Jail and ban for Cornish man who killed pet chihuahua with head blow
Spencer sadly died from his injuries
Warning: this contains details of a distressing nature
A Cornwall man who killed his pet chihuahua with a blow to the head has been jailed and banned from keeping animals for ten years.
Mark Lindhurst Owen (date of birth: 06/06/1959) of Windswept Valley View Estate, Lanner, Redruth, pleaded guilty to an animal welfare offence, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
Owen, who lived with his dog Spencer, called a friend to inform him that Spencer was dead on 9 November 2024.
He visited Owen's address along with another friend where they met the man, who had been drinking, and claimed Spencer died from falling down steps.
They became suspicious because there were only three steps, and upon asking to see Spencer’s body, noted his skull was crushed.
Owen then admitted he had beaten Spencer and claimed the dog had bitten him, though there was no evidence of a bite injury.
The friends reported their concerns to police after leaving his home. Spencer's body was seized by police and taken to a vet, who found blood from the mouth and ears, a fractured skull, and suspected a fractured neck, which x-rays later confirmed. Spencer's body was then transported to Bristol Veterinary School for an independent post-mortem examination.
'Injuries totally inconsistent with fall down stairs'
In their report, the vet who examined the evidence surrounding Spencer’s death, said: “From the extent of the injuries found at post-mortem it is clear that Spencer was subject to a severe forceful blunt force trauma to the right-hand side of his skull consistent with a single blow.
"The injuries are totally inconsistent with a fall down a small number of stairs.
“Due to the extent of the injuries Spencer will have been rendered instantly insensate as a result of the blow and will not have suffered pain as a result.
"It is however the case that the actions of Owen in killing Spencer did not take into account the need to protect Spencer from pain, suffering, injury or disease as Spencer died as a result of a catastrophic injury and that Owen, in physically attacking Spencer whilst under the influence of alcohol, could not have been certain that he would render Spencer instantly insensate and there would be a significant risk that he caused Spencer considerable pain and distress.”
Owen was sentenced to 12 weeks custody and a ten year long animal disqualification order, which he can not appeal for seven years, when he was sentenced at Truro Magistrates Court on August 20.
In mitigation, Owen said he was remorseful and this was a momentary lapse.
'Dogs feel pain just like we do'
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA Inspector Miranda Albinson, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: “Dogs feel pain just like we do and always deserve to be shown kindness and compassion.
"It is saddening to think that Spencer lost his life as a result of injuries that had been caused to him by his owner.”
The full details of the ruling explained: “That 9th November 2024 at Windswept Valley View Estate, Lanner, Redruth, you did fail to take such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which you were responsible namely male Chihuahua type dog known as Spencer were met to the extent required by good practice in that you failed to meet the need to protect the animal from injury due to you inflicting blunt force trauma and physical violence upon the said dog, contrary to Section 9(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006”.