A Bradford mother and son have been warned they could face jail after a Court heard they left two dogs to starve in “appalling” conditions in an attic.

Julie Taylor, 48, of Northampton Street, Wapping, and her son Jamie Taylor, 31, of Prospect Road, Wapping, pleaded guilty yesterday to causing unnecessary suffering to a rottweiler-type dog and a staffordshire bull terrier-type dog by failing to provide them with an adequate diet, which led to their death, between September 14 and October 14 last year. They also both admitted failing to meet the dogs’ needs by not ensuring they were in a suitable environment between those dates and Mr Taylor, who owned the dogs, admitted another charge of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to exercise reasonable care for them.

Prosecutor Nigel Monaghan told Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court the dogs were allowed to starve in the attic at Julie Taylor’s house. She knew they were there and that they were extremely thin, but did nothing about it, he added.

When the dogs’ bodies were examined by a vet he said they were emaciated and could only have died from starvation and/or dehydration.

He described the conditions they were kept in as “appalling”, said Mr Monaghan, with faeces all over the floor, and said there would have been “horrendous suffering”.

Chairman of the Magistrates’ bench, Patricia Tillotson, adjourned the case until February 21 for the preparation of reports.

She told the pair: “Our provisional assessment today is custody, but all options will remain open to the sentencing bench.”

The court heard Mrs Taylor has problems with drugs and Mr Taylor problems with alcohol.

Speaking after the hearing RSPCA inspector Dave Holgate said: “Walking up the stairs to the attic room, where these dogs had starved to death, the smell was atrocious. I don't know how anyone was able to live at the property. It was indescribable.

“Jamie Taylor and Julie Taylor both knew the dogs were in there. They most likely heard them barking but decided, for whatever reason, not to feed them. When the dogs finally died, they could certainly smell them but left them to rot.”