A ‘KEEN animal lover’ who immersed a grey squirrel in a bin full of freezing water has been banned from keeping squirrels.

Clifford James Henley, of Drummond Road, Bournemouth, had been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal after being taken to court by the RSPCA.

Henley, aged 53, was in the dock at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 1, where he was sentenced by District Judge Stephen Nicholls over the offence which was committed on or before January 2.

Prosecuting, Matthew Knight told the court the defendant had trapped a squirrel in a cage.

Neighbours heard the animal “screaming” and one of them attempted to intervene.

Mr Knight said Henley became “angry” and became involved in a tussle.

The prosecutor applied for the disqualification order. He said it would "prevent him (Henley) from trapping squirrels in the future".

Laura Deuxberry, representing Henley, told the sentencing hearing her client’s actions were not a deliberate attempt to cause suffering.

She said as a child he saw people shooting squirrels and his views towards grey squirrels came from a caring place towards native wildlife.

“It is a fact that grey squirrels are not native and they do destroy native wildlife,” said Ms Deuxberry.

She told the court Henley is a “keen animal lover”, who has rescued seven dogs and supported other people when they have not been able to look after a dog.

The defendant had shown insight into his offending and admitted he did not handle the situation with his neighbours well, said Ms Deuxberry.

Judge Nicholls told Henley that the offender had shown an acceptance over “what went wrong, your thought process on that day and how you dealt with matters”.

The judge issued a 12-month community order, with a six-week curfew and a requirement to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity.

Henley was ordered to pay £600 costs and a £95 surcharge.

The defendant was also handed a two-year disqualification from owning, keeping, participating in the keeping or from being part to an arrangement under which he is entitled to control or influence the way in which squirrels are kept.

Judge Nicholls said this order would not prevent Henley from employing a professional company to deal with a particular issue with squirrels or any other wildlife.

Giving evidence at the trial last month, neighbour Justyna Wozniak told the court Henley said he was allowed to kill the squirrels.

“He said ‘watch me, watch me’, took the cage and put it inside the water. I was focussed on one situation, the squirrel,” she said.

Henley said the cage belonged to a neighbour, who allowed him to trap squirrels in his garden.

The defendant told the court there was a “tug of war” for the cage and he put it on top of the bin, not in it, but accepted it might have accidentally been immersed.