Evanton man’s beastiality video hoard prompts Highland sheriff to state ‘significant concerns’
AN Easter Ross man who had a massive cache of beastiality videos involving adults having sex with all sorts of creatures was banned from owning or keeping animals for three years.
David Smith of Teandallon Square, Evanton was also ordered by Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald to immediately hand over his six pet cats to the SSPCA for rehoming immediately after returning home from his Inverness Sheriff Court appearance.
Smith had admitted possessing 242 still images and 2653 videos on hard drives which if one was to watch them back to back would take a run time of 45 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes. They were downloaded between May 8, 2020 and October 19, 2023.
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Sheriff Macdonald had adjourned the hearing until arrangements could be put in place for inspectors to attend at the 67-year-old's house and take the felines into care.
She was told that Smith had a previous conviction for animal cruelty where he failed to obtain medical attention. No further details were given about that offence.
The sheriff placed Smith on a community payback order with severe restrictions on his possession and use of internet enabled devices, conduct and programme requirements.
He was placed under three years of social work supervision, and instructed to participate in an offender's rehabilitation programme regarding his pornographic desires.
The sheriff said: "I have significant concerns about his relationship with animals over the material he had. If he doesn’t accept this order, then he will be jailed.”
Defending, Marc Dickson met with his client during the adjournment and told the sheriff: "He will sign over the pets he has to the authorities and undertakes not to keep animals for the duration of the order."
