A pair of cockfighters were hauled before the courts after they posted videos bragging about the barbaric blood sport on Facebook.
Bill Ripley, 46, and Moses Brinkley, 61, from Bean, Kent, posted graphic videos of the birds pulling out mouthfuls of feathers and pecking each other in the eyes with their sharp beaks.
The men, built a makeshift pit next to a caravan for the birds to fight, and RSPCA officers found 242 cockerels at their traveller site.
Bill Ripley, 46, and Moses Brinkley, 61, from Bean, Kent, posted graphic videos(pic) of the birds pulling out mouthfuls of feathers and pecking each other in a makeshift fighting pit
The animal charity launched an investigation after posts which suggested someone called ‘Shamo Bill’ – believed to be Ripley – was breeding, keeping, selling and fighting cockerels.
RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport said: ‘We joined police officers as they executed warrants at three plots on a travellers’ site in Bean, Kent, where we were able to identify some of the ‘venues’ shown online in the fighting videos.
‘We downloaded a lot of evidence from Facebook while other videos were also found on mobile phones seized from the men during the warrants.
‘The videos – some posted by “Shamo Bill” online – show a number of different cockfights taking place at different venues including a makeshift pit next to a caravan.
‘The men are clearly bragging about their pastime and their birds.
‘In the videos you can hear voices saying “the Ripley way” and “let me show you my little brother”.
When police searched the site on March 9, they found hundreds of birds in enclosures like this one, pictured
One of the fighting cocks had a nasty neck injury and was removed and re-homed by the charity
‘Other videos appear to show training techniques with cockerels being encouraged to attack dummy birds.’
When officers searched the site on March 9, they found hundreds of birds, one of which had a nasty neck injury and was removed and re-homed by the charity.
Mobile phones seized from the site contained many messages discussing breeding and fighting cockerels.
Inspector Lamport added: ‘One video, removed from a mobile phone, shows a fight which lasts 10 minutes.
‘The birds are seen sparring, flapping aggressively at each other and pecking at their opponent.
‘They pull out mouthfuls of feathers and peck with their sharp beaks around the other bird’s eyes. It’s extremely brutal and barbaric watching.
Mobile phones seized from the site contained many messages discussing breeding and fighting cockerels. Pictured: The enclosure where the birds were kept
The birds were pictured in cramped cages on the travellers’ site like the ones pictured here
‘The birds are both panting, obviously exhausted, while the white-coloured cockerel is soaked in blood and the red bird repeatedly collapses following the intense and prolonged fight.
‘Eight minutes and 30 seconds in, when one of the birds collapses, the man recording the video intervenes to part the birds so they can launch into the fight once again.
‘He can be heard encouraging the bird to kill the other, saying “you gotta do the job proper Mosquito, don’t leave him”.
‘The red-coloured bird is then dragged out of the shot leaving the white cockerel as the winner as you hear multiple other birds crowing in the background.’
It is not clear what happened to these birds following the fight and whether either of them succumbed to their injuries.
Ripley and Brinkley appeared at Bexleyheath Magistrates’ Court on January 8 and pleaded guilty to a series of offences. Pictured: The caged birds at the site
Brinkley pleaded guilty to three of five offences of being present at an animal fight, one offence of keeping a premises for use in an animal fight and one offence of keeping animals for use in fighting. Pictured: Three birds kept on the site
Ripley admitted three of six offences of being present at an animal fight, one offence of keeping a premises for use in an animal fight and one offence of keeping animals for use in fighting. Pictured: Two of the fighting cocks kept in captivity
Ripley and Brinkley appeared at Bexleyheath Magistrates’ Court on January 8.
Brinkley pleaded guilty to three of five offences of being present at an animal fight, one offence of keeping a premises for use in an animal fight and one offence of keeping animals for use in fighting.
Ripley admitted three of six offences of being present at an animal fight, one offence of keeping a premises for use in an animal fight and one offence of keeping animals for use in fighting.
He denied possessing spurs and muffs – both aids used in training or fighting cockerels. They will be sentenced at the same court on March 19.