STEPHEN EMSLEY OF SHEEPRIDGE SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE IN HUDDERSFIELD

Stephen Emsley, a resident of Sheepridge, Huddersfield, was at the center of a disturbing case involving the abuse and torture of innocent animals, including rabbits and guinea pigs. The incidents, which took place over a two-day period in July 2017, were captured on camera and witnessed by neighbors, leading to a court trial at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in Huddersfield.

According to court records, Emsley was responsible for caring for a total of 13 rabbits and four guinea pigs after his partner left him. However, rather than providing proper care, he subjected these animals to severe cruelty. Witness Margaret Lloyd, a neighbor, recounted seeing Emsley physically assaulting the animals. She described how she observed him removing a rabbit from a garden hutch, slapping it twice on the body, then hitting it four more times before forcefully throwing it headfirst back into the hutch.

On the same day, Emsley was seen selecting two smaller rabbits from the hutch. Prosecutor Andrew Davidson, representing the RSPCA, detailed the brutality: “He held a rabbit in each hand, bit one of them, and then used the head of one rabbit to hit the other’s body. Afterwards, he slammed both rabbits’ bodies together and threw them headfirst into the hutch.”

The following day, Mrs. Lloyd, while in her kitchen watching television, heard distressing squealing noises coming from her garden. Upon investigation, she saw Emsley grabbing a guinea pig and repeatedly plucking hair from its back. She captured footage of the animal squealing in pain, which was later used as evidence in the case.

RSPCA inspector Catherine Byrnes described the acts as “torture,” emphasizing the cruelty involved. She stated, “The sound of the slaps and the guinea pig’s squeals can be heard on the video shot from inside a neighboring property. The incidents happened over two days in July last year. He was torturing these animals, there’s no other way to describe it.”

Inspector Byrnes also expressed her distress over the discovery of two dead rabbits found in a bin at Emsley’s property. She described their injuries as severe, with one appearing as if it had burst, indicating the trauma inflicted upon them. Although Emsley denied any knowledge of what happened to the animals, the court accepted evidence linking his actions—biting, smashing, banging heads, and throwing the animals—to the injuries sustained.

In sentencing, Emsley received a 20-week jail sentence suspended for a period, along with a 16-week curfew. He was ordered to pay a total of £615 in costs and charges. Additionally, he was banned from keeping animals indefinitely, reflecting the court’s recognition of the severity of his cruelty and the need to protect future victims.