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A man accused of "medieval barbarity" filmed a group of dogs attacking a badger as hunters laugh at the brutal scene.

Liam Moran allowed four dogs to savage the protected animal for more than two minutes before it was stabbed to death, and part of the distressing incident was caught on camera.

RSPCA officers uncovered the clip when they seized Moran's phone during a raid on his house in Neath, Wales last year, Wales Online reports.

Jon Tarrant, prosecuting at Swansea Magistrates' Court, said inspectors found three dogs in the garden with scars and scabs.

One of the animals - a terrier called Josh - was also missing an eye and had a “severe” jaw injury which had healed.

(Image: Media Wales)

In sheds at the property and in the back of Moran’s VW Kangool van they also found a number of "first aid" items.

These included Dettol and other antiseptic products, a blood-stained skin stapler and staples, skin glue, a lamping light, spades, metal bars, and tablets given to dogs to boost their muscles and increase their stamina.

Mr Tarrant said it was the prosecution’s case that the first aid items were to allow injuries to dogs to be treated “in house” without having to take them to vets to avoid attracting attention.

The court heard that during the raid, inspectors removed three of the dogs from the house and also seized Moran’s mobile phone.

When the phone was examined a number of disturbing video clips were found, along with numerous conversations about digging "brocks" and “pigs”, which the prosecution said were references to badgers.

Mr Tarrant said the messages were evidence of “wide scale and extensive activity” by Moran.

(Image: South Wales Echo)

After viewing the footage RSPCA inspectors went back to Moran’s house and found more dogs in the garden, including one with “puncture wounds” under its chin. These animals were also seized.

Moran pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog, to failing to protect four dogs from pain, suffering or injury, and four counts of wilfully injuring or ill-treating a badger when he appeared before the district judge sitting at the magistrates court.

It is not known where the badger baiting caught on camera took place.

Rhodri Griffiths, defending Moran, said his client had authority from local farmers to control birds on their land, and as part of that would flush foxes.

He said it was often hard to distinguish between a fox set and badger setts, and his client had not gone out to deliberately hunt badgers - but when one emerged from a hole, it was dealt with as swiftly as possible.

District judge Neale Thomas said he did not believe the defendant’s assertion that the encounter with the badger had been by chance, calling the incident caught on film a “premeditated plan for gratuitous cruelty”.

He said Moran had shown “Medieval barbarity” and a “level of depravity almost too great to be believed” in his hunting of badgers.

Moran was sentenced to a total of 22 weeks in prison, and was banned from owning dogs for life.

The court also ordered the retention of seven dogs seized from the property.