Stockport Express

Animal ban for man who kicked a dog

- ALEX SCAPENS alex.scapens@menmedia.co.uk @AlexScapen­sMEN

HORRIFYING CCTV footage shows how a man violently kicked a stranger’s defenceles­s dog in the head while it was tied up outside a shop.

Darren Losty, 38, from Adswood, ‘took out his anger’ on the pet beagle named Izzy outside the One Stop Shop, on Bramhall Lane, Davenport.

The moment was caught on camera and Stockport Magistrate­s Court heard Losty was then apprehende­d by members of the public who had seen what happened.

In an RSPCA prosecutio­n he admitted causing unnecessar­y suffering to a dog and was banned from owning or having contact with an animal for five years.

Kevin Worthingto­n, prosecutin­g, said: “He was seen running forward towards the dog and kicking it with considerab­le force in the head. The dog let out a yelp.

“The dog would have been caused considerab­le pain and suffering, it was an unprovoked attack. The defendant said he just wanted to hit out at something and the dog was the nearest thing.”

Losty, of Culvert Road, was given a 12 month community punishment order with an activity requiremen­t and must pay £580 costs - including £480 for a vet’s report.

Following the attack the owner of four-year-old Izzy, Danielle Duce, said she could not understand why someone would attack her dog.

She said: “I go to the shop every single day, and every time I take Izzy with me and she waits for me outside. I was inside paying when suddenly I heard Izzy yelp loudly.

“I’m just shocked. Thankfully Izzy is fine but I can’t understand why anyone would do this.”

Defending Alia Khokhar said Losty had drug and mental health problems including schizophre­nia.

She added: “He has been remorseful and said, ‘I don’t know what came over me.’

“He accepts he saw the dog and took out his anger. He was having hallucinat­ions of people coming towards him.”

It was said Izzy would have been caused pain by the kick but was not seriously injured.

In sentencing, chairman of the bench John Davis said: “This was a gratuitous and unprovoked attack which we take very seriously but we also take into considerat­ion your mental health issues.”

Speaking after the case Inspector Andy Harris, from the RSPCA, said: “The prosecutio­n is to protect the public and their pets, there has got to be some action to prevent it from happening again.

“You should be able to tie your dog up outside a shop without fear that something like this might happen.”

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 ??  ?? ●●Darren Losty
●●Darren Losty

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