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16/02/2007
Man pleads guilty to burying greyhounds
Magistrates have today ruled they do not have sufficient powers to sentence a man who killed and buried thousands of dead greyhounds at his home, without a licence.
David Smith, 57, of Northdene Terrace, Seaham, in Durham pleaded guilty before magistrates at Durham of shooting around 10,000 dogs with a bolt gun, charging £10 per time.
The father-of-three, a builders’ merchant, admitted a charge of disposing waste without a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.
After 45 minutes’ deliberation, the court informed Smith he would be committed for sentence at Durham Crown Court.
“We are of the view this was a commercial operation and it was going on for a considerable length of time and was escalating in recent years,” Bench chairperson Mrs Vivian Lowe said.
“We feel our powers of punishment are insufficient and we are committing you to the crown court for sentence.”
While inquiries by the RSPCA showed the animals were killed in a humane manner, after a six-month investigation, the Environment Agency said it would privately prosecute the man under regulations that restrict the dumping of waste.
Around 20 people from Greyhound Action gathered outside the court in protest. The placard-holding crowd said they were present to draw attention to the suffering and slaughter of the dogs used in the racing industry.
David Smith, 57, of Northdene Terrace, Seaham, in Durham pleaded guilty before magistrates at Durham of shooting around 10,000 dogs with a bolt gun, charging £10 per time.
The father-of-three, a builders’ merchant, admitted a charge of disposing waste without a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.
After 45 minutes’ deliberation, the court informed Smith he would be committed for sentence at Durham Crown Court.
“We are of the view this was a commercial operation and it was going on for a considerable length of time and was escalating in recent years,” Bench chairperson Mrs Vivian Lowe said.
“We feel our powers of punishment are insufficient and we are committing you to the crown court for sentence.”
While inquiries by the RSPCA showed the animals were killed in a humane manner, after a six-month investigation, the Environment Agency said it would privately prosecute the man under regulations that restrict the dumping of waste.
Around 20 people from Greyhound Action gathered outside the court in protest. The placard-holding crowd said they were present to draw attention to the suffering and slaughter of the dogs used in the racing industry.
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