A Malmesbury man has denied seriously injuring his girlfriend’s two dogs.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning (25 April), Dean Callum Parkes, 26, pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
RSPCA prosecutor Matthew Knight alleged that the defendant, of Orwell Close, inflicted blunt force trauma on two dachshunds on or before Christmas Eve 2021.
One of the dogs is said to have sustained a fractured tail and pelvis, whilst the other sustained a fractured pelvis and ribs – believed to have been caused by kicking or punching.
Mr Knight said that the pets would have been in “extreme pain and distress”, with an expert witness claiming their injuries were the same as what they could sustain in a road traffic collision.
His then-girlfriend and co-defendant, Fae Prangle, 27, also appeared in court charged with failing to promptly take the injured dogs – which she owned – to a vet. She denies the allegation.
Mr Knight claims Prangle, of Easton Square, Malmesbury, did not take her dogs for treatment until weeks after they suffered harm. He alleges that she would have been aware of their injuries.
He described Parkes’ alleged crime as a “prolonged” and “intentional attack on an animal causing serious injuries”, and asked the case to be sent to a crown court.
But defence solicitor Nigel Weller argued the case is suitable to be dealt with by magistrates.
The bench accepted jurisdiction but warned the defendants that if they are found guilty, the case could be sent to a crown court for sentencing.
The pair will next appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in May for a case management hearing.
