'Despicable' badger baiting condemned

Conisbrough resident Liam Smith (21) and his accomplices — Daniel Davey (22) of Denaby, and Barry Scott (24), of Doncaster — were condemned by the RSPCA for their three-man mission in Derbyshire where they sent a dog into a badger sett.

Davey and Smith were jailed for 20 weeks after admitting interfering with a badger sett and causing unnecessary suffering to a dog, while Scott was given a suspended jail sentence after admitting the same offence.

Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Dave McAdam said: “Badger baiting is a despicable and barbaric act that has no place in today's society except in our history books.

“Why anyone would wish to participate in this type of disgusting cruelty is beyond me.”

Magistrates at Chesterfield heard that a terrier-type dog suffered severe injuries to its face when it entered a badger sett in the Whitwell area of north Derbyshire.

The court was told that the trio had gone equipped with spades and tracking equipment to locate a badger. They fled when police arrived but were caught.

“You considered this cruel act to be sport. All right-thinking people would consider it barbaric,” Deputy District Judge Goodman told them.

“It was a cruel and callous act. You set out on a determined mission with badger-baiting equipment.

“Badgers must not be subjected to vicious attacks by several dogs put there by people like you.”

The three defendants pleaded guilty on the basis that the offences resulted from reckless behaviour.

Six dogs taken from the pair will be rehomed by the RSPCA.

Scott was handed a 16-week jail term suspended for a year. He was also ordered to do 250 hours’ unpaid work, with £250 costs.

All three were banned from keeping animals for an indefinite period. They can apply for the bans to be lifted after five years.

Mr Goodman also ordered that two spades, two dog tracking collars, transmitters and receivers used by the trio be destroyed.

Ms Ann Marie Gregory, mitigating, said that they all regretted embarking on what she called “a stupid venture” and were fearful of going to prison.

At an earlier hearing, charges of causing unneccessary suffering to three other dogs — two terrier-types and a lurcher-type —were withdrawn by the RSPCA.