Ben Bates: Man behind 'avalanche of vile' animal cruelty snared through own videos posted to social media

Twisted Ben Bates “brutalised” a lurcher dog called Billy, who was owned by his mother, to carry out the shocking animal cruelty offences, along with two other dogs.

During the course of multiple incidents carried out over 15 months, Bates directed the trio of dogs to attack and kill animals including deer, hares and domestic cats, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Not only did Bates film the acts of cruelty against the defenceless creatures targeted, but he also posted them to his public accounts, across multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

It was Bates’ decision to post the videos - in what The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC suggested was an attempt to “promote the animal cruelty” - which ultimately led to him being caught, arrested and jailed.

Sending Bates to begin a 20-month prison sentence on June 30, 2025, Judge Richardson told him: “Rare it is that the court encounters an individual who relishes cruelty, particularly animal cruelty. You engaged in what can only be described as a lava flow of cruelty towards innocent creatures.

“And what is worse, you enjoyed it. That criminal conduct calls for punishment.”

He continued: “It’s plain you enjoyed what you were doing. You’ve been brought to justice because you posted some of this cruelty on social media including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.”

“It’s clear you were, on occasion, boasting about what you were doing, and you used emojis depicting laughter at the relevant material.”

“You were using an animal to inflict death. You filmed the events and distributed the material to promote the animal cruelty.”

The offences Bates has admitted to and the videos of the animal cruelty

Bates has admitted a number of animal cruelty charges including: killing a deer at night; causing an animal fight to take place; causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, in that he allowed a dog he was in possession of to “attack and kill” cats and Roe deer, and killing a non-Schedule 1 wild bird, namely a pigeon. The offences were committed between January 2023 and May 2024, court documents show.

The majority of the offences are believed to have been carried out in or around Frickley Country Park in South Elmsall, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

An earlier hearing held this month was shown the 22 video clips taken by Bates, now aged 20, which prosecutors presented in evidence.

“It has been my misfortune - and that of everyone else in court - to view the video footage of some of the cruelty you visited on different animals,” said Judge Richardson.

A number of the videos show the animals, including deer, “crying out in pain and in extreme distress, which the average person would find very upsetting,” said Mark Thomas, prosecuting, at an earlier hearing.

Among the videos used in evidence, after being discovered on Bates’ phone, is one of two dogs pulling at a deer on the ground in front of them, next to a male believed to be Bates. One of the dogs shown savaging the deer in the video, which was taken on March 29, 2024, is said to be Billy.

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Mr Thomas said there is also a “still image of a dead deer hanging from a washing line in a residential garden,” where a “small pool of blood” is seen pooling in the picture, and a dog - believed to be Billy - also features, the court heard.

A seven second video taken in November 2023 shows “two dogs attacking a cat as it screams out in pain.”

“It is believed to be a domesticated cat, and was wearing a silver collar,” said Mr Thomas.

Another 16-second video also shows two dogs, one of which is believed to be Billy, attacking a cat at around dawn.

The video is dated May 23, 2024 and appears to show two males present, one of whom is filming Bates, of Darfield Road, Cudworth, Barnsley, as he runs towards the animals while the savage attack is taking place.

Another of Bates’ videos shows a “catapult hitting a pigeon" before it cries out in distress.

Mr Thomas said there is also a still image of a dead pigeon with feathers scattered nearby, described by Judge Richardson as having been “violently dismembered.”

A further video shows a dog believed to be Billy “panting excessively” next to a dead hare, with loose fur on the ground next to it.

Mitigating factors and animal ban

As he passed sentence, Judge Richardson said he had given due consideration to mitigating factors including the fact that Bates is still “relatively young,” and at the time that some of the offences were carried out was still a juvenile of 17-years-old.

Bates’ “mental health difficulties,” his expressions of remorse and his caring responsibilities for his three children, with a fourth on the way, were also amongst the mitigating factors considered by Judge Richardson.

He said, however, that he had come to the conclusion that Bates’ offending was so serious that only an immediate sentence of imprisonment could be justified.

Sending Bates to begin his prison sentence, Judge Riachardson said: “Your conduct may only be described as savage, and you clearly enjoyed being savage and cruel.”

“This case embraces an avalanche of vile cruelty perpetrated by you with obvious enjoyment with the use of a brutalised dog.”

Judge Richardson banned Bates from owning, or having anything to do with, any animal for a period of 12 years.

“I’m aware of the age of your young children who will not be able to have animals within the house. You are the author of their misfortune,” Judge Richardson said.

Billy is no longer owned by Bates’ mother. Judge Richardson also ordered for Billy to remain in the care of South Yorkshire Police, who are currently hopeful that he can be rehomed, during the course of the hearing.