Bexley officer and partner offered ill, passing away kittens in twisted fraud

Former British Transport Police officer Amy Byrne and her partner Harry Angell appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday (April 5) after pleading guilty to charges of scams and breaches of the Animal Welfare Act. 

The couple purchased and reproduced kittens for sale however when consumers received their brand-new animals numerous discovered that they were malnourished, ill and covered in their own urine or faeces, the court heard. 

Sales and grievances extend back as far as 2015 and in court RSPCA district attorney Hazel Stevens offered 6 examples where kittens passed away not long after being bought. 

The couple utilized a minimum of 33 various phony names in their adverts, consisting of declaring to be from Cat Cuddles Rehoming which is a real charity. On another celebration they utilized the ID of somebody who had actually bought a cat off them to market other kittens. 

Byrne, 30, lied to purchasers that she was a veterinarian which the kittens had actually been wormed and microchipped however health certificates supplied ended up being phony, the court heard. 

One victim informed the court that she set up to purchase a male kitten off Byrne and Angell as a surprise for her autistic child who had actually just recently lost his cat. 

Her child made a thank you card for Bryne which she accepted as she dropped off the kitten. 

After Byrne left the mum understood the kitten was female, emaciated and had diarrhoea stuck in her fur. The kitten passed away a brief time later on. 

Ms Stevens informed the court: “There were human and animal victims in this. Humans were danger of getting these diseases from the cat. Children who were thrilled about a brand-new member of the family consisting of one kid who made a card to thank Amy Byrne, just to see them pass away days later on. 

Another kitten which regretfully passed away after Byrne and Angell offered it (Image: RSPCA)

Another victim of their fraud said: “Having just recently lost a cat to the roadway, we were so anticipating providing a home to a brand-new kitten. We quickly fell for Elsa who was so drowsy and cuddly when we got her. For the 2 valuable weeks we had her in our lives, she entered into our family. 

“We were just devastated to watch her slowly go downhill, monitoring her eating so little, trying to rid her of the worms she arrived with and taking her to the vet for numerous checks/tests. She spent her last two days in the animal hospital with them trying everything to make her better but she gave up the fight and we began our grieving for little Elsa.” 

When owners returned in contact with Byrne and Angell after the sale they were typically disregarded, Ms Stevens said. 

The court heard that on one celebration a troubled purchaser and her partner showed up at their house to request for their money back. Byrne informed them to wait outdoors up until Angell gotten here on the scene and yelled: “You bought the kitten from me not Amy, but I am not giving you a f***ing penny.” 

As an outcome of the volume of grievances that Trading Standards, the RSPCA and the cops were getting, a search was performed at Byrne and Angell’s home on Downbank Avenue in Barnehurst on August 26, 2021. 

An overall of 17 kittens were discovered on the properties on the day of the search and a veterinarian evaluated that 6 of them were suffering. 

Those 6 cats were taken and one passed away a brief time later on, Ms Stevens said. 

During the search Byrne and Angell attempted to get rid of their cellphones. Angell leapt out of the window and tossed his phone in the front garden and while cops were chasing him Byrne performed a factory reset of hers, the court heard. 

The kittens were kept in a hutch in the couple’s garden (Image: RSPCA)

Angell’s phone was recuperated and revealed numerous pictures of kittens, queries about adverts and grievances from individuals reporting that their kittens were ill. 

Messages likewise revealed that the couple discovered adverts for low-cost kittens online, offer the cats flea treatments and after that offer them on. On one celebration he extolled how he purchased 2 kittens for £75 then offered them on for £600 each the next week, Ms Stevens said. 

Ms Stevens said analysis performed by the RSPCA revealed that the couple meant to make a gain of £278,870.

During an interview Angell validated that the kittens took had actually not seen a veterinarian as he does not concur with veterinary practices. 

Byrne confessed they breed cats and offer them however said they were not earning a profit. 

Byrne was a British Transport Police (BTP) officer when these criminal offenses were performed however was the topic of a misbehavior examination which ultimately resulted in her being fired in January 2023.

A BTP misbehavior hearing report said a hydroponics camping tent, 2 marijuana plants, bag of marijuana, half smoked sign up with and load of marijuana seeds were discovered at an address that she shared. 

Byrne and Angell appeared at court for sentencing after they both pleaded guilty to charges of scams and breaches of the Animal Welfare Act. 

Angell was imprisoned for 3 years and 4 months, while Byrne was imprisoned for 3 years and 8 months. 

The couple were likewise disqualified from owning animals.