THE man responsible for one of Britain's worst cruelty cases has been sentenced to six months in prison after ignoring a lifetime ban on keeping animals and causing unnecessary suffering to his dogs.
Lee Howard, was jailed for six months last year after leaving more than 30 animals to die in appalling conditions at Bank Top stables, in Trimdon, County Durham Howard, 41, who claimed he left dogs and birds to die because he was suffering from depression, was also banned from keeping animals for life.
But within months of leaving prison, Howard was found to be keeping dogs and birds at his home in Delarden Road, Middlesbrough in January.
RSPCA officers discovered 11 dogs and 16 birds living in atrocious conditions when they raided his home.
Howard, now of Shinwell Avenue, South Bank, appeared today at Teesside Magistrates' Court. He had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing He was given four months in prison for each of the two counts of causing unnecessary suffering, to run concurrently, and two months for breaching his lifetime ban, which will run consecutively.
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