Man jailed for mutilating young hedgehog

Richard Coyle, 56, mutilated a young hedgehog at a property in Newport in September

A man has been jailed for 18 months for "sadistically" mutilating a young hedgehog and keeping it in a small drawer.

Richard Coyle, of no fixed abode, deliberately abused the animal at an address on Greenmeadow Drive, Crosskeys, Caerphilly county, in September.

The hedgehog was found alive in a bedroom drawer covered in blood with a hole in its abdomen.

Coyle, 56, was also banned from keeping animals for 20 years at the sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday.

He previously pleaded guilty to the offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a captive hedgehog contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

In a statement, RSPCA inspector Simon Evans - who attended the address with fellow animal rescue officer Sian Burton - said he found the hedgehog inside a small drawer which was partially under the bed.

He said: "I could see that the base of the drawer looked to be covered in blood. Inside was a juvenile hedgehog which was clearly still alive as it moved slightly when I lifted up the drawer.

"I attempted to lift the hedgehog out to examine it but I could feel the animal was wet with blood and I could see that my gloves were also blood soaked."

Mr Evans also found a cardboard box containing various correspondence and some plastic carrier bags which were also blood-spattered.

The hedgehog was transferred to a nearby vet for an examination, where it was euthanised on welfare grounds due to its injuries.

In written evidence to court, the vet said the hedgehog had a wound to its abdomen, where there was a hole between one and two centimetres (0.39 to 0.78 in) in diameter and its intestines were trailing out.

Richard Coyle was jailed for 18 months and banned from keeping animals for 20 years

In mitigation the court heard that Coyle had mental health and drug and alcohol abuse issues.

Addressing Coyle, Judge Rhys Rowlands said: "This was the deliberate, sadistic infliction of pain on a defenceless animal... an appalling act at your hands from which you seemed to take pleasure.

"This was about as cruel a case as can be imagined."

Following the case, Mr Evans said: “This was certainly a horrific case and will be one that stays with me for some time.

"Deliberate cruelty on such a helpless animal is just simply unacceptable."