Shear idiocy: Man sentenced for stealing sheep and releasing it in Sheffield

A man who filmed himself stealing a sheep from the banks of Ladybower Reservoir before driving to Sheffield and releasing it has been sentenced.

Ali El-Aridi posted a chronicle of the theft on Snapchat, including photos and a video of him chasing the sheep along the banks of the reservoir.

When he eventually caught it, the 23-year-old directed an expletive-filled rant at the animal, that he also recorded on his phone.

The animal was found in the Wincobank area the next day and returned unharmed to its owner, Derbyshire Police said.

After his arrest, El-Aridi's phone was examined by the police who found it contained animal-based pornography.

El-Aridi, admitted one charge of theft of a sheep and one charge of failing to ensure the animal's welfare at Chesterfield Justice Centre on 29 March.

He denied two counts of possession of extreme pornographic images but was found guilty after a trial.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must complete 100 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying £620 in costs, on 25 June.

PC Andy Shaw said: "El-Aridi initially denied stealing the sheep but, after we had a look at his phone and found the videos, unsurprisingly the next time we interviewed him his story was somewhat different.

"The sheer disregard for the animal's welfare is plainly evident in El-Aridi's video, and in fact he seemed to care significantly more about the mess it had made to his boot lining."