A breeder who subjected dogs to ‘amongst the worst’ cruelty an RSPCA inspector had seen in 20 years has been banned from keeping dogs.

Julie Newcombe, 42, was visited by police at her home in Blaenau Gwent and was found to be keeping 90 dogs in ‘disgusting conditions’ contaminated by faeces and urine.

Officers found a dead dog in a van and several decomposing puppies outside. 

Newcombe denied one offence under the Animal Welfare Act but was found guilty of not ensuring the needs of the animals were met.

At a sentencing hearing at Newport Magistrates Court on Thursday, District judge Sophie Toms said she would struggle to forget the images shown during the trial which she labelled ‘disgusting.’ 

Gwent Police attended Newcombe’s property on September 1, 2020, where they found 90 dogs, including  Dachshunds, Labradors and French Bulldogs, whose condition gave officers ‘serious cause for concern.’ 

James Harris, prosecuting, said officials from the RSPCA attended and removed the dogs and found 78 of them had no access to water when they were seized.

Mr Harris said 78 dogs were also found to be living in an ‘entirely unsuitable environment’. 

He said there was ‘faeces all over the place’ and that the smell in the property was described as ‘absolutely disgusting’, adding that a number of the dogs required treatment by a vet.

He said Newcombe had been ‘unaware’ of the dead puppies and added that prosecutors had been unable to determine whether the case of one dog which died days after being removed had been due to Newcombe’s treatment.

Alex Weller, defending, said Newcombe had been suffering from ‘horrific’ personal circumstances and had been a victim of domestic violence around the time the offences took place. 

He said she would be in a difficult position to pay any costs from the trial due to the fact she wasn’t working and received income support and disability living allowance.

Mr Weller added his client had been receiving support for her mental health and intended to get a job after finishing her studies.

District judge Sophie Toms said she disagreed that Newcombe had ‘had no control’ over the keeping of the dogs and said she ‘could have called for help.’

She said the difficulties faced by animal welfare workers in removing the dogs was an aggravating factor.

Ms Toms banned Newcombe, of Trefil Road in Tredegar, from being involved in the keeping of dogs for five years. 

She can apply for a review after 12 months. 

The judge also imposed a 12-month community order requiring Newcombe to complete 20 days of women-specific programmes, and she must also pay costs of £1,000 towards the prosecution.

Following the sentencing, RSPCA inspector Darren Oakley said the outbuildings of the property were ‘worse than the house’ and the noises from inside them were ‘horrific’. 

RSPCA inspector Simon Evans, who also attended the property, described it as ‘amongst the worst I had encountered in my 20 year career within the RSPCA.’ 

He said this included two rooms that contained a large number of dogs who were trying to get their attention through the bars of child-proof gates.

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