“LA WELFARE INSPECTORS AND RSPCA REGULARLY ABUSE THEIR AUTHORITY .”

Of course, I think that comment says it all. I simply refer you to my last line again.

Goodbye

by Dr. Barry Peachey
LLB(Hons) LLM PhD BSc STh(Lambeth)CBiol MIBiol FCollP MBAE MCIArb FETC Cert. Mediation

I mentioned this matter in the Shooting News article. It is the case involving Mr Bill Sargent who gave evidence at Haywards Heath of the contents of the secret tape recording of himself and RSPCA Inspector Spamer. At Haywards Heath MrSargent gave full details in his evidence of his dealings with Spamer, and the time has now come to explain how the tape came to be recorded. This is the evidence that Sargent gave to the court:-

// ” I live in temporary accommodation in a caravan at the above address, and work in the area in the building trade. My home is in Plymouth. My hobby is breeding gamefowl, which I have done for a number of years.

At 6.30 am on Wednesday 9th,October I was aroused from my bed by callers. They were two men from the RSPCA Special Operations Unit. This came as something of a surprise. One of them had a Yorkshire accent, and introduced himself as Terry Spamer. His friend did not give his name specifically. (it turned out to be RSPCA ‘Chief Inspector’ Michael Butcher).

Mr Spamer accused me of being present at a cock fight that he was investigating. I told him that I did not know what he was talking about. He said that I was one of four men who were at this fight, and the four had been infiltrated by a man called Graham Hall who worked for the News of the World as an investigator. Spamer called Hall a “low down slag”, and said that the RSPCA had problems with him.

They were very worried about Hall because he was a witness in several forthcoming cases including the cockfight that they were accusing me of. One of those cases was a very big dog-fighting case in Sussex in November where Hall had done the same sort of thing. The problem was that the RSPCA knew that the defence had an expert working for them called Dr Barry Peachey, and Peachey knew enough about Hall to demolish the cases in which he was involved. I knew nothing about Hall, dogs, or anything else, and told them so.

Spamer said that he was desperate to drop Hall out of the cockfighting case because after Peachey’s team had finished with him in Sussex he would never again be credible as a witness for anything. They had to find a new ‘informer’ to take Hall’s place at the cockfight, and they had picked me. Spamer offered me £5,000 in cash to pretend to be the informer. I was horrified, but I thought to ask what would happen if I didn’t. Spamer said that if I did not agree he would get Hall to go to court and say that I had approached his boss at the News of the World offering them a cockfighting story for £5,000. Of course this was a lie, but then Hall was a professional liar for the News of the World , and it would not bother him. He gave false evidence as a matter of course.

I said this was blackmail, and Spamer said I could call it whatever I liked, but there it was, take it or leave it. They had no choice because they had to stop Hall appearing in this case. I told them I would think about it, and they left. I was so frightened that I did not know what to do. I had met the man they had referred to, Dr Peachey, on one previous occasion, but did not really know him. I thought the best thing I could do was to phone him, and tell him what had happened, so I did.

Shortly afterwards Spamer phoned me again and started on about me co-operating, ‘or else’. I told Dr Peachey about this, and then arranged to meet Spamer again at my caravan. In the meantime, on 17th October, 1991, Dr Peachey came to my caravan and installed recording equipment in it.

Spamer came back on 23rd October. This time he was alone, and insisted on meeting me at the end of our lane. We walked with my dog and talked for quite a while, but eventually he came back to the van. I sent him to move his car to give me time to turn the recording device on. When he came back we had a long chat. I told him all sorts of rubbish about things I new nothing about just to see how far he would go, and how corrupt he and his friend Hall were. He again said that Hall was a paid liar, and offered me money to do the same. Eventually I got rid of him when a friend arrived, and I turned the machine off. Whilst we were talking outside he told me that he had been warned by his boss, a man called Milner, (RSPCA Chief Superintendent Frank Milner, head of the RSPCA Special Operations & Investigation Department ) to be very careful of doing this sort of thing in case I had spoken to Peachey, because Milner was really worried about Peachey finding out about Spamer and Hall’s activities. I denied having spoken to Dr Peachey because I wanted him to speak to me on tape so that I could prove his previous visit and what he was trying to do to me.” //

Mr Sargent certainly had spoken to me, and due to the nature of the circumstances immediate action was required. The following is the text of a statement that I made to Messrs Stephen Fidler & Co Solicitors, of London. They were representing the group of alleged dogfighters in a case at Haywards Heath in Sussex who had also been ‘investigated’ by Graham Hall :

About 1800hrs on Friday 17th October 1991 I went to (…………………………. ), Suffolk. Here I spoke to the occupier, Mrs (…………. ), and a man I know as William Ivor Sargent. In the front garden of this address I saw a lightweight touring caravan, the property of Mr Sargent.

Inside this caravan I installed a Sharpe WQ268E(W) audio cassette recording machine with a remote microphone. This equipment was concealed. In the recorder was a new BASF Chrome……………”………………………………

[...............................]

How long is the Home Office going to sit still before it starts to look at all of the people who have been convicted on the evidence of these people?

How long is the Crown Prosecution Service going to wait before an enquiry is raised into all the various prima facie offences of Perjury and Conspiracy to Pervert the Course of Justice that are revealed by this sorry tale?

Read the whole book here

The RSPCA Animadversion Site

I really don’t understand where that post fitted in with the subject matter.

I’ve said it before and I have to say it again. Please don’t equate the politicians and management high flyers at the RSPCA Headquarters with the poor old infantry at the firing line.

I don’t like the political direction the RSPCA has taken over the last few years any more than most people, but the Field Officers have no more say in that, than you or I.

I have yet to meet ‘women who are used to having their way in their middle class homes’ who are RSPCA Inspectors (or ACO’s).

I am an LA Animal Health Inspector (in one of several of my duties) and work with the RSPCA Inspectors regularly.
The one I am working with on a complaint right now was ordered off a property. She left immediately and called me for assistance. Despite knowing who and what I am the animal owner still refuses to co-operate and it may well end up with a warrant to enter. Which I would stress is the last thing I want.

Threats have been made against the Inspector which may also cause the Police to become involved.

I know that the above happens to colleagues, RSPCA and LA, all around the UK every day and is very common.

Sadly your comment “they like to intimidate those who are LEAST likely to be involved in animal abuse” is all too reminiscent of the comments to Local Authority Dog Wardens when a woman is stopped for a fouling offence, along the lines of ‘you target the women because you haven’t the guts to go after the men’, ignoring the fact that it is mainly women who walk the dogs during the day when the Warden is working. I have been assaulted by men who I have stopped for fouling offences.

It seems to be the old, old story of damned if they don’t, as in this story, and damned if they do, as in your comments.

If the RSCPA know of law breaking, why are the police not investigating?

The Met Police can easily send armed police to shoot a dog that was licking it’s owner who collapsed and died in the street and they can also send a team out to shoot a dog in Croydon?

How come they cannot back up the RSPCA or even go and check out the allegations?

It’s time that the government sorted out who deals with what, why are a charitable organisation (albeit with a police style Inspectorate, but with none of the powers) calling the shots (no pun intended)?

DEFRA or the Home Office or somebody in government needs to set up an Animal Control Agency that has police and other enforcement experts seconded to it along with animal experts.

87 dogs held by the Met Police, how much does that cost to hold them?

What else could all that money and resources be spent on in London?

Isn’t it more likely that the police have got sick of going on trawling raids at the behest of the RSPCA? After all, it is the police who take the stick when nothing is found.

Sounds like the RSPCA want more funds and publicity and would like a few more laws to restrict animal owners with.