A British man who claimed to be a veterinarian and doctor has been sentenced to two years in prison, Horse and Hound reported.

Russell Lewis Oakes registered as a vet in the UK after buying a fake degree certificate on the Internet. Authorities investigated after area veterinarians complained about the quality of his work. Oakes had been treating horses, dogs, and humans.

He was arrested in March 2008 and charged with 84 offences related to fraud by false representation as a medical doctor, fraud by false representation as a veterinary surgeon, deception, perverting the course of justice, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He admitted to 41 charges, and the rest, which included animal cruelty and sexual assault, were dropped by the prosecution.

The arrest complaint centered on the botched castration of a Welsh pony, during which Oakes allegedly fumbled with anesthesia and cut the animal's artery. "He attempted to rectify the bleed with rubber bands and a clamp designed for castrating young lambs," said Prosecutor Henry Riding