Dog butchered by maniac with sword (From The Argus)

Dog butchered by maniac with sword

3:31pm Friday 29th February 2008 in News By Nigel Freedman

A dog killer has been jailed for butchering his Rottweiler in the shower with a sword.

Andrew Davis, 47, launched the savage attack after his pet Roxy bit a child.

The dog died slowly and in "excruciating pain" despite being fed half a bottle of wine and painkillers.

After the attack Davis told police the dog turned and looked at him as if to say: "Daddy, why did you do that?"

Brighton magistrates were told the stabbing was so ferocious that the tip of the ornamental sword was blunted.

As blood pumped from her wounds Davis stabbed the animal again and again until she died.

He then wrapped her lifeless body in a blanket and put it in the back of his van.

He was about to drive it away to bury it when police officers alerted by neighbours arrived.

They discovered a trail of blood where he had dragged the heavy dog's body from the shower.

Davis, of Brunswick Road West, Hove, was yesterday jailed for five months after admitting animal cruelty.

He is already serving a two-and-half-year sentence for grievous bodily harm after he stabbed a man last year and for intimidating witnesses.

He will have to serve the five months for killing his dog at the end of that sentence.

Davis was also banned from keeping animals for life and will have wait at least ten years before he can apply to get the ban lifted.

David Buck, prosecuting, told magistrates Davis and Roxy were at the Kings House pub, London Road, Burgess Hill, on July 4. (07) Shelley Tucker later told police the black and tan Rottweiler bit her eight-year-old son Kyle on the arm causing it to bleed slightly.

She said Davis asked her if Kyle was alright and as she left she saw Davis punching the dog hard on the nose.

Mr Buck said police were called by Davis' neighbours at 3am the next day complaining they could smell petrol coming from Davis' flat and saying they were concerned about his dog.

He told officers he had spilled petrol while filling his motorbike and the dog was staying with friends.

They left but returned a short time later after receiving more calls from worried neighbours.

They discovered her blood soaked body in the back of his white VW van in the basement car park below his home.

Davis told them he decided to kill the animal after it had bitten a child for the third time.

He said he had fed Roxy a cocktail of crushed up biscuits and painkillers in half a bottle of wine to make her go to sleep.

When that failed to work he put her in the shower and soaked one of her toys in petrol in the hope that the fumes would knock her out.

He thought she had gone to sleep when he thrust the sword into her heart, but she yelped with pain.

A vet who examined her body said the attempts to knock the dog out first would only have made her distressed and confused.

Mr Buck added: "The dog would have felt every blow and the injuries to her heart and lungs would have been exruciatingly painful.

"One of the wounds went right through her chest and others were more than three inches deep.

"The vet concluded that the dog had been subjected to a frenzied attack.

"Under no circumstances can this method of killing an animal be described as humane."

Peter Green, defending, said Davis "loved his dog" and had owned her for seven months.

He added: "He loves animals and was brought up on a farm, went to agricultural college and had ambitions to be a farm.

"He is used to killing vermin and had a gun license to shoot game from an early age.

"The dog had bitten someone and this is something that caused him distress.

"He realised that it would have to be put down and because he loved his dog decided to do it himself.

"He accepts that the method he used caused her pain and suffering and deserved to be punished."

Jane Mezzone, magistrates' chairman, said she had looked at pictures of the horrific attack and would have jailed Davis for the maximum six months had he not pleaded guilty.

She added: "Such is the seriousness of this case we have no other option than to sentence you to custody.

"While you expressed remorse the actual killing of your dog was so frenzied, pre-meditate and caused such excruciating pain and immense suffering as confirmed by the photographs we have witnessed.

"Your previous convictions also illustrate a history of threats and violence and we have taken that into account.

"The five months will be consecutive to the sentence you are serving as the offence is so serious we cannot make it a concurrent sentence.

"This has to be reflected in an additional punishment on you."

Inspector Core M oore, who led the RSPCA investigation, said: "This was the right sentence for the horrific injuries he inflicted on Roxy.

"People should know that we will always prosecute anyone who causes suffering to an animal in this way."