Two men have been jailed for killing sheep in an “alarming” attack on the South Downs that was filmed on a mobile phone.
Leighton Ashby, 22, of Becket Road, Ashford, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Oakley Hollands, 20, of Massenden Lane, Houghton Kirby, was sentenced to 20 months in a young offenders’ institution.
On the night of November 2, 2023, the pair drove to a field near Ditchling Beacon and began chasing sheep, before seizing one and violently assaulting it with an explosive ‘banger’, causing fatal injuries.
The offense was charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Footage of Ashby carrying out the attack was recovered from Hollands’ cell phone. Officers also found videos of an unidentified person attacking both live and dead animals.
Investigators later found a sheep ear tag on a nearby property, which they determined had been removed from the scene by Ashby.
The attack was reported to Sussex Police on November 6, 2023. Both men were arrested within two days and subsequently charged.
They pleaded guilty at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on August 7, 2025 and were subsequently sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on February 23.
Attacks on livestock can have a significant economic and psychological impact on farmers, especially in rural areas where herds often graze on open land.
Superintendent Rachel Swinney said the incident was “an alarming incident, but it was treated with the seriousness it deserved”.
“These two men are now facing justice for their crimes. This should send a clear message that we will protect rural communities and hold criminals accountable,” she said.
This custodial sentence highlights how seriously courts now treat intentional cruelty to livestock, especially when evidence is recorded and preserved.
