SHAMO KING BILL RIPLEY AND MOSES BRINKLEY CAUSE OUTRAGE IN BEAN, DARTFORD OVER ORGANIZED COCKFIGHTING

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community of Bean in Dartford, Kent, authorities uncovered a highly organized and brutal cockfighting operation involving two known residents, Bill Ripley and Moses Brinkley. The investigation was sparked after graphic videos depicting the illegal blood sport surfaced on Facebook, prompting a joint effort by the RSPCA and police to dismantle the operation.

Bill Ripley, born around 1972, and his accomplice Moses Brinkley, born on September 25, 1956, both reside on a travellers' site located in Claywood Lane, Bean, with the postal code DA2 8BU. Ripley, who is notorious within cockfighting circles under the aliases 'Shamo Bill' and 'Shamo King Bill,' has long been associated with the blood sport. The authorities' investigation revealed that the cockfighting activities were not only frequent but also meticulously organized, making it one of the most significant cases of its kind encountered by the RSPCA in recent years.

Inspector Carroll Lamport from the RSPCA detailed the extent of the operation, stating, 'We joined police officers as they executed warrants at three plots on a travellers’ site in Bean, Kent, where we were able to identify some of the ‘venues’ shown online in the fighting videos.' During the raid, officers discovered a total of 242 birds at the site, along with various fighting paraphernalia such as spurs, muffs, and literature related to blood sports. A makeshift fighting pit had been constructed adjacent to a caravan, serving as the venue for the brutal contests.

Social media played a significant role in the investigation, with officers downloading numerous videos of cockfights from Facebook accounts and mobile phones. One particularly graphic video depicted a fight where the birds tore out mouthfuls of feathers and pecked each other's eyes with their sharp beaks. The fight lasted approximately ten minutes, ending with one bird covered in blood and the other collapsing, visibly struggling to breathe. Such scenes exemplify the cruelty inflicted upon these animals, with the entire process designed to cause maximum suffering.

Prosecutor Andrew Wiles emphasized the illegality and cruelty of cockfighting, noting that although it was outlawed in Britain in 1835, it persists both domestically and internationally. 'These defendants deliberately fought birds, the result of which is to cause them suffering,' he explained. Wiles also highlighted the extensive online evidence, revealing that Ripley had been involved in breeding, keeping, selling, and fighting cockerels for a considerable period, with some interest dating back to 1990. The investigation uncovered a staggering 45,000 images related to cockfighting stored across various devices.

During court proceedings, Brinkley attempted to justify his actions by claiming that such activities were part of 'the culture of the travelling community' and that he and Ripley engaged in cockfighting 'for fun.' However, authorities and animal welfare advocates strongly condemned these claims, underscoring the cruelty and illegality of the sport.

Outside the courtroom, Inspector Lamport expressed his disappointment, stating, 'For that level of organized fighting, I would have expected a prison sentence.' He condemned the activity as barbaric, emphasizing that it causes immense suffering to the birds involved. Lamport criticized the relatively lenient penalties, which included a two-year disqualification from keeping game fowl and a suspended sentence for Ripley and Brinkley. He added, 'This is an abhorrent act, and most people would be horrified to see the results of cockfighting and to learn it still occurs in this country.'

Violet Smith, Brinkley's daughter, defended her father and Ripley, claiming that they had been unfairly treated. She stated, 'That is a travellers’ community thing to keep animals. We aren’t cruel to animals. We’re the type of people who put food out for animals. I don’t think it’s fair.'

Both Ripley and Brinkley pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of being present at an animal fight, one count of maintaining a premises for fighting, and one of keeping animals for fighting purposes. The charges related to five separate fights that took place between July 2016 and March 2017, during which two birds were killed. The court sentenced Ripley to a 14-week jail term, suspended for a year, while Brinkley received a 10-week suspended sentence. Additionally, both men were ordered to undertake rehabilitation programs, pay costs amounting to £865, and were disqualified from keeping game fowl for two years. Ripley was also subjected to a two-month curfew as part of his sentence.