LIAM REYNOLDS (AKA LEE DART) OF ILLOGAN SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC ANIMAL CRUELTY IN REDRUTH AND HAYLE

Liam Reynolds, also known as Lee Dart, born on August 21, 1990, of Oxland Road, Illogan, has been jailed following a series of neglect and cruelty that resulted in the deaths of at least three dogs. At the time of the offences, Reynolds was unemployed and residing in a caravan at Cocks Roost, St Just. He pleaded guilty to all charges related to six dogs under his care.

On March 29, 2018, police and RSPCA officers visited the site after concerns about Reynolds’s previous care of animals. They were deeply affected by what they found. Two dog bodies were discovered: one had been left to decompose inside a plastic bag used for storing animal feed, and the other, a dog named Sam, was found in a makeshift kennel. Witnesses described a “powerful smell of rotting flesh.”

One of the dogs, a thin lurcher called Ben, had scars around his head and muzzle. He also suffered a “de-gloving” injury on his face—where skin was lost—and was likely in considerable pain, yet he had not received any treatment. Three other dogs were found inside a cramped trailer without access to water. Among them was Bruno, a beagle reported as aggressive, who later had to be put down. Tia, another dog, was found inside a caravan in a “shambolic state,” with a build-up of faeces, especially on the mattress.

The court heard that Kevin Withey, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, stated, “If the circumstances didn’t change, [the dogs] would be at significant risk.” During the search, remains of at least three additional dogs were also found at the site.

Before transferring care of the dogs to authorities, Reynolds told officers, “I know I’ve f*cked up.” A postmortem on Sam revealed he had been dead for at least two to three weeks, dying from starvation due to malnutrition. Investigation results into the other dog’s death were inconclusive due to advanced decomposition.

A police officer with 21 years of service described the scene as “the most upsetting” he had ever witnessed and stated he had “never seen animals living in such poor conditions.” Mr. Withey confirmed the animals had been “obviously suffering” and their needs had been “deliberately ignored.” Concerns were also raised about two other dogs still in Reynolds’s possession, believed to belong to his partner, but during court proceedings, these animals were also surrendered to the RSPCA.

District Judge Diane Baker called the case “the most appalling case of animal cruelty,” emphasizing Reynolds’s high culpability due to “prolonged neglect.” She criticized him for ignoring advice from the RSPCA to improve the dogs’ diet and provide water. “I have no doubt the suffering was obvious. It was ignored in the most inhumane manner,” she said.

Reynolds’s guilty plea, perceived good character, family difficulties, and the late plea were taken into account. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, to serve half of that, with an additional year’s probation. He was also disqualified from owning any animals for 20 years, with no right of appeal for the first 10 years.

In February 2020, Reynolds returned to court after admitting to breaching the 20-year ban—by keeping ferrets and snakes. His address at the time was care of a home in Mount Pleasant, Hayle. Although he denied the charges initially, he was found guilty after a one-day trial of two counts of breaching the disqualification. He failed to attend his sentencing hearing, resulting in additional charges of failing to surrender to custody. He was sentenced to a suspended two-year prison term, ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and instructed to pay £1,122 in costs.

In July 2021, Reynolds, now living in Mount Pleasant, Hayle, was sentenced to 34 weeks in jail after a second breach of his animal disqualification order. Pleading guilty to new animal welfare offences, he received 20 weeks concurrent for each offence and a further 14 weeks for breaching his ban, to run consecutively. Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs of £600, a £128 victim surcharge, and reinstated the 20-year disqualification order.

In October 2020, the RSPCA investigated Reynolds following police obtaining CCTV footage showing him handling ferrets regularly between September 22 and October 13, 2020, despite the disqualification order. The footage revealed Reynolds feeding, handling, and cleaning ferret pens, as well as acquiring roughly 40 quails and relocating ferrets elsewhere. Inspector Paul Kempson stated, “Courts impose disqualification orders on people convicted of animal welfare offences to protect more animals from suffering. It is important to reiterate to the public that we rely on them to tell us if someone breaches a ban. We depend on the public to be our eyes and ears, and we take breaches very seriously—just as the courts do.”