ELISA BATES'S HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE IN SCUNTHORPE AND NORTHAMPTON REVEALED

Elisa Siobhan Bates, born around 1988, has been convicted of severe animal cruelty offenses, with her latest offenses taking place in Scunthorpe. Bates, a known traveller with a troubling history of animal abuse, was found to have kept a horse in deplorable conditions on Ville Road, Scunthorpe, and previously on Salisbury Street, Semilong, Northampton. The horse, known as Little Man, was tethered in a small backyard that lacked basic necessities such as hay, grass, or shelter, exposing him to extreme neglect.

In September 2014, Bates was convicted alongside Northampton resident Adam Underwood, also born around 1988, of cruelty to dogs. The two were involved in a disturbing incident where they kept a distressed horse tethered to a washing line pole, with the animal suffering from poor dental health, scabs on his nose and genitals, and an infestation of lice. The horse was found in a state of significant distress, highlighting the severity of Bates's neglect.

The RSPCA was alerted on April 19, 2022, by a concerned neighbor who reported that Little Man was becoming tangled in his tether in the small garden. Officers were informed that the horse was sometimes tied to a caravan parked in the front garden of the semi-detached home. Despite advising Bates to seek veterinary assistance, she failed to do so when officers returned ten days later. As a result, Little Man was taken into the care of the rescue charity Bransby Horses, where he has since made a recovery. The cost of his care was estimated to be around £10,000, reflecting the extent of his suffering and the effort required to rehabilitate him.

Elisa Bates admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to a horse, a serious offense under animal welfare laws. Her history of cruelty is further underscored by her previous ban on keeping dogs, which was imposed in 2014 after she and Adam Underwood failed to prevent their bull terriers, Bobby and Marley, from engaging in a fatal fight. The fight resulted in severe injuries to both dogs, with Bobby dying the following night after being taken to the vet. The court heard that Bates and Underwood neglected Marley and Bobby, allowing them to fight and failing to seek timely treatment for their wounds.

Marley was only rescued the day after the fight by an RSPCA inspector, by which time he was unable to stand and had septic puncture wounds. The delay in treatment contributed to Marley’s death, with the vet describing his injuries as the worst she had seen in her 14 years of practice. The dogs had been kept in poor conditions, with Bobby covered in feces from head to toe, and excrement embedded into his wounds.

During her latest court appearance, magistrates noted that Bates had breached her previous bans in 2016 and again in 2019. Her lawyer, Jazmine Lee, claimed that Bates considers herself an animal lover and that she is a well-meaning individual who lacked the resources and proper equipment to care for her animals. She also revealed that Bates is currently homeless and leads a chaotic lifestyle, receiving approximately £700 in benefits each month.

Judge Paul Watson KC addressed Bates directly, stating, “You did not set out to harm this horse, but the conditions in which it was kept were appalling.” He emphasized that her actions caused significant distress to the animal and that her prior convictions for cruelty aggravated her current offense. The judge remarked, “It may be you are an animal lover, but you were incompetent in being able to look after an animal like this.”

At her sentencing, Bates was visibly upset, weeping in the dock and lamenting, “I won’t even be able to look after pigeons.” She was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity days, fined £150, and given a three-year ban on keeping all animals, which will expire in September 2027.