Tom Oakley
BBC News, Nottingham
Daniel Taylor Sentenced for Horrific Animal Abuse
A 32-year-old man from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after he was found guilty of filming his dogs attacking and killing various wild animals, including deer, foxes, badgers, and pigeons. The shocking videos showed Taylor encouraging the dogs to maul the animals, with some animals heard screaming in pain.
Taylor was arrested after a police investigation uncovered over 140 disturbing images and 84 videos, recorded between August 2021 and February 2023. Police also found skulls, antlers, and decomposing animal heads at his home, which he had kept as “trophies.” Taylor’s disturbing collection also included a makeshift butcher’s workshop at his property, where he processed the animals after they were killed.
In one of the videos shown in court, Taylor can be heard shouting at his dog as it gripped a fox in its jaws, saying, “That’s why I love him [the dog]; finish him buddy boy. Good lad; kill him!” In another video, Taylor boasted, “Only been out for two nights, looks like a morgue!” Prosecutors said the footage was some of the most distressing and vile material seen by police, with many of the killings taking place around Clumber, Thoresby, and Welbeck estates.
Despite initially claiming to police that he only hunted rabbits for food, Taylor eventually admitted to the brutal nature of his actions when confronted with the video evidence. Prosecutor Jon Fountain stated that Taylor was not engaging in legitimate hunting but instead was deriving pleasure from watching his dogs inflict suffering on the animals.
Taylor had previously pleaded guilty to four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals. In court, he expressed remorse, stating that he no longer participated in such activities. He claimed, “I went out hunting and I took it a bit far. I’m here today to deal with the consequences. I don’t do it no more.”
Judge Mark Watson, who sentenced Taylor, condemned his actions as “sadistic” and stated that Taylor had “revelled in the suffering” of the animals. In addition to his prison sentence, Taylor has been permanently disqualified from owning, keeping, or controlling dogs. His dogs and a blood-stained quad bike used to hunt the animals were also permanently seized by police.
