Four jailed for killing animals in fetish films

Four people were jailed yesterday for making "crush" films featuring the sexual abuse, torture and killing of animals.

The home-made movies, intended for illicit sale in sex shops, showed a guinea pig and a kitten being stamped to death by a woman wearing high heels and material of "an overtly sexual nature".

Judge Granville Styler said the "sick" films warranted jail terms for all involved. He sentenced the ringleader, Craig Chapman, 27, to two years in jail and gave four-month terms for conspiracy to publish obscene material to Christine Besford, 26, Sarah Cooke, 22, and Tharaza Smallwood, 22.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told the three were paid between £100 and £700 for their roles in torturing the animals, which were bought from a pet store and through the local paper. An RSPCA report, read out in court, said the animals all died from multiple internal injuries and had all suffered before they died.

Crush films are a small but growing niche in the sex industry's fetishist market and sell for up to £150. Terry Spamer from the RSPCA's special operations unit said yesterday's prosecution was the first of its kind in Britain. "Working with Customs officers we have seized videos of this type before but they have been imported from the US," he said.

In 25 years' service with the RSPCA this was the worst case of animal cruelty he had seen.

"I have dealt with investigations into dog fighting and badger baiting and this is by far the worst. The sentence serves as a deterrent to people to show that these sort of offences cannot be committed," Mr Spamer said.

The court was told the offences took place from January to November 2001 in the Stoke area. A video was handed to police by Chapman's ex-partner, who sent her father to his house to collect her belongings after their relationship ended.

Judge Styler ordered the video be destroyed and banned all four defendants from keeping animals for life.