By Paul Higgins
This is the Newtownabbey woman who narrowly escaped going to jail after she abandoned a gecko, two adult dogs and a litter of puppies.
Sentenced at Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday, Audra Town walked free after District Judge George Conner suspended her six-month sentence for a year.
In addition to the suspended jail sentence, he ordered the defendant to pay £124 costs and banned her from keeping, controlling, owning or transporting any animal for ten years.
Town, from Kernan Drive in Newtownabbey, had earlier entered guilty pleas to causing unnecessary suffering to animals and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the animals were met, on 11 October 2023.
The court heard that while the initial report to Belfast City Council came from concerned neighbours on 11 October, the animals, two adult dogs, a litter of eight puppies and a gecko, were not rescued and seized until the start of November.
A prosecuting lawyer outlined how an animal Welfare Officer (AWO) called at the house and could hear dogs inside but no one answered the door.
The AWO left a calling card and came back the following day but this time, Town was “leaving the house to get a taxi” and told the AWO to come back the next day.
Later on, the AWO “got a voice mail from the defendant saying that she had to keep an appointment” and that was followed up, said the lawyer, by a text message where Town claimed “she was going on holiday for a week and she was taking the animals with her.”
By 30 October, the court heard, there was a further complaint and that was followed by several visits over consecutive days with neighbours alerting the AWO to the animals, and to continual barking which was “keeping them awake at night.”
The neighbours also provided photos and eventually, a warrant was issued to enter the property.
When entry was gained, it was discovered the dogs and puppies were living in rooms that were “covered in faeces and rubbish,” including some that was “potentially dangerous.”
The animals were so desperate for food, “there were tins that appeared to have been chewed,” said the lawyer, adding that the gecko did not have access to food or water.
Town’s defence counsel conceded the defendant, who appeared in court in the public gallery, “realises that this is a very serious matter.”
She submitted however, that since then, Town has been getting help with her mental health and the property has been renovated.
Judge Conner said while the case merited a jail sentence, he would suspend it given the matters in mitigation.
When InsidethecourtroomNI confronted Town at her workplace, she refused to respond or engage.
Asked whether she wanted to use her right to reply or to say anything about the case, she tutted, turned on her heel and stormed away to the rear of the fast food takeaway where she works.
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 