Eastbourne couple jailed for ill-treating seven children, dozens of dogs
Police took more than 30 dogs into care
Last updated 7th Nov 2022
A couple who severely neglected seven children and more than 30 dogs at their home in Eastbourne have been jailed for six years each.
The group, then aged between 4 and 17, were taken into immediate emergency protection after being found in what police have described as 'filthy conditions'.
They described the scene as 'shocking and repugnant, with discarded clothing, litter, rotting food and animal faeces found throughout the building.
Sussex Police said 35 dogs inside the building were also taken into safe keeping by the RSPCA. They have subsequently been rehomed.
Officers were called to reports of a domestic incident at the property at just before midnight on June 14th last year.
35-year-old Christopher Bennett and 41-year-old Gemma Brogan admitted to seven counts of child neglect at Lewes Crown Court in May and were sentenced on Friday (November 4th).
Detective Constable Fiona Ashcroft of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said:
"Upon entering the address, our officers were shocked about the state of the property and had major concerns for the welfare of all the children.
"The stench, as you entered the hallway, hit officers hard – they were not able to breath normally due to the stench.
“There was a deafening sound of dogs yapping and barking coming from the room in front of the hallway. When the door to the living room was opened, officers were shocked to see dozens of dogs climbing over each other to try and reach the open door.
"All the dogs looked malnourished and skinny. Their fur was greasy, matted and covered in each other’s faeces. In amongst the filth and melee of dogs, officers removed a sleeping child from the sofa, who was dressed in just a soiled nappy and had dogs jumping all over them.
"This was a particularly dreadful example of child neglect. The address is a three-bedroom property which had 10 occupants and 35 dogs crammed in. It is impossible to paint an accurate picture of the full extent of degradation and filth these vulnerable children had to endure. It is unequivocally one of the most awful addresses I have ever been in.”
Both Bennett and Brogan pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after being prosecuted by the RSPCA during separate cases in February and August this year.
Brogan was sentenced to an 18-week prison sentence with was suspended for two years. She was given a five-year ban for all animals, 30 Rehabilitation Activity days and 100 hours of community service work.
Bennett was sentenced to 18 weeks' imprisonment and was disqualified indefinitely from keeping all animals.