LEON SMITH'S HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE IN OKEHAMPTON REVEALED

Leon Henry Smith, born around 1949 and residing at 1 Castleford Houses, Castle Road, Okehampton, EX20 1HZ, has a long and disturbing history of animal cruelty spanning several decades. His name is associated with multiple convictions related to the abuse and neglect of both domestic and farm animals, including dogs, pigs, sheep, and poultry.

In December 2015, authorities responded to numerous complaints from members of the public concerning the deplorable conditions in which Smith was keeping his livestock. An inspection of his land in Okehampton revealed shocking neglect. One particular field was found to be heavily muddied, making it nearly inaccessible. The pig enclosure was surrounded by debris, including rubbish, planks of wood, and other hazardous materials that posed a risk to the animals' health and safety.

Inside this enclosure, officers discovered five pigs suffering in conditions that were both filthy and dangerous. The animals were confined in a small, broken-down van, with no access to water, dry lying areas, or proper ventilation. The situation was equally grim at another location near Boasley, where pigs were found trapped in the back of a van in complete darkness, again deprived of water and grassed areas for grazing.

Further inspections carried out in March 2016 confirmed ongoing neglect. Livestock at Meldon and Boasley were found in unacceptable conditions. Pigs at Meldon were kept in enclosures filled with thick mud and no grass, housed in a trailer without water. At Boasley, sheep and poultry were kept in a field littered with dangerous rubbish, including broken glass, wire mesh, and wood with protruding nails, all of which could cause injury or suffering to the animals.

Smith’s history of animal cruelty predates these incidents. In 2012, he was convicted for other livestock offences and cruelty to 13 dogs. The dogs, varying in age and size, were found in a muddy enclosure in February 2011, lacking access to clean, dry areas and proper shelter from the elements. Nearby, police discovered more pig carcasses and the remains of a dead sheep scattered across a field. One of the most disturbing findings was a dog confined overnight in a parked van alongside a maggot-infested sheep carcass, with two other dogs kept in unsuitable cages without food or water.

Smith’s repeated violations of animal welfare laws led to multiple bans. He was prohibited from keeping cattle and sheep twice, following previous offences in 1998, 1999, and 2008. On November 12, 2012, he was banned from keeping dogs for ten years and fined £1,300. Despite this, he continued to breach these restrictions, including a 2014 incident where he kept a collie in a livestock trailer on his land at Meldon for at least six days. Trading standards officers found the dog in a trailer filled with dog feces, with frozen water and no available food.

Most recently, in 2016, Smith was convicted of ill-treating pigs, sheep, and poultry. The court sentenced him to a 20-year ban from keeping any animals, reflecting the severity of his repeated offenses and the ongoing neglect and cruelty inflicted upon his animals in Okehampton.