RSPCA Case update: Liam Ardito, Gary Cannon and Mark Smith jailed on more than 30 counts of animal cruelty charges

Updated: 2.45pm

THREE Grimsby men have been jailed after admitting a total of 30 counts of animal cruelty including setting dogs on wild foxes and a badger – and then watching them being slowly savaged to death.

Mark Smith appeared in court this morning.

Liam Ardito, 33, of Newbury Avenue, Great Coates, Gary Cannon, 27, of Alfred Bannister Mews, Laceby, and Mark Smith, 53 of Broadway, Grimsby, carried out the sickening attacks - some of which they recorded on video, between April 19 2010 and August last year.

All three were jailed for four months on each count to run concurrently.

Ardito and Smith were banned from keeping dogs and birds for at least 10 years and Cannon from keeping dogs for at least 10 years.

Nigel Burn, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described their behaviour as “intentionally cruel”, telling district judge Daniel Curtis, sitting at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court, it amounted to “torture”.

Smith had “thousands” of images of dogs attacking animals on his computer, and memory sticks found in his home, the court heard.

Clive Rees, mitigating for all three men said there was “no justification” for their actions. He added the best he could say for his clients was they had been winding down their activities, saying they believed it was “getting too hot and too heavy.”

Liam Ardito admitted the following charges:

Causing unnecessary suffering to dog by causing it to fight with another animal

Jointly causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Causing an animal fight between a dog and a fox

Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Causing an animal fight between a dog and a badger

Causing unnecessary mental suffering to a fox by caging it

Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to fox by causing it to be attacked by two dogs

Jointly with Mark Smith causing an animal fight between two dogs and another animal

Jointly with Mark Smith causing unnecessary suffering to a black and tan terrier by making it fight with another animal

Jointly with Mark Smith, taking wild birds, namely sparrowhawks

Keeping premises for use in animal fighting

Gary Cannon admitted the following charges:

Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Jointly with Liam Ardito causing an animal fight between a dog and a badger

Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by dog

Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by two dogs

Jointly with Mark Smith causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Mark Smith admitted the following charges:

Being present at an animal fight between a fox and a dog.

Aiding and abetting Liam Ardito in causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.

Two counts of aiding and abetting Liam Ardito and Gary Cannon in causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.

Being present at a fight between a dog and a badger.

Being found, in Broadway, in possession of a trap for the trapping of wild birds.

Aiding and abetting Liam Ardito and Gary Cannon in causing unnecessary suffering to two terrier dogs by causing them to fight with a fox.

Aiding and abetting an unknown person to cause unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.

Together with Liam Ardito, at Littlecoates Road, causing an animal fight between two dogs and an unknown animal.

Together with Gary Cannon, causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.

With Liam Ardito, causing unnecessary suffering to a black and tan terrier by causing it to fight with an unknown animal.

Possessing a wild bird, namely a curlew.

Possessing a wild bird, namely a rook.

To read the original story about the charges, click here.