March 2021

Man sentenced for having sex with a horse AGAIN

A pervert who had sex with a horse was tearfully accused by the owner of having “raped” her family’s pet pony.

The woman emotionally made her accusation before Isaac Cluley was sentenced for his “unusual” offending.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one count of sexual penetration of a living animal last August.

He also admitted possessing extreme pornography, relating to mobile phone footage of the pony and two obscene and perverted images downloaded from the internet.

Leicester Crown Court was told Cluley was prosecuted in 2016 for an earlier offence of having sex with a different horse – when he was given a community order.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, prosecuting, said a friend of the defendant’s chanced upon the video when borrowing his phone last summer.

Cluley was drunk at the time and the concerned friend wanted to phone his mother – and was shocked to see the footage with the pony.

The police then became involved.

Cluley was in “considerable distress” following his arrest and officers were concerned for his wellbeing.

The defendant told them: “I want help with my mental health, it’s why I’ve been drinking more lately.”

The horse’s owner attended court to read a personal impact statement.

She said she purchased the Shetland ten years ago for her five year-old-son, and the two had grown up together.

Before being informed of the incident by the police, she said she suspected her horses had been “frightened in some way” in their field because of a noticeable change in their behaviour – particularly the small 10 hands high Shetland mare.

The pony was unusually fearful and nervous and suddenly began acting threateningly towards her teenage son, as if to kick him.

Sobbing with emotion, she spoke of the distress caused to her family and the expense of having to install a £286 CCTV field camera to watch her animals grazing, in the Leicester area.

A veterinary forensic examination of the pony cost her £60.

The Shetland is now kept locked in a stable overnight, when it was used to being outdoors, as the offence is thought to have happened in the early hours.

She told the judge: “The fact someone was walking around and prepared to rape an animal on more than one occasion (because of the previous conviction) concerns me greatly.”

The 44-year-old owner added: “I feel anxious because I don’t know how many times it’s happened.”

After the hearing she said: “The pony was such a sweetie, so trusting, but is now wary and defensive.

“When she becomes scared and fearful – even by something normal like having a rug put on – it reminds me of what happened.

“If it was down to me he would be in custody now.

“I can only hope whatever his rehabilitation involves, that it works.

“I can’t forgive what he did to a harmless animal, I’ve not heard anything to explain why he’s done it and he’s shown no remorse.”

Cluley, unemployed, of Milligan Road, Aylestone, Leicester, was given a six month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He will have to attend up to 40 days of a sex offender programme and pay the pony’s owner £350 in compensation.

Cluley was also placed on a two month electronically monitored home curfew, between 8pm and 8am.

He will be on a sex offender register for five years and was placed on a sexual harm prevention order, for the same duration – stipulating various conditions, including not entering a field, paddock or any animal enclosure where there is livestock, when he is on his own.

He is barred from working with animals in any capacity and cannot own or care for any animal without the permission of his offender manager.

Recorder William Edis QC said: “For the second time in your life you’re before the court for having sexual intercourse with a horse and that – if I say no more – is an alarming picture.

“One thing I have to do as the judge is to try and work out why you’ve committed this unusual offence twice.

“Is it because you have overpowering sexual interest in horses?

“Is it a cry or help or attention seeking?

“One thing that has to happen is you have to decide to stop doing this – or be made to stop.

“Even though you amply deserve a prison sentence, I’m not sure that’s going to address the problem, I have to find the best way to protect society and animals from you.

“You have been extensively examined by various professionals.

“No-one has told me why you did this.”

Recorder Edis said he hoped Cluley had “heard the pain” expressed by the pony owner.

He said: “Her son grew up with that animal and his relationship with that animal may never be the same again.

“She’s anxious about more abuse happening to another animal.

“These are not victimless crimes, these are real victims with real pain and you caused it for reasons I can only guess at.

January 2021

Man, 22, admits having sex with horse and filming it on his phone

Isaac Cluley, 22, committed the offence in Leicester in August last year and was arrested later after a friend chanced upon the video when borrowing his phone.

The friend was appalled by what he saw and confronted Cluley before contacting the police.

Cluley, of Milligan Road, Aylestone, Leicester appeared at the city’s magistrates’ court yesterday to admit a single charge under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Following a brief hearing, magistrates sent his case to Leicester Crown Court, which has greater sentencing powers.

A psychiatric report will be prepared in time for the sentencing hearing, which is scheduled to take place at the end of the month.

Prosecutor Stacey Mills told the court that the friend had discovered the film when he used Cluley’s phone to seek help because the defendant was so drunk he was concerned for his welfare.

Ms Mills said: “He saw a video on the screen. He said it must have been left there since the phone was last used.

“The video showed someone having intercourse with a horse. It looked as though the person committing the act was also holding the phone.

“He thought the person in the video could be this defendant, so he decided to transfer the video to his phone.

“He says he did this because he thought this might be a police case.”

At this point, Cluley was so ill as a result of his alcohol consumption that he was taken to hospital by ambulance, Ms Mills said.

The young man later ‘confronted’ Cluley about the video.

“Initially the defendant denied it was him in the video, but eventually he did admit it,” Ms Mills said.

“He also said he had done it before and disclosed that the horse was near where he lived, in Great Central Way.”

At this stage the friend contacted Leicestershire Police to report Cluley.

“He was interviewed and ultimately admitted the offences.” Ms Mills added.

“On the way to the police station he said ‘I want help with my mental health. It is why I have been drinking more recently.’

Ms Mills said he was convicted of the same offence in 2016 and was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court to a community order.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in custody.

His legal representative Kate Nield said a psychiatric assessment would be prepared in time for the hearing at the crown court on Friday, January 29.