Father, 77, jailed after forcing his three children to eat pet rabbit during 'sadistic' reign of abuse spanning 15 years
13 January 2025, 14:02 | Updated: 13 January 2025, 14:07
A father who forced his children to eat their pet rabbit during a reign of sustained emotional and physical abuse has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
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The 77-year-old father, who cannot be named as to protect the identities of his victims, was jailed for his abusive behaviour towards his children, described as "sadistic and gratuitous" physical and emotional abuse.
The sustained behaviour, which took during the 1970s and 80s, was described by the judge as going "beyond discipline or reasonable chastisement".
Adding: "It was cruelty and physical abuse occurring regularly.”
The father was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Thursday.
On one occasion, the man, from Market Drayton, Shropshire, made the youngsters choose between the two family dogs, before abandoning one in the countryside and forcing his children to watch as he drove off with the animal chasing the family car.
Another incident saw him kill the family's pet rabbit before making the children to eat it for dinner.
Prosecutor Anthony Longsworth told the court the string of abusive and humiliating incidents spanned much of the youngsters' childhoods.
The man, who denied the claims of child cruelty against him, told the jury he was "just a disciplinarian".
Speaking for the prosecution, Mr Longworth added: "They were forced to eat the family pet. He ruined them all."
Another incident saw one child, who was terrified of spiders, forced to lie alone in the cellar, after her father placed one directly on her face.
On one occasion, the children were "lined up" by their father and beaten with "sticks and weapons" for everyday over small grievances, including the children wetting themselves.
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The monstrous father was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Thursday.
He told the court he also strangled a family dog in front of the children.
Jailing him for three-and-a-half years, Judge Julian Taylor branded the defendant a "bully and a sadist".
He said: "This went far beyond discipline or reasonable chastisement. It was cruelty and physical abuse occurring regularly."
The judge continued: "You put a spider on the face of one child, along with the cruelty to the family pets, which was also cruelty to the children.
"One episode that I can't forget, no matter how much I may want to, is that you asked them to make a choice between their two dogs and then you drive out to the countryside with the three children in the car, entice the dog out of the car and you shut the door and drive off and the children had to watch it running after the car.
"Their pet rabbit you killed and offered up for supper - whether the children started to eat the rabbit is unclear. Fact is it was killed and you said they must eat their pet rabbit."
He added: "Times have changed.'When these offences took place there was a maximum sentence of two years and I am bound to that.
"The maximum now is 14 years.
"But I am not constrained by the case of actual bodily harm when your child came back with a love bite, not uncommon with teenagers, and you went absolutely ballistic, lost all sense of control.”
