Animal Welfare: Convictions

(asked on 8th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many custodial sentences were given as a result of prosecutions brought under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what was the length of each such custodial sentence awarded.


This question was answered on 22nd September 2017

The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2016, can be viewed in the table below.

Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty and sentenced at all courts for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (1), England and Wales, from 2012 to 2016 (2)(3)(4)

Outcome

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Proceeded against

1,999

1,897

1,523

1,188

1,039

Found Guilty

1,535

1,435

1,161

899

807

Sentenced

1,533

1,431

1,159

902

807

of which

Immediate custody

118

107

97

84

71

of which

up to 3 months

44

42

44

32

29

3 months and up to six

71

59

52

45

38

Six months

3

6

1

7

4

(1) Includes offences under SS 4, 5, 6(1),6(2) 7, 8, 9, 13(6) and 34(9)

(2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

(4) The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court, nay be sentenced in the following year.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services – Ministry of Justice.

Ref: PQ HL 1469 1470

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