CONVICTED (2017) | Dariusz Jakimowicz (aka Darek Kuba), born 21 December 1981, of Havelock Road, Luton LU2 – caught on camera brutally punching his German Shepherd puppy in the face and body and battering him with a pole.
Neighbours of Dariusz Jakimowicz described hearing ‘whipping noises’ coming from his home on a daily basis as the dog, Zeus, ‘screamed’ out in pain.
A woman who recorded the abuse on her mobile phone told Luton Magistrates’ Court that she ‘heard a puppy crying and in distress’ after she moved next door.
She said: ‘I own a dog myself and I know the difference between a playful noise and the sound of a dog in pain or distress.
‘I would hear the dog sounding in pain or distress on a regular basis. As a result I decided to try and capture what was happening on my mobile phone.
‘I heard a whipping noise and a dog crying out of my window and I saw a male with a large plastic stick in the rear of a property near my own.
‘I saw the man advance towards him with the stick twice and heard whipping noises and heard the dog cry out.
‘It was a high pitched cry and it is a sound I never want to hear again.
A second video shown to the court, taken by another neighbour, showed Zeus cowering in front of a large hole in a garden fence and being punched by Jakimowicz.
In a statement read to the court, the female neighbour said: ‘I was in my bedroom and I heard a dog crying.
‘I went to my bedroom window and saw a man I know to be my neighbour with a dog, a German Shepherd.
‘He was standing side on to me so I could see his face and easily identify him as my neighbour.
‘I watched the man holding the dog by the scruff of his neck and I saw him hit the dog in the body area and punch him with clenched fists.
‘The male punched the dog 10 to 15 times. The dog responded by crying out, he wasn’t fighting back.
‘We could heard the dog crying out on an almost daily basis.’
Speaking about the second video, RSPCA inspector Mel Fisher said: “He was punching Zeus so hard that he was shaking and rubbing his fist afterwards because it hurt his hand. He admitted in interview that he did this because he lost his temper. Thankfully Zeus wasn’t left with any long-lasting injuries from this incident.
“Additionally, he was using a pinch collar to walk Zeus, which is a horrific medieval-looking training device which pinches the dog’s skin when they pull on the lead. Wearing this collar would have caused Zeus pain while walking. It is certainly not a training method which is recommended.”
Jakimowicz initially denied using any excessive force against his pet but when confronted with the video evidence eventually admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Zeus, by inflicting physical abuse and blunt force trauma.
Sentencing:
12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. 100 hours of unpaid work. A total of £626.80 in costs and charges. Five-year ban on keeping animals (expired January 2022).