LEWIS PALMER FROM WIBTOFT SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY INVOLVING RABBIT AND DOGS IN LUTTERWORTH

Lewis James Palmer, a resident of 1 Houses, Green Lane, Wibtoft, near Lutterworth, has been convicted of a disturbing act of animal cruelty that has shocked the local community and animal welfare organizations alike. The incident, which took place in Wibtoft and was investigated by the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit (SOU), involved Palmer deliberately causing unnecessary suffering to a domestic rabbit by throwing it to his two dogs, both of which are Patterdale terriers named Rusty and Gem.

According to the investigation, the RSPCA was alerted after receiving intelligence from the Naturewatch Foundation, which had been monitoring illegal hunting and wildlife persecution activities. This tip-off prompted authorities to act swiftly, leading to a warrant being executed by Leicestershire Police in December 2023 at Palmer’s residence in Wibtoft, a small village near Lutterworth.

During the search, officers found the two terriers at Palmer’s property. Palmer cooperated with the authorities by surrendering his mobile phone and providing the password. A significant piece of evidence was recovered from his device—a 38-second video that clearly depicted him throwing a live rabbit into a dog run where the two terriers were kept. The footage, taken on November 2, 2023, shows Palmer encouraging the dogs as they attack the rabbit, with audible commands directed at Gem and general encouragement to both animals.

In his witness statement, the SOU officer leading the investigation described the video in detail, stating, “The 38-second video is of a live rabbit being dropped into a dog run containing two terriers. The two terriers are the ones I saw at [Palmer’s address]… Encouragement to the dog Gem can be heard being given, and general encouragement to both dogs can be heard. The run containing the terriers is the one that I saw them in on 1 December 2023. This video was created on [the phone] on 2 November 2023.”

Palmer, who owns a groundworks and landscaping business called L Palmer Contractors and has connections to the Hinckley and Fleckney areas of Leicestershire, faced charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the rabbit by giving it to his dogs, an act that has been widely condemned.

During his police interview, Palmer claimed that the rabbit was wild and suffering from myxomatosis, asserting that his actions were an attempt to end the animal’s suffering. However, the court did not accept this explanation. The prosecution and the court described his behavior as barbaric, with Judge Potter stating that Palmer appeared to derive a ‘sadistic kick out of’ the act.

In sentencing, Palmer received a 14-month prison sentence, which was suspended for two years. The court also imposed a requirement of 10 days of rehabilitation activities, 175 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £800 in costs along with a £100 victim surcharge. Additionally, Palmer was disqualified from owning any animals for a period of six years, a ban that will expire in August 2030.

This case has once again highlighted the ongoing issues of animal cruelty and the importance of vigilant enforcement by authorities to protect vulnerable creatures from such heinous acts.