Man caught on camera violently abusing landlord’s dogs
AMAN who was caught on camera violently abusing his landlord’s dogs in Bristol – causing them to yelp and scream in pain – has been sentenced to a 10-year animal ban and a suspended prison sentence.
Michal Kulesza, now of Aviemore, Scotland, was sentenced to a total of 42 weeks in custody, suspended for two years, and disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years when he appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court.
The RSPCA prosecuted Kulesza after they were handed 25 video clips – taken in just two days – showing the repeated abuse of two terrified dogs.
The court heard how Kulesza moved in as a lodger into his landlord’s home in Chepstow Road, Bristol, in December 2021. Also in the home were two Jack Russell dogs belonging to his live-in landlord, three-year-old Rocky, and seven-year-old Sonia.
RSPCA solicitor Lindi Meyer said: “Kulesza was not known to his landlord before this time. However soon after he moved in it was noticed that the dogs had started to behave differently and appeared nervous around the defendant.
“As a result, the landlord installed CCTV in the kitchen and the living room and informed the defendant he was doing so. On March 29 he was able to download and view footage which showed Kulesza violently abusing his little dogs on a number of occasions.”
Kulesza was immediately told to leave and his landlord contacted the animal welfare charity.
RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield was shown two pieces of the CCTV footage which showed Kulesza repeatedly punching Rocky resulting in him yelping and screaming.
In one of the clips, the dogs are in their bed in a corner to the left of a large fridge. Kulesza can be heard shouting and Rocky comes in and gets on the bed. Kulesza enters, kneels in front of the dog on the bed and raises his arm with a clenched fist. He then brings it down on Rocky with considerable force four times, before changing his swing and punching the dog a further seven times.
In another clip he is filmed kicking Rocky.
Additional clips capture the dogs yelping, screaming, and being repeatedly struck by Kulesza.
In none of the clips are the dogs misbehaving in any way.
During interview, Kulesza, who pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences in court, said he was unable to explain or justify his actions, describing himself as being in a rage and state of heightened anxiety and that the dogs had done nothing to him.
He later said in court he was grieving his girlfriend who had died in a car accident five years ago in his homeland.
Solicitor Lindi Meyer added: “This was a particularly nasty case in which two helpless dogs were needlessly physically and mentally abused. The physical and mental suffering the dogs were subjected was blatantly unnecessary and avoidable. Rocky was subjected to and suffered repeatedly from acute pain and some of this would become more chronic – and the tail pull injury would have been particularly painful.
“He suffered from persistent high levels of stress and anxiety due to the physical as well as the violent verbal abuse directed at him.”
As well as the suspended sentence Kulesza was also ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days and must pay £200 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.