Melton woman jailed for starving animals to death Published duration 19 June 2015

image caption Emma Clark was banned from keeping animals for life

A woman convicted of starving a number of animals to death has been jailed.

Emma Clark, 28, of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was convicted at an earlier hearing after admitting failing to feed 10 pets over several months.

She was prosecuted after the RSPCA found the animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits and snakes at a house in St Peter's Walk.

She was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody and banned from keeping animals for life.

Warning: this page contains graphic images of dead animals

Clark's menagerie included three dogs, two cats, rabbits, a lizard and two snakes, all of which died as a result of neglect.

Leicester Magistrates' Court heard RSPCA officers had made numerous visits to the house between 1 November 2014 and 22 February 2015, but each time they were told by Clark all the animals had been re-homed.

When they were eventually discovered in March it is thought many of the creatures had been dead for months.

Clark had previously admitted causing unnecessary suffering to animals at a hearing in March, blaming severe family problems at the time.

RSPCA officials said it was one of the worst cases of animal neglect they had ever seen, and totally avoidable.

Sheona Morley, from the charity, said: "In my 20 years, this is the most horrific case I've ever been to - it is also the saddest.

"It was absolute horror to see all those animals had died from starvation, left in their cages with no access to food or water."

Magistrates told Clark her animals were effectively locked up and starved to death.

image copyright RSPCA image caption Two rabbits were among the animals that died

image copyright RSPCA image caption Some of the animals had probably been dead for months, the RSPCA said

image copyright RSPCA image caption RSPCA officers said it was one of the worst cases of neglect they had ever seen