In 2014, the Offender Database recorded that three men from Colne—Joshua Varey (then 24), Shaun Mullens (then 22), and Paul Ashworth (then 49)—were jailed for a “vicious and vindictive” campaign of serial animal cruelty. The investigation established that the men utilised dogs to assault a badger and a cat, filming the attacks for their own pleasure. The prosecution reported at Burnley Magistrates’ Court that the evidence was discovered on a mobile phone, showing the animals being subjected to horrific distress while the offenders laughed in the background.
The investigation established that the footage on Varey’s phone depicted a badger being set upon by dogs, an act for which both Varey and Mullens admitted guilt. A separate clip identified Ashworth climbing a tree to shake a cat down into the jaws of barking dogs waiting below. The RSPCA reported that it was impossible to reported whether the cat or the badger survived the assaults, or if they were “torn to shreds” by the dogs incited by the men.
RECORDED CRUELTY AND JUDICIAL FINDINGS
The court reported that the level of cruelty was deliberate and calculated, with the offenders’ laughter demonstrating the “pleasure” they took from the animals’ untold suffering. The investigation established that the evidence was compiled following police searches at the men’s homes in Duke Street, Leach Street, and Hawley Street. The prosecution reported that the RSPCA viewed the acts as a “vindictive” level of abuse that necessitated immediate custodial sentences to protect the public and animal welfare.
Judge-led proceedings at Burnley Magistrates’ Court concluded on Friday, 11 July 2014. For their actions in Colne and the nature of the serial animal assaults reported, the men received the following sentences: Joshua Varey was jailed for 126 days; Shaun Mullens was jailed for 114 days; and Paul Ashworth was jailed for 76 days. The investigation established that Varey and Mullens were banned from keeping animals for 10 years, while Ashworth received a five-year ban.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Based on the judicial records as of 2014:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Admitted fighting a dog with a badger; Causing unnecessary suffering to a cat).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2014, serving sentences of 126, 114, and 76 days respectively).
- Animal Ownership Ban: Varey and Mullens (10 years, active until 2024); Ashworth (5 years, active until 2019).
- DBS Status: Convictions for animal cruelty are recorded on standard and enhanced disclosures, potentially barring them from roles involving animal care.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Burnley Magistrates’ Court; investigated by the RSPCA and Lancashire Police.
- Criminal Record: Set dogs on a badger; Shook a cat from a tree for dogs to assault; Filmed the cruelty for pleasure; Laughed during the attacks; Jailed in 2014.
- Origin: Duke Street, Leach Street, and Hawley Street, Colne, Lancashire.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
The offenders were managed under standard probationary oversight following their release from prison in 2014. Due to the nature of their behaviour—specifically the “serial” and “vindictive” use of dogs to assault wildlife and domestic pets—they were a priority for inspections regarding their bans on keeping animals. Authorities reported that the 2014 convictions ensure these men are flagged on national databases, meaning any attempt to work in regulated animal industries in Colne, Burnley, or elsewhere would be subject to scrutiny.
The investigation established that the behaviour of Varey, Mullens, and Ashworth identified individuals who prioritised their own sadistic entertainment over the safety and basic rights of animals. Any failure by these men to adhere to their bans on keeping animals during the active periods would have resulted in immediate police intervention. The 2014 proceedings reflect the judiciary’s stance that those who take pleasure in the violent assault of animals violate the principles of human decency and must be removed from the community.
QUESTION – Given that the offenders “Laughed while Filming” the dogs tearing into the animals, do you believe the law should legally mandate that any person convicted of deliberate animal cruelty should be “Permanently Banned” from keeping animals for life, rather than for a fixed term of 5 or 10 years?
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