaison team. The investigation was a joint effort over many months and we hope this will send a clear message of our stance on those who take part in animal cruelty."
Bates, 20, of Darfield Road, Cudworth, appeared before Barnsley Magistrates' Court on February 24 and pleaded guilty to theft, killing a deer at night, causing an animal fight to take place, causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and killing a wild bird.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "I welcome the sentence of Bates, quite simply, no animal is safe around him. The level of cruelty and suffering he has inflicted for gratification is deeply disturbing, I am sure the public will be quite rightly shocked by this case.
"I would like to thank South Yorkshire Police for a thorough investigation that has taken this animal abuser off the streets.”
He appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on Monday (June 30), and was sentenced to 20 months in prison for unnecessary suffering of a deer, unnecessary suffering of a cat, causing an animal fight, theft, killing a wild bird, killing a deer, taking a deer and improper use of electronic communications.
The judge also ordered him a disqualification order, meaning Bates can have nothing to do with animals for a minimum period of 12 years. A seizure order was also placed against the dog ‘Billy'.
Police are urging anyone with information about illegal hunting to report it to them either through your local neighbourhood policing team or through the Motor Cycle and Rural Crime Team. Alternatively, you can report anonymously through Crimestoppers via their website here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
An image recovered from Bates' phone.
