Burnley trio who posted dog attack films on TikTok jailed
- Published
One attack was filmed by a witness who passed the "horrendous" footage to Lancashire Police
A man who used his dogs to fight and kill cats, badgers, rabbits and birds before posting footage of the attacks on TikTok has been jailed.
Ryan Hancock, 18, and two others targeted animals on the estate they lived on in Burnley and "wildlife in the surrounding area", the RSPCA said.
Police found numerous images of animal attacks on seized phones from the trio.
Hancock, of Prestwich Street, Burnley, admitted 11 offences and was jailed for 18 weeks by Blackburn magistrates.
Marcus Leverett, 19, of Harold Avenue, Burnley, and a boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also admitted to animal welfare offences.
Leverett was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, by the magistrates, while the boy received a 12-month referral order at Blackburn Youth Court.
All three were banned from keeping animals for 10 years, while Hancock and Leverett were ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
'Extreme cruelty'
The RSPCA said Hancock and Leverett were seen encouraging a dog to attack a cat on 17 March.
The cat subsequently died from its injuries as its owners were taking it to the vets.
The attack was filmed by a witness who passed the "horrendous" footage to Lancashire Police, who then executed warrants under the Animal Welfare Act in April at four properties in Burnley.
Mobile phones were seized with 182 images and videos of Hancock's two lurchers and other dogs being used to attack animals and hunt badgers, deer, rabbits and birds.
The RSPCA's Jason Bowles said much of the "awful footage", which showed "extreme cruelty to animals", had been "set to music and edited for sharing online".
The lurchers and another dog were seized and rehomed by the RSPCA.
Speaking after sentencing, Mr Bowles said the trio had "targeted animals on the estate they lived on as well as wildlife in the surrounding area".
"Not only did the animals they attacked and killed suffer, but their own dogs also suffered from injuries in the fights," he said.
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