GLENN A FOOT AND SUNDERLAND: HORSE NEGLIGENTLY LEFT TO SUFFER MAGGOT INFESTATION

In 2019, Glenn A Foot, born 5 November 1987 and residing on Marley Crescent, Sunderland SR5 5BL, was involved in a case of animal neglect involving his horse.

The RSPCA found Raspy, a skewbald stallion, tethered on land near Wembley Road in Sunderland. When called to the scene, Foot refused to answer questions. Police were summoned to oversee Raspy’s removal but, before the horse could be transported, Foot hurriedly put his 12-year-old nephew on Raspy’s back and fled the scene.

Stewart Haywood, representing the RSPCA as the prosecutor, explained that tethering Raspy was against welfare guidelines: “In cases that a horse can be tethered, a broad leather collar should be used with a 360-degree swivel,” he said. “The horse should not be tethered near rights of way — there was a public path nearby — and the horse must be inspected at least once every six hours."

He added, “Raspy had two nylon collars, one of which caused the wound which became infected. A vet estimated the wound to be between two and five days old. It contained maggots and fly larvae. The RSPCA indicated that the horse was subjected to a prolonged period of neglect.”

Following a press appeal, Raspy and Foot were traced for a second time; by then, Raspy’s injuries had healed, and Foot was permitted to keep him.

Foot was later convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and obstructing an RSPCA inspector in her duties, both on August 29, 2018. Both convictions were made in his absence, as Foot failed to appear for his trial.

During proceedings, defense lawyer Geoffrey Forrester stated, “Mr. Foot has dedicated much of his life to boxing. At the time of this incident, he was preparing for an important fight that could have led to significant recognition and a lucrative contract with a promoter. He had attended a press conference to promote the fight on the same day he was called to deal with Raspy. Unfortunately, the fight was lost, along with the related opportunities. On the day he fled with the horse, he just panicked.” Recognizing that the vet estimated Raspy’s injuries were only two days old, Forrester emphasized, “This is not a case of a man leaving a horse to suffer for weeks or months.”

The court sentenced Foot to an 18-month community order, 300 hours of unpaid work, a fine of £455 in costs, and banned him from keeping equine animals for five years. Additionally, the court granted the RSPCA the authority to seize Raspy if Foot still has him.