Corey Coleman: Man spared jailed but banned from keeping horses after sexually abusing stallions caught on CCTV

Corey Coleman, 26, of Park View, Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, admitted four animal welfare offences at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on April 9. CCTV footage from June and July 2024 showed Coleman causing “unnecessary suffering” to stallions Benny and Bear and exposing a bay mare named Narla - in season at the time - to danger.

On Wednesday (July 2), Coleman was sentenced to an eight-week prison term suspended for 12 months, 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and disqualified from owning, keeping, or transporting horses for five years. He must also pay a £120 fine, a £154 victim surcharge, and a £200 contribution to the RSPCA’s costs.

The court heard Coleman initially injured himself on June 27, suffering a broken back, but continued abusing the animals even while wearing a back brace and with children nearby. Despite this, vets confirmed the horses suffered no lasting physical injuries.

In mitigation it was heard that he didn’t think he was harming the horses but accepted after reading the vet evidence that he caused them to suffer. The court heard that the case related to three horses, a palomino stallion called Benny, a bay mare with white markings called Narla and a bay colt called Bear.

On July 31 last year, police, the RSPCA and a vet attended the yard at Tonyrefail and identified the three horses seen on the CCTV. They were examined by a vet and luckily were found to have no physical injuries from the abuse.

In a witness statement written by RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben he said that outside the stable where Benny was kept was a plastic container which he was told belonged to Corey Coleman. He said: “In this container was a bottle of baby lotion that was also seen in the CCTV videos, this baby lotion bottle was photographed by myself in situ.”

A report from an independent expert vet was provided to the court - who reviewed sections of CCTV footage from June 27, July 15, and July 29. The vet said the key footage is from July 15, which shows “clearly what Mr Coleman doing to the stallion”.

The vet report states: “In this footage it is notable that Mr Coleman is using a mare who appears to be in season positioned outside the stallion’s stable to tease and arouse the stallion before he then enters the stallion’s stable and masturbates the stallion which is clearly shown on the footage. He is also shown inserting his fingers into the anus of the stallion. It is also notable that Mr Coleman repeatedly offers his bare forearm to the stallion to nuzzle and mouth on.

“The same behaviours are shown on the videos from the other two dates but on these occasions Mr Coleman interacts with a stallion who is stabled out of the CCTV footage so whilst it is possible to observe Mr Coleman’s interactions with the mare who he positions outside the stallion’s stable it is not possible to see what interactions he is having with the stallion.

“It is however possible to see that he repeatedly offers his bare forearm to the stallion to nuzzle and mouth as he does on the footage from the 15 July.”

The vet concluded that: “It is my expert opinion that the CCTV shows Mr Coleman sexually abusing both stallions and that in doing so he has caused them both to suffer unnecessarily as shown by their aversive behaviour in moving away from him and circling around from him.”

RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Gemma Cooper, who led the investigation, said: “Following an examination by a vet thankfully the horses were found to be okay despite having to endure this abuse and suffering. We’d like to thank everyone involved – in what has been a harrowing case.”

Coleman admitted he had not thought he was harming the animals until after reviewing the veterinary evidence.