Two students have been sentenced to jail for their involvement in the brutal attack and eventual death of a sheep using fireworks. The shocking incident has drawn widespread condemnation.
Leighton Ashby, 22, and Oakley Hollands, 20, were found guilty of chasing, beating, and kicking a sheep for half an hour in a field near Ditchling Beacon in the South Downs, East Sussex, in November 2023. The cruelty didn’t stop there; they then placed fireworks in the sheep’s mouth and anus, leading to its mutilation. They even invited two friends under the pretense of showing them a “dead badger.”
The horrific act, described as “callous and sadistic,” was captured on video by Hollands. Laughter and encouragement to “kill it” could be heard in the footage, revealing the extent of their disregard for the animal’s suffering.
Ashby, from Ashford, Kent, and Hollands, from Horton Kirby, Kent, admitted to the crime in August of the previous year. Their actions have now led to significant legal consequences.
On Monday, Ashby was sentenced to two years in prison, while Hollands received a 20-month sentence in a young offenders’ institution, reflecting the gravity of their actions.
On Monday Ashby was jailed for two years while Hollands was sentenced to 20 months in a young offenders’ institution.
The case has triggered ‘significant public backlash’ and protesters lined the street in front of Hove Trial Centre ahead of the sentencing.
Members of the public claimed they have experienced ‘sleepless nights’ and ‘anxiety’ after learning of the incident, according to a community impact statement read out in court.
Oakley Hollands, 20,from Horton Kirby, Kent, was sentenced to 20 months in a young offenders’ institution
Leighton Ashby, 22, from Ashford, Kent, was jailed for two years following the ‘callous and sadistic’ attack
The case has triggered ‘significant public backlash’ and protesters lined the street in front of Hove Trial Centre ahead of the sentencing.
‘The most overwhelming feeling was complete and utter shock and disgust,’ it added.
Judge Stephen Gold described the incident as ‘callous and sadistic’.
Prosecutor Jordan Franks said: ‘Mr Hollands and Mr Ashby ran ahead on seeing a sheep and began chasing it.
‘Mr Hollands shouted “get it, get it” to Mr Ashby. It was chased for a while until they closed in on it.
‘Mr Ashby was sitting on it. Shortly after the mood seemed to change.
‘Mr Ashby put his arms round the torso of the sheep and swung it around, shouting “woo woo”.
‘Mr Ashby kicked the sheep five times to the body and head. He put his arms around the head of the ewe and started punching it in the head, getting harder and harder until it seemed concussed and could not stand up.
‘Mr Ashby dragged the sheep towards a wooden fence post where he smashed its head several times.
‘Mr Hollands can be heard shouting “go on kill it, kill it, kill it” and he was laughing.’
The court heard fireworks were then inserted into the mouth, which was ‘obliterated’, and into the anus of the sheep before it was detonated, ‘mutilating’ the corpse.
During the attack, the two witnesses ‘kept their distance’ and headed back to the car.
The group then returned to Plumpton College in East Sussex.
It was heard that Hollands told a female friend about the incident, who asked to be sent the footage.
A community impact statement said ‘the most overwhelming feeling was complete and utter shock and disgust’
This footage was then seen and reported to the college and, subsequently, the police.
The ear tag of the sheep was also kept by the pair and placed in an empty Monster energy drink can.
It was later found in a communal toilet at Plumpton College.
Mr Franks said two other videos were found on Hollands’ device, including a dead fox being cut in half and a badger being kicked.
He added this showed ‘a worrying pattern of interest in the mutilation of animals’.
It was heard both defendants come from an agricultural background and live on family farms with animals.
Mr Franks described the offence as ‘sadistic behaviour’, telling the court it appeared the defendants ‘took a great deal of pleasure in the suffering they caused to the animal’.
A community impact statement submitted by police summarised the concern felt by members of the public.
It said: ‘The defendants will transfer this behaviour into their relationships with humans.
‘Animals never have the opportunity to have a voice.
‘This was a life that was taken.’
Both defendants are said to remain a ‘high risk to animals’.
