ANIMAL CRUELTY CASE INVOLVING OTTILIE SMITH AND JAMES GARDNER IN STROUD

Ottilie Smith, born 7 June 1986, and James Gardner, born October 1981, both residents of Gibson Close, Stroud GL5 1HZ, were convicted in 2019 of failing to treat their dog’s severe skin condition.

The couple, self-employed cleaner Smith and her partner Gardner, had neglected to seek veterinary care for their nine-year-old Mastiff named Scrum, who was suffering from significant skin issues. Their neglect was reported to the RSPCA by a concerned member of the public. Inspectors attended the couple’s home and instructed them to take Scrum for treatment, cautioning them about the potential consequences of further neglect.

Prosecutor Kevin Withey told the crown court, “When the officers returned to the couple’s home, they noticed the dog had not been treated and therefore seized it. They took the dog to a veterinary specialist, who examined Scrum and found that the dog was underweight, suffering from alopecia, and had other skin ailments. The RSPCA funded the dog’s treatment, which resulted in full recovery.”

Smith and Gardner had previously been convicted of animal cruelty by Cheltenham Magistrates Court in September 2019. They appealed the court’s sentence but refused to sign over custody of Scrum, requiring the RSPCA to rehome him.

On Friday, 6 December 2019, the court was informed that the pair had dismissed their lawyer and failed to attend the appeal hearing themselves. Consequently, Judge Recorder Adam Vaitilingham QC and two magistrates proceeded with the appeal in their absence. They upheld the original sentence and dismissed the appeal. The court also officially transferred ownership of Scrum to the RSPCA.

In sentencing, Smith and Gardner were ordered to pay £1,200 in compensation and £100 each towards the appeal costs. Additionally, they received a two-year ban from keeping domestic animals, which expired in December 2021.

Additional information revealed that Ottilie Smith also uses the surname Segadelli and owns a cleaning business called Shamazing Cleaning. Jamie Gardner served as a director of James Gardner’s Groundworks Ltd alongside Smith; however, this company was dissolved in 2018.