Aberdeen couple banned from keeping animals after squalid neglect and assault incidents

ABERDEEN COUPLE BANNED FROM KEEPING ANIMALS AFTER SQUALID NEGLECT AND ASSAULT INCIDENTS

An incident involving Marianne Murdoch and Callum Grant has led to both individuals being banned from owning animals for a period of ten years.

The case came to court after inspectors from the SSPCA visited their flat on Bedford Road in March 2024.

The inspectors discovered the flat in a deplorable state, with a strong and overpowering smell, and found five cats and three kittens living in filth.

The interior was littered with rubbish, dirty dishes, animal faeces, and there was no ventilation, with windows closed and walls stained with smoke and dirt.

The cats were found hiding within furniture, and conditions were deemed completely unacceptable for animal welfare.

During their examination, the officers also found rotten food in the bath and more rubbish throughout the property.

The pair admitted failing to provide a clean environment for the animals, with charges related to animal neglect and mistreatment, but charges of assault and throwing a cat at an officer were dropped.

Murdoch, aged 30, and Grant, aged 32, both acknowledged their mental health issues as mitigating factors.

The court agreed that their mental health struggles contributed to their conduct and decided to admonish them, imposing a ten-year ban on keeping animals and admonishments as a warning regarding their behavior.

Additionally, Callum Grant was recently jailed for eight months for a separate incident involving a hit-and-run attack that seriously injured a nine-year-old child.

The court described his actions as "callous," and these combined cases highlight the offenders' troubled backgrounds and the severity of their misconduct.