STEPHEN PHELPS OF CINDERFORD SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY AND DAMAGE IN 2022

Stephen Phelps, born on November 1, 1965, of Crawshay Place, Cinderford GL14 2EW, was convicted in 2022 of deliberately injuring and causing the death of a neighbour's dachshund puppy.

The incident occurred on the night of November 30, 2021, following a prior incident in which Phelps had been released on bail after damaging another neighbour’s door. Hours after returning home, Phelps entered a neighbour’s flat and refused to leave, prompting a police siege during which he attacked the puppy.

Gloucester Crown Court was informed that Phelps is diabetic but had not been taking his medication and was experiencing delusions at the time. Prosecutor Alec Small explained that the events began early that morning when police responded to reports on Crucible Road in Cinderford of a man armed with a knife and hammer, who had damaged a woman’s door. "Before the police arrived, the man drove off, but officers nearby spotted him driving in the opposite direction and gave chase," said Small.

Phelps was eventually stopped at traffic lights and tasered by police, who then detained him. Due to his mental state, he could not be questioned and was released on bail. However, he was visibly agitated and began pounding repeatedly on the shared wall with his neighbour, Susi Broadway. "This continued for some time, which made her dogs bark. Around 3.45 am, Mrs Broadway went outside to let her dog out and noticed her neighbour’s window had been smashed," the prosecutor added.

Despite returning indoors, Phelps continued his banging. Mrs Broadway then contacted another neighbour and went outside once more. Phelps then emerged and, looking like a "zombie," attacked his neighbours with a knife, prompting them to retreat and call the police. During the confrontation, Phelps also carried a metal pole, which he used to smash the windscreen of Mrs Broadway’s Mazda. He subsequently entered her home after she went outside to assess the damage, amidst concerns for her eight-week-old dachshund puppies.

Police attended the scene and engaged in a standoff lasting several hours, requiring the intervention of a trained negotiator to de-escalate the situation and remove Phelps from the property. After Mrs Broadway was allowed back inside, she found that one of her puppies was unresponsive and had to be euthanized following veterinary assessment.

Phelps was taken to hospital, where he sustained unexplained injuries to his face. He was kept under police guard for 24 hours, during which he claimed, "I did it because they (the neighbours) did it to me the night before. I shot all the dogs and one did die." It was clarified that no dogs had been shot; one was beaten and had to be euthanized.

During the hearing, Phelps’s defense lawyer, Simon Kitchen, explained that the incidents were largely the result of his client’s failure to manage his diabetes, which had led to paranoia and delusions. Kitchen stated, "This was a self-induced incident because he is a diabetic who was not looking after himself. He had become paranoid and delusional. Phelps has little recollection of being in his neighbour’s home. He may have stood on the puppy, but he believes he didn’t intentionally do anything malicious to it." He also noted that Phelps had been on Methadone for ten years and, during remand, had to undergo cold turkey detoxification, which has improved his condition.

Phelps admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to the puppy, leading to its death, as well as damaging the car’s windscreen. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on Gloucester Road, Coleford, on November 30, and having a bladed article and metal bar in Cinderford on December 1, 2021.

On August 23, 2022, Phelps was sentenced to a non-custodial community order with no ban, as per court records.

This report is provided by The Forester and Gloucestershire News.