A Chippenham man who killed his ’emotional support’ puppy after inflicting ‘catastrophic injuries’ with a kick has avoided prison.
Kieren Holford previously pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, and returned for sentence at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 21 August.
RSPCA prosecutor Matthew Knight said Daisy – a four-month-old sprocker spaniel – had been kicked with such force that it caused “catastrophic injuries” which resulted in death.
The pet suffered direct trauma to her chest, resulting in collapsed lungs and a haematoma on the heart. She also sustained a fractured canine tooth.
The 21-year-old, of Roman Way, Chippenham, failed failed to seek swift treatment for Daisy, who was bleeding from the mouth. When his girlfriend returned home later, the puppy was still breathing and the pair took her to a vet.
He told staff at the practice that he had been washing Daisy in the shower when she bit and chased him. He claimed that he pushed her away with his foot then used his foot to hold her down on the floor to get her calm.
Mr Knight told the court the dog’s injuries were inconsistent with the vet being told there was no kick, and the injuries were “symptomatic of an abrupt forceful blow”.
The prosecutor added that Daisy would have been struggling to breathe because of lung injuries, so being pinned to the floor for a period of time would have resulted in further suffering.
The court was told that the four-month-old sprocker spaniel was a “small young puppy who was of no risk or threat” to Holford.
Luke Jameson, defending, said his client had experienced “severe physical and emotional abuse as a child”, and suffers from complex post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute depression, anxiety and agoraphobia.
He said that the defendant – described as a “vulnerable person” who intended for the puppy to be his emotional support dog – panicked and reacted because he thought the puppy was fighting him, accepting that he kicked out at her once.
Mr Jameson applied for a reporting restriction to prohibit the press from publishing Holford’s name and address. It was granted, thus a sentencing update could not be published at the time.
However, with the support of media law expert Charlie Moloney, Wiltshire 999s challenged the order as unlawful and the court agreed. At a hearing today (Friday), Swindon Magistrates’ Court reopened the case and removed the reporting restriction.
Holford was sentenced to an 18-month community order, with the requirement to complete 140 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service. He must also undertake 12 sessions of mental health treatment through Turning Point.
He was disqualified from owning or keeping animals for ten years, and must wait a minimum of four years before he can apply to have the order discharged.
Due to his lack of means, the defendant does not have to pay a fine or the RSPCA’s prosecution costs of £2,655.43. The RSPCA will instead be reimbursed their costs from central funds.
