#MostEvil | Joel Samuel Finley, born 23 November 1990, previously of Failsworth, Manchester and as of December 2021 living at Clifton Road, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 2SF – beat a gentle dog around the head and threw him in the canal
Dingo was beaten and thrown in the canal by his former owner Finley – a British Army soldier. He was left with serious head injuries and suspected hypothermia.
Vet Darragh Kavanagh, who was called in to treat the poorly animal at the Hillcrest Animal Hospital in Chorley, said: “Dingo had been beaten with a blunt object. He had three fractures to his head and skull and we could see he had suffered a beating to his chest because had air trapped in his lung and had to have the air drained.
“He was suffering hypothermia from being in the canal in the middle of February.
“He was in a very distressed state and had marks to his face.
“He is such a nice dog. I know in my heart he never put up a fight at all. I can see from his gentle and friendly character he would have just taken it.
“It’s horrible to see what happened to him. People who live locally have said he was left all day, sometimes tied up in lashing rain. He had no love.
“He has been rehomed with a nice family so he can be a normal, happy dog – his whole life has changed.”
Police were called to an address on Smith Street, Adlington, to reports of banging and howling coming from the property.
There was no answer at the door, but as police were outside the house Finley approached the property with the cross-breed dog. He told police he did not live there and left again, still carrying Dingo, who was wet and bleeding. But officers followed him towards the canal and he eventually admitted it was his address.
Finley said he had given him a ‘crack’ and thrown him in the canal to “discipline it” for soiling in the house. The police seized Dingo, who was unable to move, and took him to Hillcrest Animal Hospital where he was put on a drip.
It later transpired Finley was producing cannabis at the property. He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and producing a class-B drug.
Sentence: £1,172.31 compensation for Dingo’s vets bills and a £60 surcharge. Banned from keeping dogs for five years (expired May 2021).