TONY ASTLES FROM RUNCORN SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY TO GREAT DANE NEO IN HALTON

Anthony Barnett Astles, known as Tony Astles and born on June 10, 1973, residing on Holt Lane in Halton, Runcorn with the postcode WA6 2AY, was involved in a tragic case of animal cruelty that shocked the local community. The incident involved the neglect and subsequent death of a large Great Dane named Neo, who was left to suffer in deplorable conditions within a caravan toilet.

Neo's tragic fate came to light when a recently hired worker at a nearby pallet yard discovered the emaciated dog’s lifeless body. The dog had been confined within a tiny caravan toilet, a space so cramped and filthy that it was almost unrecognizable as a living space. The floor of the caravan was heavily soiled with excrement, and the dog had been starved to death, with no apparent access to food or water.

Inspector Nadine Pengilly, who has been in her role for ten years, expressed her profound sadness over the case. She described the scene as the most heartbreaking she had ever encountered in her career. “In ten years of being an inspector, this is the saddest thing I have ever seen,” she stated. “He was such a big dog, and he was just shut in that tiny room. It was filthy and full of excrement. He had starved to death, and it’s clear he must have endured four to six weeks of suffering, waiting for someone to come and rescue him.”

Astles, who was unemployed at the time and a member of the travelling community, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to Neo. The abuse occurred between January 31 and February 28, 2014, during which Neo was subjected to neglect and starvation.

In court, Astles was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison. Additionally, he received a lifetime ban on owning or keeping animals, a measure aimed at preventing any future incidents of cruelty. He was also ordered to pay an £85 surcharge. The case garnered significant attention from local media, including the Liverpool Echo, which reported on the sentencing on January 7, 2015.