Kilkenny Court: Father of eight handed down prison sentence for animal cruelty

A father-of-eight was handed down a prison sentence of 14 months and was banned for keeping dogs or working with animals for 10 years at Kilkenny Circuit Court.

Ricky Carthy, Number 4, St Catherine’s Halting Site, The Wetlands, Kilkenny was convicted of two counts of animal cruelty at The Wetlands on February 24, 2023.

Detective Sergeant Nora Cuddy told the court that the defendant had contested four counts of animal cruelty before a judge and jury at Kilkenny Circuit Court in July. He was found not guilty on two counts and guilty on two counts and these were the matters before Kilkenny Circuit Court on Monday for sentencing.

The location of the offences was at the Wetlands Halting Site where Ricky Carthy and members of his extended family have a number of units.

On February 24, 2021 gardaí along with staff from an animal welfare organisation and a vet attended a search under warrant at the location and a number of animals were found there.

“Ricky Carthy was responsible for certain animals and he admitted that certain animals were his,” said Det Sgt Cuddy.

On the date in question gardaí and vets present decided that a number of animals needed to be removed from the site due to welfare concerns. The animals were seized under welfare legislation and were put in a place of safety and received veterinary treatment.

The charges before the court last Monday related to two lurchers - Speedy and Fly. One dog was locked in a box in a trailer and the second dog was locked into a trailer, neither animal had access to drinking water.

Det Sgt Cuddy said that one dog needed a tooth removed, was lame on one leg, was infested with fleas and had conjunctivitis in both eyes. The second animal was described as being ‘very nervous’ and also had conjunctivitis, a recent lesion and old scarring on her body and head and there was a significant flea infestation.

Unsuitable

The vet who was present during the site visit was of the view that the dogs were housed in entirely unsuitable conditions with no access to drinking water.

The defendant told the gardaí that the animals were not normally kept there and suggested that they may have been led there by children. Det Gda Cuddy confirmed to the court that the dogs were locked inside the trailer.

The court heard that the defendant had co-operated with gardaí.

Counsel Adrian O’Higgins said that his client had indicated that he wanted to keep the dogs involved.

Det Gda Cuddy said that she was seeking a ban on the defendant from keeping animals.

The defendant has a previous conviction for animal cruelty for punching a horse in the side of the head. The court heard that the defendant has numerous other previous convictions, including convictions for robbery, trespass and for offences under The

Road Traffic Act

Mr O’Higgins outlined to the court that his client is a member of the Travelling Community and is a father of eight. He is also one of 10 siblings.

“He told gardaí that he tried to look after the dogs as best he could,” added Mr O’Higgins.

The defendant is unemployed and is in receipt of social welfare.

Judge John Martin remarked to the court that the defendant had confined the dogs in trailers in the middle of winter with no sanitation.

“It is not accepted by the prosecution that children put them in there,” he said.

“These are two utterly defenceless creatures described as family pets and this is how you treat them,” said the judge adding that there offences were ‘an abuse of a dominant position of a human over a defenceless animal’.

“An alarming feature of this case is that you thought these were proper conditions and that the animals had to be removed,” added the judge.

Judge Martin imposed a 14-month prison sentence and made an order disqualifying the defendant from owning, keeping, dealing, having charge or control of any dogs or working with animals for a period of 10 years.