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Animal cruelty: Suspended sentences for Kirkwood family Animal cruelty: Suspended sentences for Kirkwood family
(35 minutes later)
Four men from east Belfast have been given suspended prison sentences for animal cruelty offences.Four men from east Belfast have been given suspended prison sentences for animal cruelty offences.
Jeremiah Kirkwood, 43, and his sons Chris, 23, and Wayne, 20, from Island Street, admitted keeping or training animals in connection with dog fights.Jeremiah Kirkwood, 43, and his sons Chris, 23, and Wayne, 20, from Island Street, admitted keeping or training animals in connection with dog fights.
They also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to four pups.They also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to four pups.
Jamie Morrow, 19, from McAllister Court, admitted a charge of keeping or training animals in connection with an animal fight.Jamie Morrow, 19, from McAllister Court, admitted a charge of keeping or training animals in connection with an animal fight.
The judge at Belfast Crown Court sentenced the men to six months in jail, but suspended the prison term for two years.The judge at Belfast Crown Court sentenced the men to six months in jail, but suspended the prison term for two years.
The investigation into the family's activities began more than two years ago when video footage was recovered from a mobile phone. All four men, who were remanded in custody last week after details of their offending was opened to the court, were also banned from keeping, dealing in or transporting animals for a 10-year period.
One clip showed dogs being set on a badger. In another, the same dogs were set on a cat that had been trapped in a cage, tearing the animal to pieces. Earlier in the hearing, Jeremiah Kirkwood and his sons Christopher and Wayne pleaded guilty to three offences.
The four pleaded guilty to the charges in January and were released on bail to await sentencing. Animal trap
They each admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals, namely four terrier pups, between 1 November 2011 and 28 November 2011.
They also admitted ownership of items in connection with an animal fight on 27 November 2011.
The items included a battery pack, hand-held lamps, a dog harness and an animal trap.
The third count they pleaded guilty to was keeping or training four bull lurcher-type dogs in connection with an animal fight between 10 July 2011 and 28 November 2011.
Morrow also pleaded guilty to a charge of keeping or training an animal for use in connection with a dog fight, namely a whippet cross Staffordshire, on 27 November 2011.
Injuries
The judge said that on 20 October 2011, police searched Morrow's home on an unrelated matter and during the search, they seized a mobile phone which contained three videos, including one which was recorded in August of that year showing four dogs killing a cat.
The judge said it was her understanding that "dogs are blooded in this way in order to train them to fight other animals in blood sports including badgers, foxes and deer".
Officers then searched the Kirkwood family home and at the rear of the property, they found several "well constructed kennels" in the yard.
Five adult bull lurcher dogs, which displayed injuries consistent with animal fights, were seized, while four bull terrier puppies were discovered under a heat lamp in a shed.
The puppies, who were around three weeks old, were found without a nursing mother present and with their tails docked.
The judge told the court that the four puppies seized from the shed had all been re-homed at the direction of the USPCA.
She also ordered that three of the adults dogs be destroyed by the USPCA.