A NORTHWICH man who avoided jail after leaving his pet pythons to die in a cold and dilapidated lock-up garage is finally behind bars for his cruelty.

Earlier this year, on May 22, Vincent Parkes was handed a total 26-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, for causing unnecessary suffering to animals and failing to provide a blood sample for drug and alcohol testing.

As part of his sentence, the 34-year-old, of Adlington Drive, was also banned from driving for 12 months.

But a little more than a month into his ban, on Sunday, June 25, Parkes was caught riding a Kawasaki motorbike in Manchester Road.

After initially failing to stop for police, it was discovered the bike was also was uninsured and had no MOT.

Parkes was dragged back to court on Wednesday, October 11, where he pleaded guilty to the driving offences as well as charges of criminal damage and obstructing a police officer relating to an incident in Northwich on July 29.

Chester magistrates activated his suspended sentence and handed him a further six weeks in prison for driving while disqualified.

He now faces a total of 32 weeks behind bars, with the bench extending his ban for a further 16 weeks. He must also pay a surcharge of £154.

At his trial for animal cruelty on May 22, the court heard neighbours had called the RSPCA to report a foul smell coming from Parkes’ lock-up garage on Cockington Close in Kingsmead on December 3, 2021.

Parkes turned up soon after officers arrived and removed several dead snakes - three or four - from a single tank at the garage, telling them he 'knew they had no power', before police arrived to stop him. 

When they did arrive, they found six live snakes, snakes eggs, and a tank containing the rotten carcass of a lamb.

During the hearing, exotic animal vet, Maria Kubiak, told the court the snakes had probably not been fed for several months, had no water, inadequate or no heating, and no space to display natural behaviours.

The live animals were recovered from the garage with the help of staff at Cheshire Reptile Rescue, who took charge of them on behalf of the RSPCA.

Sadly one snake, a yellow female known only as NN1, died soon after arriving at the sanctuary.