ROBBIE AND CHARLIE NELSON CONVICTED OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN HARROGATE

Robbie Jay Nelson, born 11 June 1998, and his brother Charlie Roy Nelson, born 25 August 1994, both residents of 10 Woodfield View, Harrogate HG1 4NB, were convicted in 2022 for neglecting two dogs and leaving them in deplorable conditions.

The brothers, known as career criminals, faced prosecution after two dogs—a mastiff named Rocco and a lurcher called Smudge—were found severely malnourished while living in a filthy flat filled with rubbish and excrement.

RSPCA inspector Tom Hutton arrived during a police search warrant, unrelated to animal abuse, and had to carefully navigate through piles of rubbish in the living room to reach the dogs. The inspector reported that both dogs appeared emaciated, with ribs clearly visible.

The dogs had been abandoned in squalor by the Nelson brothers. The flat’s floors were covered in excrement, and the carpets were soaked in urine. When police intervened, Robbie Nelson refused to sign the dogs over to the RSPCA, resulting in police seizing the animals.

Following their rescue, both dogs received medical treatment. A veterinary examination revealed that Rocco weighed just 24.3kg with a body condition score of one out of nine, indicating severe emaciation. A veterinary surgeon explained, “Rocco weighed just 24.3kg and I would estimate a healthy weight would have been nearer 36kg.” The lurcher Smudge was also underweight, weighing 17kg with a score of two out of nine, whereas a healthy weight would have been around 23kg.

Thanks to the RSPCA’s care, Rocco and Smudge recovered and are now available for rehoming. The vet concluded that both dogs were malnourished and that the poor condition of their living space had compromised their health.

Although the Nelson brothers failed to appear in court, they were found guilty in their absence and later appeared separately for sentencing.

In sentencing, Robbie Nelson received a 12-month community sentence, was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge totaling £295, and was banned from keeping dogs for five years, with the ban expiring in August 2027. Charlie Nelson was ordered to pay £295 and received the same five-year ban, expiring in September 2027.

Sources: ITV News (Robbie Nelson’s sentencing, 2 August 2022), The Stray Ferret (Charlie Nelson’s sentencing, 13 September 2022).