Man Who Punched Dog in Face Described it as ‘Training’

Published on October 22, 2008 by Jennifer White · 2 Comments

A man told onlookers that he was only ‘training’ a dog whilst repeatedly punching his girlfriend’s West Highland Terrier in the face.

As reported by a Scottish Newspaper, onlookers called police to the children’s play area, where they had seen Stephen Carey first attack the West Highland Terrier. They told police Carey 43, ‘Picked up the dog by its neck and hit it 3 times as it screamed and yelped in pain’.

Carey and his girlfriend Karen Meehan 40, and his two children went to visit the children’s play area in Inch Park, Edinburgh on 3rd August. It was reported that shortly after arriving, the Terrier called Charlie began to play fight with a Labrador, whose owner called to Casey to keep control of his pet.

After exchanging angry words to the Labrador’s owner, Casey called over Charlie and that’s when the attack began.

The Scottish Newspaper reports that Annette Macbeath who was leaving the local community centre with a colleague and two children, thought initially Casey was calling over the Terrier to comfort it.

Mrs Macbeath said “He bent down, picked him up by the scruff of the neck and punched it to the head and body. The dog was screaming and shaking. He threw the dog to the floor and kicked it. It was disgusting.”

A source said that Mrs Macbeath approached the violent Casey and told him to shop attacking the animal. He shouted and swore at her and told her to mind her own business and that he was ‘training the dog’.

At a trail on the 20th October in Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Carey was found guilty of breech of the peace and causing unnecessary bodily harm. Carey denied hitting the dog and claimed he tapped it twice on the nose for bad behaviour and attacking another dog. Ms Meehan spoke of the dog as having bad behaviour and denied allowing Carey to punch it.

Carey was found guilty of the offences by Sheriff Mackie.

He spoke of the attack ”I have on one hand an account of you holding up the dog by the scruff of the neck and punching him on the head. I cannot see how the witness could have been confused about what you were doing if they clearly saw the dog being lifted into the air and hit”.

The sheriff said he could not see why the witness would come into the court and lie and found Casey guilty and fined him £1, 250 for attacking the dog.