KELVIN MCKENDRY FROM ILKESTON INVOLVED IN HORRIFIC ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE IN DERBYSHIRE AND SWADLINCOTE

Kelvin McKendry, a known offender with a violent criminal history, has been at the center of a disturbing series of animal cruelty incidents that have shocked the communities of Ilkeston, Swadlincote, and Ashbourne in Derbyshire. Born on November 22, 2001, McKendry has previously resided in Swadlincote and Brailsford in Ashbourne, but most recently lived on Cotmanhay Road in Ilkeston.

The most heinous act attributed to him occurred on February 13, 2020, at his residence in Ilkeston, where he subjected his pet dog, Marley, a British Bulldog, to a brutal assault. The attack inflicted severe injuries to Marley’s head, body, and internal organs, resulting in traumatic and life-threatening damage. Witnesses and subsequent investigations revealed that McKendry had beaten Marley to the point of causing internal bleeding and shock, ultimately leading to the dog’s death.

Following the assault, McKendry attempted to conceal his crime by burying Marley in a woodland area nearby. When questioned by a youth offender worker about Marley’s whereabouts, McKendry falsely claimed that the dog had died the previous night and that he had buried him in a field where he used to walk Marley. The RSPCA was alerted to the situation, but when inspectors arrived at McKendry’s address on Cotmanhay Road, he was not present, and efforts to locate him initially proved unsuccessful.

It was only four days later that Derbyshire police received information leading them to Marley’s burial site. A subsequent investigation, including a pathologist’s report, confirmed that Marley had suffered multiple blunt force traumas, which caused internal bleeding, shock, and ultimately, death. The report described Marley’s injuries as “horrific” and life-threatening.

In addition to the Marley case, McKendry’s cruelty extended to another animal, Gypsy, a cat that was found severely injured in Rose Hill, Woodville, near Swadlincote, on July 21 of the previous year. Inspector Rachel Leafe and police officers responded to reports of an injured cat and discovered Gypsy had been thrown against a wall, resulting in a broken pelvis. Gypsy was taken for emergency surgery and, after weeks of care and rest, made a remarkable recovery. She was later adopted and renamed Aggi, now living happily in a countryside home.

McKendry’s criminal record includes previous convictions for violence, and he was involved in a campaign of violence in Ashbourne that lasted for a year, during which he injured at least five individuals in separate incidents. He was sentenced to two years in a young offender institution for those offenses. While incarcerated, he faced additional charges related to animal cruelty.

Inspector Leafe commented on the case, stating, “According to the pathologist’s report, it is clear that poor Marley suffered from a series of injuries that ultimately led to his death. Gypsy was also in a suffering state after McKendry threw her against a wall. Thankfully, she recovered after emergency surgery and weeks of care. She has now been adopted and is living in a safe, loving environment.”

McKendry pleaded guilty to four charges: two for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and two for neglecting the needs of animals under his care. He was sentenced to 19 weeks in prison, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £121, and received a lifetime ban on keeping any animals in the future.