Rainham man pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges
A man who kept cats in horrendous conditions at his home, leading to the death of two, has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges.
Anthony Bowmer, 52, of Stanley Road, Rainham, was arrested on September 10 2013 following unsuccessful attempts by the RSPCA to improve the cats’ living conditions.
Despite the animal welfare charity’s efforts, Bowmer continued to purchase more animals and the situation worsened, resulting in the death of two of the pets.
Upon his arrest, 13 cats were seized by the RSPCA.
Appearing at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Bowmer pleaded guilty to four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to animals following a joint prosecution by the RSPCA and Havering Police.
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Police were first notified by the RSPCA after Bowmer failed to act on the advice given, and PC Anthony Kiddle visited the address, witnessing the horrendous conditions.
He said: “This sentence reflects Havering Police and the RSPCA’s commitment to the prevention and detection of crimes against wildlife and domestic animals and demonstrates the excellent working partnership between our organizations.
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“On all of the cases I have dealt with this is one of the most severe punishments handed down by the court.”
Bowmer was ordered to pay £7,000 in costs to the RSPCA and £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service. He was given a 12-month community order with 12 months supervision and ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work. He will not be able to appeal his conviction for five years and was banned from keeping an animal for 10 years.
