CONVICTED (2019) | company director Monshur Alom, born 28 November 1981, of Golf Green Road, Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea CO15 2RL – exposed his Bengal cats to 31 degree heat and left ducks outside without fresh food or water for over a week Chelmsford magistrates were shown graphic images of the animals’ living conditions during an eight-day period in June 2018, before RSPCA inspectors were able to contact owner Monshur Alom. Alom, a furniture dealer trading as Royal London Antiques and director of a company named Cheque Bid Ltd, admitted to three breaches of the Animal Welfare Act. The animals were being kept at the address in Golf Green Road, Jaywick, so the new dad could renovate his other home in Sidney Street, Stepney, London to accommodate the animals and his growing family. Lauren Bond, prosecuting, called him “clearly unfit” to look after animals. The ducks, and exotic cats, which he had no licence to keep, are now with the RSPCA. Ms Bond said: “The inspector was overwhelmed by the heat in the conservatory and the ammonia smell burnt his nose. “There was blood over the floor as though the cats had dragged raw meat but there was no sign of a carcass. There was a trough of water which was bright green, and large litter trays that appeared very full. “Outside the ducks were confined to a one metre by three metre alleyway. There was liquid faeces on the floor and it smelt disgusting.” It was his first time before the court in relation to animal welfare. Mrs Scoot, mitigating, explained life had got on top of him and he had also been unwell. However, he did accept his actions were a “form of neglect”. She said: “He’s had the cats for two years and there’s never been any concern or need for the RSPCA to address him or the family. “Unfortunately, the cats weren’t litter trained so he had them in the property for a short time and renovations were being made to their current property to give them appropriate living conditions. “He’d had the ducks for significantly less time. A friend was going to kill them so he took the ducks and was going to find another home for them. “He didn’t plan to keep them long term.” Sentencing | 180 hours of unpaid work; £685 costs. Banned from keeping animals for ten years. Southend Standard