In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that Kerry Anne Pickersgill, then 51 (estimated), and her daughter Ellie Newby, of Marwood, Barnard Castle, County Durham, were sentenced for the extensive neglect of more than 40 horses and dogs. On Friday, 13 February 2026, the pair appeared at Durham Crown Court following a harrowing investigation by the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. The court reported that rescuers encountered a scene of extreme suffering, including the discovery of live animals living alongside rotting carcasses in filthy, dark conditions.
The investigation established that Pickersgill was in breach of a lifetime ban on keeping animals imposed in May 2015. RSPCA inspectors found 22 horses—some collapsed and emaciated—and 21 dogs living in damp sheds and trailers. One stable contained a live chestnut foal standing in the dark next to its dead mother. The prosecution reported that the smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming, and bones from various decomposed equines were found scattered across a mound of straw and debris.+1
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that the animals had suffered for “several months” without adequate food, water, or light. Durham Crown Court heard that eight horses were in such a critical state that they had to be humanely destroyed to prevent further suffering. The prosecution reported that some horses were so starved they were seen eating their own faeces, while dogs were found with mouldy excrement matted into their fur. Inspector Ian Smith described the conditions as “squalid and unsanitary,” noting that the only water available on site was brown and dirty.
Judge Peter Makepiece KC noted that the neglect was extensive and “horrendous.” For her actions in Marwood, Pickersgill pleaded guilty to 15 offences relating to the horses and dogs, as well as breaching her lifetime ban. Despite the severity of the case, the judge handed her a two-year custodial sentence, suspended for two years, citing her regret and mental health needs. Newby, described as being under the influence of her mother, admitted to two offences involving dogs and was handed a community order.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For their crimes in England, the defendants were handed:
- Kerry Anne Pickersgill: * Two-year custodial sentence (Suspended for two years).
- 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days.
- 100 hours of unpaid work.
- Six-month mental health treatment order.
- Lifetime disqualification from keeping animals (Maintained).
- Ellie Newby:
- 12-month community order.
- 150 hours of unpaid work.
- Five-year disqualification from keeping dogs.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Pickersgill and Newby are managed under the supervision of the National Probation Service in County Durham. Due to the “extreme” nature of the neglect in Barnard Castle, their compliance with the animal disqualification orders is subject to monitoring by the RSPCA and local authorities.
As part of her suspended sentence, Pickersgill must undergo mental health treatment and rehabilitation. Authorities state that the surviving animals have been successfully rehomed or are continuing their recovery at Great Ayton and Felledge animal centres. Any breach of the disqualification orders or the terms of the suspended sentence will result in immediate arrest and the activation of the two-year prison term at Durham Crown Court.
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