A gamekeeper at an elite hunting estate is in jail today after being convicted of crimes against wild animals using hunting dogs.
Rhys Davies was sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from keeping animals for 15 years.
A court in Scotland witnessed shocking images of badgers and foxes being killed by dogs in Davies' care and was told how the gang was rumbled after he submitted photos to be developed to a shop, the alarm was raised by the distressed shop worker.
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The Scottish Society for the protection of Animals was called in to investigate what turned out to be one of their biggest investigations according to The Daily Record.
Davies was working as a gamekeeper at 20,000-acre Millden estate in Angus, Scotland, favoured by hunters who pay to shoot grouse, when he was discovered to be part of the wildlife crime gang.
But Forfar Sheriff Court on August 1, the 28-year-old was jailed for eight months for his part in organising the fights between his dogs and the wild animals.
The brutal nature of the nature of the ‘sport’ was revealed in horrific text messages, videos and photos seized via Davies’ computer and mobile phone.
Sheriff Derek Reekie told him: “It is deeply disturbing, the horrific, cruel and senseless nature of the crime, as well as the cruelty to your own dogs. Your text messages demonstrate your sickening enjoyment in what you were doing.”
The sheriff made it clear that Davies’ employment at Millden Estate was an aggravation that made the crimes worse.
He said: “Being a qualified as a gamekeeper is an aggravating factor which disputes claims of naivety. You have not shown any real remorse. Your dogs were subjected to activities that were deliberate, cruel and horrific in nature.”
When the SSPCA raided Davies’ home on the grouse shooting estate near Glenesk, they found severely injured dogs, along with an unsecured shotgun, two rifles and more than 140 bullets. He was also fined £1,800 for firearms offences.
Davies, with an address in Gwynedd, North Wales, admitted keeping and training five Patterdale Terriers to fight animals, as well as failing to seek veterinary treatment for two which had sustained injuries from fighting. One image, which showed an injured dog, had a caption below it reading: “Pup bit sore after last night.” Other images showed dead foxes.
Police and inspectors from the SSPCA’s Special Investigations Unit executed a search warrant at Turnbrae Cottage, on the Millden Estate, in October 2019.
Officers found animal medication, including used syringes and skin staplers. Eleven dogs were found in kennels outside and in an outbuilding, some showing signs of severe, fresh wounds.
Davies claimed the dogs had been injured carrying out legitimate ratting and foxing duties, but the dogs were immediately removed for their own safety.
A collar found in the cottage tested positive for badger DNA. Five of the dogs – Lola, Pip, Socks, Tuck and Bess – were used as fighting animals. They were either nursing injuries or showing signs of healing.
Officers also discovered damning conversations with a man named as “T” -Liam Taylor, who was convicted of similar offences last November.
In one conversation with Taylor, Davies refers to a bloody battle with a badger, which baiters refer to as “pigs”. He said: “I’ve gone through some dogs but that dog, it’s took a fair f*****’ bit of punishment off that pig on the weekend. I might need to cut bits off under its jaw to reseal it, re-staple it.”
Davies admitted keeping and training five dogs for fighting from 24 April 2018 to 8 October 2019. He also pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to terriers Lola and Tuck.
Pleas of not guilty to failing to seek veterinary help for Pip and Socks were accepted by the Crown. Davies also admitted breaching the conditions of a firearms licence by leaving his weapons unsecured.
His solicitor said Davies had trained to be a gamekeeper over three years and spent a year studying at Elmwood College in Cupar, sandwiched between spells in Wales and Thurso.
He had been working as a gamekeeper for four years before the raid and now works as a maintenance worker at a boatyard near his Welsh home.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “All of the hallmarks of a person involved in animal fighting can be found in this case. This includes attempting to treat serious injuries without a vet, bragging to others about those injuries and trying to get ‘trophies’ such as photos as keepsakes of those fights.
“Our Special Investigations Unit lead the way when it comes to taking on these organised, brutal groups involved in animal fights. This was an incredibly sophisticated investigation, which made it plain as day the accused was guilty and helped to uncover a wider network of individuals involved in heinous animal fights.
“A custodial sentence sends a real message to anyone who wants to use dogs to bait and maim wildlife that they will be punished for it."
Speaking after the sentencing, Karon Rollo, Head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit of COPFS said: “Animal fighting is a cruel illegal activity which causes terrible and unnecessary suffering to animals. The evidence clearly shows the scope of the involvement Rhys Davies had with an organised group that took pleasure in killing wild animals in such a wicked and inhumane manner.
“I welcome the sentence and the granting of the order preventing him from keeping animals for 15 years. I would like to thank Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“Hopefully this prosecution and the sentence will serve as a message to others who would cause such suffering that there are consequences and that they will be held to account for their actions and could also lose their liberty.
"COPFS will continue to work to ensure those who participate in these barbaric practices are prosecuted and would encourage anyone who may have information on animal fighting to contact Police Scotland or the Scottish SPCA."
A spokesman for Millden Estate said: “The estate does not condone or tolerate any illegal activity relating to the welfare of animals or wildlife. We were shocked to learn of all the allegations when they came to light.
“The employee involved was suspended by the estate with immediate effect and resigned a few days later when the police investigation was still at an early stage. At no stage was the estate itself the focus of the investigation. These offences did not take place on the estate but happened at locations some distance away and unconnected to the estate.“
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