CONVICTED (2016) | Steven Cook, born 03/07/1977, of Greenhill Crescent, Daventry NN11 9BL – repeatedly stabbed a young Shih-Tzu with a kitchen knife in the face, neck and body, causing fatal injuries.
Cook inflicted a number of stab wounds on the dog, known as Ronnie, after taking him to local Spider Park. The court heard Cook “lost the plot” after Ronnie supposedly “went for” his newborn baby daughter and then bit him.
Janita Patel, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the dog was found by a member of the public in the park shortly before 8pm on August 23, 2015.
Ms Patel said Cook had been seen walking out of the park with “blood on his hands” and all over his shins and socks.
The court heard Ronnie, who was still breathing despite suffering severe blood loss, was taken to a vets in Northampton for treatment.
They heard Ronnie had a collar around his neck with a phone number and contact was eventually made with Cook’s father-in-law who attended the vets. The father-in-law was told the cost of treating Ronnie’s wounds was likely to be £2,500 to £3,000 and he made the decision, on his son-in-law’s behalf, to have the dog put down.
Ronnie suffered 10 wounds to his body, including a fractured skull, fractured leg and multiple stab wounds.
In December 2015 Cook pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and in January 2016 was sent to jail to serve a pathetic 12-week sentence.
Sentence: sentenced to 12 weeks in jail. Disqualified from keeping animals for life.