Animal killer gets lengthy sentence as Badger Trust urges public to report crimes

Cruel animal killer Daniel Taylor jailed for over two years after conviction for horrific crimes against animals, including badgers.

As recently reported on the Nottinghamshire Police website:

“Animal killer Daniel Taylor was locked up for causing barbaric suffering to wildlife by setting his dogs on foxes, badgers, deer, and pigeons. 

Taylor, of Worksop, was heard in numerous videos he filmed encouraging his dogs to tear the innocent animals apart. 

Trophies he kept – which included a horde of skulls, tails, and deer heads – were found by horrified officers when they raided his address on 24 February 2023.

Taylor was locked up for two years and eight months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (7 March 2024).

Nottinghamshire Police’s rural and wildlife crime lead, Chief Inspector Clive Collings called it “the most extreme case of animal cruelty I have come across in my 26-and-a-half years in the police.” 

PC Mark Holland added:  

“I was in regular contact with the Crown Prosecution Service as we built the file of evidence and we also worked closely with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and Badger Trust.   I feel extremely proud of how we’ve all worked together as a team and been able to get a decent outcome in this case for the community. It reflects the hard work we put in.” 

Craig Fellowes, Badger Trust Wildlife Crime Officer and Trainer, commented:

“I would like to commend the excellent work done by the police.  This custodial sentence is a strong outcome and sends a clear message that horrific crimes against wildlife will not go unpunished.  The cruelty towards animals beggars belief, and this case shows it is worth pursuing these criminals and get the animal killers locked up.” 

Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, added:

“This case shows we can achieve convictions for horrific crimes against badgers and other animals.  We urge the public to report crimes – whether that’s blocked badger setts or incidents of badger baiting – so that the police can see the level of cruelty and take action.  

There is an established link between these crimes and others, such as drug gangs and domestic violence, and we need to get these people convicted and stopped from inflicting further harm.

Badger baiting remains a national problem and needs to stop. Badgers and dogs suffer horribly in the process, and convictions like this are needed more than ever.” 

Badgers are the UK’s most persecuted protected species. Because of the scale of abuse, badger crime has been a UK Wildlife Crime Priority for over ten years. However, Badger Trust knows reported crimes are just the tip of the iceberg and fears that thousands of crimes are unreported or unrecognised. 

Fighting back against badger crime

“Badger Trust is fighting back against badger crime,” Fellowes continued. “We will keep raising awareness by helping the public to recognise, record and report badger crime and suspicious incidents. In 2024, we will continue to roll out even more of our badger crime training courses for police forces, plus specialised training sessions for our affiliated badger groups throughout England and Wales. 

Badger Trust also continues to campaign for sentencing crimes against badgers to be brought into line with the Animal Welfare Act, increasing maximum sentences from six months to five years, and for police forces to give animal crime the attention it deserves.”

Further recent cases show the importance of members of the public reporting crimes against badgers.  For example, in Burnley recently, after an investigation by the RSPCA and Lancashire Police rural crime unit, Brandon Lawlor was jailed for eight weeks under the Protection of Badgers Act after a horrific film of dogs ripping badgers apart was found on his mobile phone.  

In Shropshire, Christopher Woodward from Oxfordshire was fined £500 for blocking a badger sett—again illegal under the Protection of Badgers Act. This was one of a number of sett blocking convictions in the last year. Members of the public should always report such incidents to protect our precious wildlife and ensure police forces understand the level of crime taking place.

In addition, sett blocking is often linked with hunts chasing foxes and people blocking setts to stop the fox from escaping, and it is another sign that illegal hunting activity is taking place.

How you can help us stop badger crime

Badger Trust has an experienced Crime Team dedicated to monitoring and tracking badger crime across England and Wales. They work closely with the police to follow ongoing investigations and assist as needed. This work ensures that no case slips through the cracks, giving the best chance to achieve more wildlife crime prosecutions.

Report badger crime

By reporting badger crime, the information you provide could help investigators bring offenders to justice. In addition, your reports support vital campaigning work calling for changes to the law to improve the lives of thousands of animals.

If you see a badger crime or suspicious incident in progress:

• call 999 and ask for police assistance

• ensure you get a reference number for your call

• report the incident on our website using our online form or report using the Badger Watch App 

• In all cases, keep yourself safe and do not approach or disturb the scene

If you discover a badger crime that has already happened:

• call the police on their non-emergency number 101

• ensure you get a reference number for your call

• report the incident on our website using our online form or report using the Badger Watch App

Remember, keep yourself safe and do not approach or disturb the scene.

You can watch our short film ‘Stopping Badger Crime’.

This hard-hitting short film aims to raise public awareness of crimes against badgers and encourage reporting. Watch 'Stopping Badger Crime'.

WARNING: film contains distressing content