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Dead squirrels caught in Weston Park traps spark outrage

Dead squirrels caught in Weston Park traps spark outrage

BBC News16-05-2025

The sight of injured and dead squirrels caught in traps in the grounds of a stately home has sparked outrage from some visitors.A number of people have taken to social media with descriptions of "heartbreaking displays of animal cruelty" at Weston Park, near Shifnal, near the border of Staffordshire and Shropshire.Pictures have been posted online of a squirrel hanging out of a trap with its head inside and another squirrel caught in a tube.A spokeswoman for Weston Park said humane traps were used on part of the estate and added: "We understand how upsetting this was and sincerely apologise to anyone affected."
On Facebook, one commentator, Jeneen Schive, wrote: "Visitors to Weston Park have been confronted with a distressing sight: Squirrel traps placed high in the trees, leaving injured or even dead squirrels caught and visible for all to see."This heartbreaking displays of animal cruelty cannot be ignored….these traps are causing unnecessary suffering to innocent creatures."The spokeswoman for the park said estate managers were now carrying out a review of everything they do to manage the squirrel population on the estate."We have a responsibility to control the population of grey squirrels, a non-native invasive species, in a humane and controlled manner," she added."We fully understand our visitors care and concern for the park and its wildlife and we remain committed to ensuring that all necessary actions are carried out responsibly in accordance with best practices."
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Mother-of-two, 39, who helped run global monkey torture network where users shared barbaric footage of animal abuse is jailed
Mother-of-two, 39, who helped run global monkey torture network where users shared barbaric footage of animal abuse is jailed

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Mother-of-two, 39, who helped run global monkey torture network where users shared barbaric footage of animal abuse is jailed

A mother-of-two who helped run a global monkey torture network has been jailed for more than two years. Natalie Herron, 39, took part in online chat groups which encouraged the horrific torture of macaque monkeys by people based in Indonesia. She then became a group administrator for the network and shared hundreds of barbaric images and videos of the abuse. Barbaric acts of cruelty included crucifixion, machete attacks and one video showed a baby monkey being dipped in boiling oil. Herron, from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, made contact online with Michael Macartney, the US-based ringleader of the network who used the alias 'The Torture King'. The group paid people in Indonesia to carry out and film the atrocities on baby long-tailed macaques. Investigators from the National Crime Agency alerted Police Scotland and a raid on Herron's home in 2022 discovered an iPhone with 1,084 images and videos of monkey torture. Officers also discovered 4,000 messages on a WhatsApp group which had been sent by Herron discussing torture and hatred of the animals. Sick and twisted messages from a sadistic global monkey torture network asked people to 'be creative' for 'brutal vids' with one saying: 'I wanna see pain, shock, pain, acceptance of fate'. Pictured is some a mock up of some of the messages uncovered by a year-long BBC investigation A year-long investigation by the BBC found that hundreds had been paying Indonesians to torture and kill infant long-tailed macaques on video Messages included 'Oh my God the little b*****d is making my ears bleed,' and 'I am shocked how easily the drill went through the skull, it was like butter'. Another message read: 'Trying to find a video where they will kill the mum and the babies watch.' A BBC investigation uncovered the warped network that began life on YouTube before it moved to private groups on the messaging app Telegram. The online group paid for baby long-tailed macaque monkeys to be taken from their mothers in Indonesia and then tortured and killed. Members, who claimed they were angered at the monkeys destroying land in Indonesia, even voted on proposed methods. Herron appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court where she was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment. This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad, making it a landmark case. She had earlier admitted two charges of possessing and distributing obscene material, namely videos depicting animal torture, between October 2021 and September 2022 at her home address. She admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending messages to various online and social media groups which described and promoted animal torture. The court was told she made payments to Macartney but she claimed it was not for the videos but to 'help him'. Nicky Matteo, defending, said: 'In all the years I have been practising I have not seen a case like this. It has not been a pleasant experience. 'She has had horrific problems in life and she built up a connection with other group members. 'She was trying to ingratiate herself with other members, it was a false sense of escapism. 'She is no longer the person that was responsible for sending those messages. She recognises the severity of it.' Sentencing Herron, Sheriff Derek Livingston said: 'The fact you not only joined these groups but then helped to facilitate them only helped to increase the animals' suffering.' Last year Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton-upon-Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, were jailed after admitting being part of the global network. Worcester Crown Court heard graphic details of the suffering experienced by young macaques in Indonesia - with the footage sold to people around the world. Le Gresley was jailed for two years while Orme was handed a 15-month term. Macartney, 51, was also jailed last year after pleading guilty in the US state of Virginia to conspiracy to create and distribute animal cruelty videos. He was given three years and four months behind bars. Detective Sergeant Karen Murray said: 'This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. 'Thanks to the work of these organisations Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals. 'Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it. 'This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.' LeGresley was surrounded by protestors as she arrived for her sentencing Detective Inspector Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit said: 'This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others. 'It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously. 'This investigation is part of a larger transnational investigation that the NWCU has been assisting with and the NWCU would like to thank Police Scotland for their hard work and dedication on this case. It shouldn't be underestimated the impact that working on a case like this can have on those involved. 'Wildlife crime can occur in many forms and the NWCU will continue to work with partners from across the world to ensure that we have the expertise, resources, and skills to fight this type of crime however it may occur.' Faye Cook, Procurator Fiscal, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: 'The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous. 'These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable. 'Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted.'

Airdrie woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos
Airdrie woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos

BBC News

time2 hours ago

  • BBC News

Airdrie woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos

A Scottish mother-of-two involved in a global monkey torture network has been jailed for more than two Herron, 39, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, joined online chat groups which encouraged torture of macaques by offenders based in Sheriff Court heard how she became a group administrator for the network, which was exposed by a BBC investigation, and shared hundreds of images and videos of the group paid for baby long-tailed macaques to be taken from their mothers in Indonesia before they were tortured and killed. WARNING: This article contains distressing details of animal acts of cruelty included crucifixion, machete attacks and one video that showed a baby monkey being dipped in boiling court heard how Herron had made contact online with Michael Macartney, the US-based ringleader of the network who used the alias "The Torture King". This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place from the National Crime Agency alerted Police Scotland and a raid on Herron's home in 2022 discovered an iPhone with 1,084 images and videos of monkey discovered 4,000 messages on a WhatsApp group which had been sent by Herron discussing torture and hatred of the included one that said: "I am shocked how easily the drill went through the skull, it was like butter."Another message read: "Trying to find a video where they will kill the mum and the babies watch."Herron was sentenced to two years and three months in had earlier admitted two charges of possessing and distributing obscene material, namely videos depicting animal torture, between October 2021 and September 2022 at her home admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending messages to various online and social media groups which described and promoted animal court was told she made payments to Macartney but she claimed it was not for the videos but to "help him". Members of the online group, who claimed they were angered at the monkeys destroying land in Indonesia, voted on proposed methods of Matteo, defending, said: "In all the years I have been practising I have not seen a case like this. It has not been a pleasant experience."She [Herron] has had horrific problems in life and she built up a connection with other group members."She was trying to ingratiate herself with other members, it was a false sense of escapism."She is no longer the person that was responsible for sending those messages. She recognises the severity of it."Sentencing Herron, Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "The fact you not only joined these groups but then helped to facilitate them only helped to increase the animals' suffering."The BBC investigation uncovered the network that began life on YouTube before it moved to private groups on the messaging app 51, was jailed last year after pleading guilty in the US state of Virginia to conspiracy to create and distribute animal cruelty was sentenced to three years and four months in jail.A month later, Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton-upon-Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, were jailed after admitting being part of the global network. 'Immense suffering' Police Scotland officers said it was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen Sgt Karen Murray said: "This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK."Thanks to the work of these organisations, Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals."She added: "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable."Det Insp Mark Harrison, from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling."The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others."Procurator fiscal Faye Cook said: "The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous."These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable."Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted."Anyone who has any concerns around such behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland.

Cat killer who beat two beloved pets to death during campaign of domestic abuse against ex-girlfriend weeps as he avoids prison
Cat killer who beat two beloved pets to death during campaign of domestic abuse against ex-girlfriend weeps as he avoids prison

Daily Mail​

timea day ago

  • Daily Mail​

Cat killer who beat two beloved pets to death during campaign of domestic abuse against ex-girlfriend weeps as he avoids prison

A thug who killed two of his then girlfriend's cats and brutally attacked a third sobbed as he was spared prison. James Higginson, 20, walked out of court with his mother before collapsing against a bollard after being handed a suspended sentence. The court heard Higginson had taken an irrational dislike to ex-girlfriend Caitlin Morley's pets Tiggy, Sushi and Chase while living together and viciously attacked them when she was at work. A neighbour heard cries of distress from one of the cats as he shouted 'how do you like this stupid b***h?' When Miss Morley challenged him, Higginson repeatedly denied to her that he had been harming her pets. But Tiggy and Sushi died in the summer of 2023 while Chase was seized by the RSPCA after being taken to the vets with a swollen face. Both of the dead cats were exhumed but while their post-mortem examinations were inconclusive, experts believe their deaths were caused by repeated blunt force trauma. Higginson, 20, walked out of court with his mother before collapsing against a bollard after being handed a suspended sentence Higginson, a chef from Weymouth, Dorset, sobbed in the dock of Bournemouth Crown Court as he was sentenced for three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. He was given a 15 month suspended prison sentence and banned from owning animals for 20 years. The judge spared him an immediate custodial sentence as he was an 'immature' 18-year-old at the time of the offences with 'mental health problems' and locking him up would cause distress to his family. Afterwards, Miss Morley, 20, said she was disgusted by the sentence. She said: 'I don't think anyone who hurts animals should be walking free - I think it is disgusting. 'Because he didn't get prison it shows people can do what they want and get away with it.' The court heard his campaign of cruelty against Miss Morley's cats lasted from March to September 2023. Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant moved into the flat that was already occupied by his partner who had two cats, Tiggy and Sushi. 'Both of the cats died at the defendant's hands, and the third kitten, Chase, was injured and could have gone the same way but was seized. 'The expert witness concluded that the injuries sustained by Tiggy, Sushi and Chase were deliberate acts inflicted upon them. 'In one incident, a neighbour heard sounds of a cat in distress coming from the defendant's flat and a male screaming 'how do you like this, how does this feel, stupid b***h, f*****g stop it'.' Miss Morley found Tiggy dead on June 6, 2023 and woke to find Sushi dead on August 12, 2023. She bought Chase three days later and by the end of that August the 'cycle' was beginning again and she found the terrified cat hiding under a kitchen cupboard with a bloody eye and swollen face. She took him to the vets who alerted the RSPCA and Chase was taken off them for its own protection. The court heard that Higginson had two convictions for six previous offences, including domestic violence against Miss Morley. Christopher Pix, mitigating, said: 'He accepts full responsibility for the offences, and he expresses his deep remorse.' Recorder Patrick Mason told Higginson on Friday he should be 'ashamed' of himself for having committed 'pointless, cruel and horrible acts on defenceless cats'. He said: 'Everybody who has a pet knows that it should be a source of pleasure to us. 'You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for doing something like that..' But, explaining his decision to hand him a suspended sentence, he added: 'At the age of 18 you weren't able to handle your emotions in a way that someone much more grown up would do, which given your mental health problems that's perhaps not surprising. 'You are in work and have good prospects of rehabilitation and sending you to prison would have a significant harmful impact on family members.' Higginson, who pleaded guilty to the charges, will also have to pay £500 costs. Miss Morley said afterwards: 'I don't know why he did it - the only reason I can think of is that it was another way to hurt me during a campaign of domestic abuse. 'I've had to experience it first hand from someone I used to trust which is hard to imagine.'

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