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Dog fighting defendant attacked Four are jailed over dog fighting
(about 4 hours later)
The sentencing of seven people involved in a major dog fighting syndicate has been delayed after one of the defendants was attacked in court. Four people have been jailed for their part in one of Europe's largest dog-fighting syndicates.
Claire Parker, 44, a mother of three from Kexby, Lincolnshire, who held dog fights at her home, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.
Three co-defendants were jailed for between 23 and the maximum 26 weeks for the animal cruelty offences.
Lincoln Magistrates' Court heard that the ring was smashed after a BBC Panorama investigation.
Sentencing had been delayed after one of the defendants was attacked in court.
Kenneth King, 35, of Main Street, Ragnall, Newark, Nottinghamshire, was struck around the head several times and left bleeding from his ear.Kenneth King, 35, of Main Street, Ragnall, Newark, Nottinghamshire, was struck around the head several times and left bleeding from his ear.
Another person involved in the scuffle was shot with a Taser by police.Another person involved in the scuffle was shot with a Taser by police.
All seven defendants were due to be sentenced at Lincoln Magistrates' Court earlier.
Garage fights
Mr King has admitted eight charges related to fighting banned pit bull terriers.
He was taken to hospital following the attack.
The convictions followed an investigation by the BBC's Panorama programme.
The charges came out of the programme's probe into links between a dog fighter and a gang in Northern Ireland, who supplied US pit bull dogs and travelled to fights as far away as Finland.
The RSPCA said it was one of the biggest cases of dog fighting it had prosecuted.The RSPCA said it was one of the biggest cases of dog fighting it had prosecuted.
Claire Parker, 44, a mother of three, of Kexby Lane, Kexby, Lincolnshire, was found guilty of holding a fight in the garage at her home which she shared with her husband John Parker. Parker was found guilty of holding a fight in the garage at her home which she shared with her husband John Parker.
He has since died in prison.He has since died in prison.
'Unnecessary suffering'
Mohammed Farooq, 33, of Daniels Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, was found guilty on two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and possessing training equipment for dog-fighting.
A 17-year-old boy was convicted on two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, and keeping dog-fighting equipment.
Both he and Farooq earlier admitted owning a banned pit bull.
Gary Adamson, 38, of Ramsey Crescent, Yarm, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to six charges in connection with illegal dog-fighting when he appeared in court on Monday.
Owen Batey, 40, of Cannock Road, Middlesbrough, admitted setting two pit bulls on each other and being present at a dog-fight. He has pleaded guilty to owning a pit bull.
Christopher Burgess, 42, of Longstone Way, Ladybrook, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was told he would probably receive a community sentence during the hearing after he pleaded guilty to one charge of keeping a banned dog.