Craig Gordon Hanlon in court for ignoring animal banning order

A dad of seven has been handed a suspended jail sentence for ignoring an order prohibiting him from owning animals.

Craig Gordon Hanlon.

A father of seven with a history of mistreating animals has been ordered to pay RSPCA costs after showing a “blatant disregard” for a court order banning him from owning pets.

A court order prohibiting Mount Perry man Craig Gordon Hanlon from owning animals until January 31, 2024 was handed down in 2019 after he failed to provide appropriate living conditions for three dogs and two birds in his care.

The dogs were tethered with no access to water and one had no shelter.

The court heard that in 2016, Hanlon pleaded guilty to breaching a duty of care and to two abandonment charges relating to three emaciated horses which became the basis for a three-year ban at the time.

In February this year, RSPCA inspectors discovered Hanlon once again had pets on his property - two dogs and two cats.

Appearing in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Thursday, Hanlon, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully contravening a prohibition order.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie handed Hanlon a five-month head sentence based off his current offending and previous suspended sentence, with immediate parole.

He was ordered to pay legal costs of $1603.60 as well as veterinary and boarding costs of $4684.47, deferred to SPER.

Hanlon was also handed a permanent prohibition order, to be in place unless the RSPCA cancels it.