Overview
- District Judge Paul Healey found Stephen and Layla McGuigan guilty on four counts at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on December 10.
- The court imposed £300 per offence on each defendant, a £480 victim surcharge, and £2,000 towards council costs, totaling £7,360.
- Evidence from Wirral Council technical officer Paul Bratley, a monitoring device in a neighbour’s home, and resident testimony was accepted by the judge, who called the number of dogs “exceptional.”
- Wirral Council issued a noise abatement notice in 2023, with alleged breaches proved on April 16, April 24, April 21–23, and April 25–29 in 2024.
- Neighbours report quieter days since the verdict, while the couple maintain they took mitigation steps and say they plan to move to another property next year.