CONVICTED (2024) | sadistic thug Byron Bayliss, born 14 November 2002, of Dover Street, Bilston, Wolverhampton but with links to Dudley – systematically beat and tortured a puppy over several months, ultimately resulting in the animal’s death. Sick puppy killer Byron Bayliss from Wolverhampton, West Midlands Bayliss tortured’ the six-month-old terrier, Shadow, to death and buried his remains in the garden. His body was recovered by police and found to have extensive injuries. Bayliss was prosecuted by the RSPCA and admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. The abuse took place between October 2022 and February 2023. The police and RSPCA attended an address at Merrick Road, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton to investigate. Bayliss’s mobile phone was seized and revealed he had made Google searches including ‘is it illegal to abandon a dog uk’, ‘is it illegal to leave a dog uk’ and ‘is it illegal to kill a dog uk’. A post-mortem found Shadow had sustained extensive blunt force trauma with tears and bleeding to multiple internal organs including the liver, right kidney, lungs, diaphragm, heart sack and left heart chamber. His vertebral column had completely dislocated. A vet report concluded: “Shadow sustained severe blunt force trauma most likely due to being beaten. “There was also evidence of healing processes in several areas of the body suggesting that Shadow had been beaten in the past, before the beating that caused his death. “There is radiographic evidence of at least one historic rib fracture which shows healing that I estimate to be at least four weeks old, possibly older. There are radiographic signs of a fractured lumbar vertebra and a suspected healed fracture to the left front leg. “He likely died following a sustained beating with multiple blows to different parts of the body that caused multiple internal bleeds and dislocation of vertebrae in his chest spine. The force of the blunt trauma would have been very severe to have caused these injuries and would have caused severe pain and extreme distress.” In mitigation, the court heard Bayliss was of previous good character, was ‘immature’ and had ‘untreated’ mental health issues due to ‘previous traumatic events’. Judge Avik Mukherjee said: “Shadow was a six-month-old terrier puppy. For almost all of his life you frankly tortured him. He ruled against suspending imprisonment and concluded Bayliss must be jailed immediately. He said: “There is no evidence of a realistic prospect of rehabilitation at present. I’m afraid appropriate punishment for an offence of this nature can only be served by way of immediate custody. “A deterrent sentence must be passed in cases of this sort. This offence is as serious a case of this nature as there can be.” “It is difficult to find a different verb to describe what you did to him. I have concluded your behaviour was sadistic. That is someone who gains pleasure from inflicting pain. “It was prolonged. You showed no remorse at the end of each attack. You repeated your behaviour over many weeks. They became more severe, more merciless. “It’s impossible to imagine how Shadow felt over his short life. I can’t imagine a case of this nature that could be more serious.” Sentencing | 21 month custodial. Banned from keeping animals for 20 years. BirminghamLive