Agricultural Students Imprisoned for Brutal Sheep Assault Involving Fireworks
Two agricultural students have been sentenced to prison for launching what prosecutors described as a "sadistic" attack on a sheep, which included repeatedly punching and kicking the animal before fatally injuring it with fireworks. Leighton Ashby, aged 22, and Oakley Hollands, aged 20, were enrolled at Plumpton Agricultural College in East Sussex when they committed the horrific act.
Graphic Details of the 30-Minute Ordeal
The Hove Trial Centre heard that on the evening of 2 November 2023, the defendants invited two fellow students to view what they claimed was a "dead badger". Upon arriving at a field near Ditchling Beacon, the group walked along a public footpath before Ashby and Hollands began chasing a sheep. They eventually pinned the animal to the ground, with Ashby swinging it from side to side and delivering approximately five kicks to its head and torso.
When the other witnesses requested to leave and asked for car keys, Hollands refused and instead began filming the incident on his mobile phone. The sheep appeared unable to stand due to the blows, and Hollands was heard shouting "go on, kill it, kill it, kill it" while laughing in the background.
Fireworks Inserted and Ear Tag Kept as Token
The attack escalated when explosive devices were inserted into the sheep's mouth and anus, causing severe mutilation and fatal injuries. After returning to the college, Ashby was overheard telling Hollands "we need to wait a couple of weeks before we do that again". The duo kept the sheep's ear tag as a macabre token, which was later hidden inside a Monster energy can and discovered in a communal toilet.
Disturbing Evidence and Legal Proceedings
The pair were reported to police after a female witness requested Hollands send her the videos, leading to college staff being notified. Both students have been excluded from the college as a result. Analysis of their phones revealed other disturbing materials, including footage of a dead fox being dismembered and a badger being kicked on Hollands' device.
Prosecutor Jordan Franks stated that their actions exhibited a "worrying pattern in the mutilation and destruction of animals", noting they appeared to take pleasure in the suffering caused. Both pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, with Ashby sentenced to two years in prison and Hollands receiving 20 months at a youth offender institution.
Public Outrage and Defendant Backgrounds
Protesters gathered outside the court holding banners calling for custodial sentences, with animal rights campaigners naming the sheep "Eunice". In a community impact statement, Mr. Franks said the public reacted with "an overwhelming amount of disgust" at the violence. The court heard both defendants were of previous good character from agricultural backgrounds, with Hollands diagnosed with ADHD and Ashby with autism and learning difficulties.
