JOSHUA LEE FROM BALMEDIE AND GALASHIELS INVOLVED IN HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE IN ABERDEENSHIRE
| Red Rose Database
Galashiels Balmedie Paterson Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities, Joshua Lee, a young man from Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, was involved in a heinous animal abuse ring that targeted horses at a farm in Cothal. The crimes, which spanned over a three-month period, involved acts of bestiality and other forms of animal cruelty that have left residents appalled and authorities determined to seek justice.
Lee, aged 20 at the time of the offenses, was found guilty of having an 'unnatural connection' with horses, specifically at a secluded farm in Cothal. Despite the gravity of his actions, he was spared a jail sentence due to his age, and instead received a sentence of 225 hours of unpaid work. The decision was made by Sheriff Phillip Mann, who emphasized that Lee was only 17 when the abuse occurred, which influenced the court's sentencing decision.
However, Lee was not acting alone. His accomplice, Jordan Turnbull, aged 28 and from Galashiels in Selkirkshire, was sentenced to seven months in prison after admitting to having intimate relations with two Shetland ponies named Jack and Ruby. These ponies belonged to Mark Findlater, 34, from Kirriemuir, Angus, who had agreed to sell the animals and a rural plot to Lee. During the period of the abuse, Lee was staying in a caravan on the property, making payments in installments for the land.
Further complicating the case, Findlater was sentenced to 13 months after pleading guilty to sharing images of the abuse online. He had a prior conviction related to bestiality images, and during sentencing, Sheriff Mann condemned the distribution of such obscene material, stating, “You sent this obscene material to members of the public who shouldn’t have been subjected to such disgusting images. That’s very serious indeed.”
Testimony during the trial revealed that Lee-Paterson claimed he was trying to protect the horses, which were abused in a small wooden stable between October and December 2018. Prosecutor Colin Neilson stated that Lee-Paterson had been threatened by Findlater to carry out the acts, which were all recorded on a mobile phone. Both Lee-Paterson and Turnbull blamed Findlater for manipulating them into participating in the abuse.
The court heard that the horses were kept at a farm in Cothal, and the abuse was carried out in secret at the rural location. The investigation was initiated after a tip-off led police and the Scottish SPCA to launch an undercover operation. Several animals were rescued during searches of farms and stables, and Lee-Paterson reportedly sold his land following his arrest.
Both men were placed on the sex offenders register, and a further hearing has been scheduled for later this month. Lee-Paterson’s legal representative, Stuart Murray, revealed that his client had recently been dumped by his fiancée, adding a personal dimension to the case. Meanwhile, Turnbull’s lawyer, Matthew Patrick, argued that his client’s actions could jeopardize his business, which employs four people.
Locals in the area expressed their horror and disbelief over the case. One resident commented on the strange activity at the farm, initially suspected to involve drugs, but later revealed to be far more disturbing. The community’s sense of safety has been shaken by the revelations of such depraved acts occurring in their quiet, rural surroundings. The case continues to unfold as authorities pursue further legal proceedings against those involved.
Lee, aged 20 at the time of the offenses, was found guilty of having an 'unnatural connection' with horses, specifically at a secluded farm in Cothal. Despite the gravity of his actions, he was spared a jail sentence due to his age, and instead received a sentence of 225 hours of unpaid work. The decision was made by Sheriff Phillip Mann, who emphasized that Lee was only 17 when the abuse occurred, which influenced the court's sentencing decision.
However, Lee was not acting alone. His accomplice, Jordan Turnbull, aged 28 and from Galashiels in Selkirkshire, was sentenced to seven months in prison after admitting to having intimate relations with two Shetland ponies named Jack and Ruby. These ponies belonged to Mark Findlater, 34, from Kirriemuir, Angus, who had agreed to sell the animals and a rural plot to Lee. During the period of the abuse, Lee was staying in a caravan on the property, making payments in installments for the land.
Further complicating the case, Findlater was sentenced to 13 months after pleading guilty to sharing images of the abuse online. He had a prior conviction related to bestiality images, and during sentencing, Sheriff Mann condemned the distribution of such obscene material, stating, “You sent this obscene material to members of the public who shouldn’t have been subjected to such disgusting images. That’s very serious indeed.”
Testimony during the trial revealed that Lee-Paterson claimed he was trying to protect the horses, which were abused in a small wooden stable between October and December 2018. Prosecutor Colin Neilson stated that Lee-Paterson had been threatened by Findlater to carry out the acts, which were all recorded on a mobile phone. Both Lee-Paterson and Turnbull blamed Findlater for manipulating them into participating in the abuse.
The court heard that the horses were kept at a farm in Cothal, and the abuse was carried out in secret at the rural location. The investigation was initiated after a tip-off led police and the Scottish SPCA to launch an undercover operation. Several animals were rescued during searches of farms and stables, and Lee-Paterson reportedly sold his land following his arrest.
Both men were placed on the sex offenders register, and a further hearing has been scheduled for later this month. Lee-Paterson’s legal representative, Stuart Murray, revealed that his client had recently been dumped by his fiancée, adding a personal dimension to the case. Meanwhile, Turnbull’s lawyer, Matthew Patrick, argued that his client’s actions could jeopardize his business, which employs four people.
Locals in the area expressed their horror and disbelief over the case. One resident commented on the strange activity at the farm, initially suspected to involve drugs, but later revealed to be far more disturbing. The community’s sense of safety has been shaken by the revelations of such depraved acts occurring in their quiet, rural surroundings. The case continues to unfold as authorities pursue further legal proceedings against those involved.