JAMES CANNING OF KILNHURST ROADS MEXBOROUGH CONVICTED OF ANIMAL WELFARE OFFENCES AND REPEATED VIOLENCE IN ROTHERHAM

James Canning, born on December 22, 1994, and residing on Glasshouse Road, Kilnhurst, Mexborough in the Borough of Rotherham (postcode S64 5TQ), has been convicted of multiple offences. He was found in possession of a neglected banned breed dog and was also caught keeping a hamster in a cage lacking food and fresh water.

A police mugshot from 2015 shows Canning's prior history.

Canning pleaded guilty to several animal welfare violations and to possessing a prohibited dog breed. The court was informed that on May 2, 2024, Canning, who has a history of criminal activity, was found with a pitbull terrier, a breed banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. He admitted to this offence on September 2, 2024.

Further charges related to animal cruelty were also brought against him after he confessed to causing unnecessary suffering to a hamster by keeping it in a cage with no food and a mouldy water bottle. Canning pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, relating to neglect of both the hamster and the dog.

The dog was discovered living in "an unsuitable environment," lacking access to clean drinking water. The court ordered the dog to be destroyed, citing the potential danger it posed to others and considering Canning unfit to care for animals.

As part of his sentence, Canning was ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £114 surcharge. Additionally, he was banned from keeping any animals for three years, with the ban set to expire in February 2028.

In additional context, Canning, then aged 20 and living in Askern, Doncaster, was sentenced in September 2015 to five years in a young offenders institution. This was for his involvement in a brutal attack on a 17-year-old girl that lasted over eight hours, during which he and accomplices Amy Gaines and Jay Blades beat her with a metal chain and piece of wood, repeatedly kicked, punched, and slapped her. They also spat on her and urinated on her as she begged to be allowed to leave.

Canning filmed and directed this assault, claiming it was a "birthday wish" for himself. He, Gaines, and Blades all pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and wounding.

Further allegations against Canning included a confession of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, whom he impregnated.

The judge in the 2015 case described the attack as "an appalling episode of cruel and violent behaviour to a vulnerable woman," and Canning’s criminal record includes convictions for violence and child abuse. The report from the Daily Mail highlights the disturbing dual nature of Canning’s criminal history, including serious violence and animal cruelty.