Dog killer! Stephanie Wilson from Stanley, County Durham locked a black Labrador inside a crate and left him to starve to death

DOG KILLER! STEPHANIE WILSON FROM STANLEY, COUNTY DURHAM LOCKED A BLACK LABRADOR INSIDE A CRATE AND LEFT HIM TO STARVE TO DEATH

Wilson, who has family links to Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, was prosecuted by the RSPCA in relation to Labrador Theo.

In January 2025 Wilson’s horrified landlord discovered the dog, deceased, inside a tiny cage and took him to a local vet.

The RSPCA were alerted and launched an investigation.

Post-mortem examination found Theo in a very poor body condition with significant muscle loss and almost no fat under his skin or around his organs.

The pathologist concluded Theo “was starved to the point of using up almost all of the body’s fat and destroying a large proportion of the body’s muscle”, and found no medical cause for the emaciation.

Ulcers likely to be pressure sores were also found on his legs.

The report said they may have developed because Theo was confined in a position where he could not move or had become too weak to stand.

Mother-of-four Wilson pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Theo by failing to feed him properly and seek veterinary treatment for pressure sores on his legs.

In mitigation, the court heard that Wilson had “poor mental health”.

Sentencing | £200 fine, £80 victim surcharge and £300 towards costs.

Banned from keeping pets for five years (expires November 2030).