AS THE RSPCA VENDICTIVELY PROSECUTE PENSIONERS, THE DISABLED AND ANY UNLUCKY ANIMAL OWNER WHO FALLS FOUL OF THEM, THEY DECIDE NOT TO PROSECUTE NEIGHBOUR WHO KILLED A DOG WITH A GARDEN HOE !
DESPITE THEIR PROSECUTING PC JONATHAN BELL FOR PUTTING A CAT OUT OF ITS MISERY AFTER BEING FLATENED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT, ONE IS DELIBERATE THE OTHER AN ACT OF COMPASSION, WHAT'S GOING ON RSPCA ?
A woman has raised £1,600 to fund a private prosecution against a former neighbour she accuses of killing her pet dog.
Mother-of-three Tricia Wales claims a long-running series of disputes with Neville Hill culminated in her five-year-old border terrier Wurzel being killed and dumped on her land by him.
Mr Hill admitted that he hit Wurzel with a garden hoe after it trespassed on to his property but the RSPCA has decided not to prosecute him because the dog did not suffer undue pain.
Instead, Mrs Wales, 60, who lives in Yapton, near Arundel, has launched a private prosecution alleging criminal damage against Mr Hill.
She called on friends, relatives and villagers to raise enough money to fund the case, which will have its first hearing at Chichester Magistrates' Court on Friday.
She said: “I have had cheques from people I haven't even come across. People have been supportive of me as they are appalled at what has happened to Wurzel.
“Even if I hadn't raised the money, I would have remortgaged the house or done something to get enough money together to bring the prosecution.”
Mrs Wales, a freelance secretary, said she and her family were devastated by the death of Wurzel, who had to be put down because of the extent of its injuries.
The alleged incident happened in September last year after Mrs Wales visited the shops to buy potatoes for Sunday lunch, leaving Wurzel and her other two dogs in the house.
She said: “Hill said that my dogs got into his garden, that they were circling his hen coop and distressing his animals. There was a horrendous dog fight which culminated in him hitting Wurzel with a blunt instrument.”
A post-mortem examination found the dog had sustained a skull fracture as a result of being struck by a blunt object, Mrs Wales said.
She said: “I can't tell you how much I loved that dog. She was a puppy who was born in our house and I loved her, as I do all my dogs.”
Mrs Wales accepted she and Mr Hill had past disagreements as neighbours.
Mr Hill, who now lives in nearby Walberton and runs a garage door company in Portslade, said he did strike Wurzel with a garden hoe, that it was not his intention to kill the animal and that he reacted as a result of a series of incidents involving Mrs Wales.
He told how Mrs Wales' dogs trespassed on to his land, aggravating and attacking his elderly dog.
He said he picked up the garden hoe, struck Wurzel and then placed her on Mrs Wales' doorstep because she was not in at the time, not believing the animal to be seriously injured.
He said: “The dog wasn't dead when I put her on the doorstep. It was still breathing and I simply thought she was concussed. If I had thought she was seriously injured then I would have called a vet.
“If I had wanted to kill the dog, I would have used the sharp end of the garden hoe but I didn't. I didn't even aim a blow at the dog. It was just to scare her off my old dog.
“I did strike the fatal blow but (Mrs Wales) doesn't take responsibility for her dogs, it's as simple as that. It happened as a result of her dogs attacking my dog.”
Mr Hill said he intends to plead not guilty and added that since the incident he has moved from the property, selling it around £100,000 below its market value.
He said: “I believe justice will prevail.”
RSPCA inspector Becky Carter said that Mr Hill was interviewed as part of her inquiries but it was decided that they would not launch their own prosecution.
She said: “We follow the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which says that an animal has to suffer for us to prosecute. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4245628.Neighbour__killed_terrier_with_a_hoe__near_Arundel/
Mother-of-three Tricia Wales claims a long-running series of disputes with Neville Hill culminated in her five-year-old border terrier Wurzel being killed and dumped on her land by him.
Mr Hill admitted that he hit Wurzel with a garden hoe after it trespassed on to his property but the RSPCA has decided not to prosecute him because the dog did not suffer undue pain.
Instead, Mrs Wales, 60, who lives in Yapton, near Arundel, has launched a private prosecution alleging criminal damage against Mr Hill.
She called on friends, relatives and villagers to raise enough money to fund the case, which will have its first hearing at Chichester Magistrates' Court on Friday.
She said: “I have had cheques from people I haven't even come across. People have been supportive of me as they are appalled at what has happened to Wurzel.
“Even if I hadn't raised the money, I would have remortgaged the house or done something to get enough money together to bring the prosecution.”
Mrs Wales, a freelance secretary, said she and her family were devastated by the death of Wurzel, who had to be put down because of the extent of its injuries.
The alleged incident happened in September last year after Mrs Wales visited the shops to buy potatoes for Sunday lunch, leaving Wurzel and her other two dogs in the house.
She said: “Hill said that my dogs got into his garden, that they were circling his hen coop and distressing his animals. There was a horrendous dog fight which culminated in him hitting Wurzel with a blunt instrument.”
A post-mortem examination found the dog had sustained a skull fracture as a result of being struck by a blunt object, Mrs Wales said.
She said: “I can't tell you how much I loved that dog. She was a puppy who was born in our house and I loved her, as I do all my dogs.”
Mrs Wales accepted she and Mr Hill had past disagreements as neighbours.
Mr Hill, who now lives in nearby Walberton and runs a garage door company in Portslade, said he did strike Wurzel with a garden hoe, that it was not his intention to kill the animal and that he reacted as a result of a series of incidents involving Mrs Wales.
He told how Mrs Wales' dogs trespassed on to his land, aggravating and attacking his elderly dog.
He said he picked up the garden hoe, struck Wurzel and then placed her on Mrs Wales' doorstep because she was not in at the time, not believing the animal to be seriously injured.
He said: “The dog wasn't dead when I put her on the doorstep. It was still breathing and I simply thought she was concussed. If I had thought she was seriously injured then I would have called a vet.
“If I had wanted to kill the dog, I would have used the sharp end of the garden hoe but I didn't. I didn't even aim a blow at the dog. It was just to scare her off my old dog.
“I did strike the fatal blow but (Mrs Wales) doesn't take responsibility for her dogs, it's as simple as that. It happened as a result of her dogs attacking my dog.”
Mr Hill said he intends to plead not guilty and added that since the incident he has moved from the property, selling it around £100,000 below its market value.
He said: “I believe justice will prevail.”
RSPCA inspector Becky Carter said that Mr Hill was interviewed as part of her inquiries but it was decided that they would not launch their own prosecution.
She said: “We follow the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which says that an animal has to suffer for us to prosecute. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4245628.Neighbour__killed_terrier_with_a_hoe__near_Arundel/
1 comment:
this has nothing to do with cruelty to animals but a persons right to defend his or hers property from attack. three dogs attacking another in its own garden. everybody has the right to defend their property as long as they do not use excessive force. three magistates agreed that given the situation Mr Hill acted reasonbly and with minimum force. Mrs Wales dogs have a history of attacking and killing other animals, six in the last four years . incidents which she discribed as 'spats thats what terriers do!' The RSPCA should remove these animals because Mrs Wales is obviously not in control of them. many of my friends have dogs without any 'spats' in the last thirty years. how many staffy owners would still have their dogs after only one attack??? Every dog owner should take responsiblity for their own dog and not allow them to be a nuisance to others. give the man a break
Post a Comment