CONVICTED (2022) | Stephen Osman Agar, born c. 1967, previously of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and more recently Broad Lane, Kirkby – stabbed his neighbour’s black Labrador because he didn’t like him barking.
Agar was jailed for 26 weeks for his cruel attack on the dog, known as Sully, on November 6, 2021. The court heard Agar had complained to his neighbour on previous occasions about the noise Sully made when he barked. That day the woman said Agar had been banging on the ceiling to his flat.
At 5.55pm, Sully’s owner went to take her dog to meet a friend. As she approached the front door of the flats, Agar came out, saying: “What’s all the f***ing noise?” He began making jabbing motions towards Sully, who started yelping and trying to get away, the magistrates heard.
“I could see a large blade, about four or five inches – it looked like a large kitchen knife”, Sully’s owner said.
The woman’s friend, who she was going to meet, said she could hear a dog “screaming in pain”. She opened the door to the flats and saw her friend, who was calling the police and saying her dog had been stabbed.
Sully was taken to the vets where his wound was stitched. He was kept in overnight but made a full recovery.
Agar pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. He said he had a long history of noise problems at the property and had tried many avenues to address it, including contacting the housing association in Skelmersdale where they lived.
He said he was ashamed of what he had done and called the police himself to report the incident. Magistrates accepted he was suffering with mental health issues but said: “This was a deliberate attempt to cause suffering to an animal.
“A weapon was used against the dog and we believe there would be distress caused to the owner. We believe there is a danger to the public and the nature of the offence is so serious only an immediate sentence of custody is appropriate.”
Sentencing: jailed for 26 weeks. Disqualified from owning animals for five years.