CONVICTED (2022) | Kevin Paul McCabe, born c. 1997, of Lough Court, Gateshead NE9 6RP – caught on camera kicking the dog he claimed was his “best friend”.
Unaware he was being filmed, career crook Kevin McCabe twice used his foot to attack the Boxer, called “Cruise”, and was seen repeatedly shouting at him as he walked down the street with a friend.
Footage played to a court showed McCabe calmly walking the dog on a lead down Clayton Street, in Newcastle city centre, before he suddenly lashed out.
CCTV operatives witnessed the attack and phoned the police, who later arrested McCabe and seized Cruise.
McCabe, who has an address at Lough Court, in Gateshead, but prefers to live on the streets, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Lillian Yanes Hellevick, prosecuting, said police were called to Clayton Street by CCTV operatives on June 7, 2022, after they’d witnessed McCabe attacking his dog.
Ms Yanes Hellevik continued: “On the CCTV, you can see the defendant walking along with a friend. The dog is on a lead. The dog is walking alongside him. The defendant twice turns and kicks the dog.
“On regular intervals, he can be seen hanging over the dog and shouting at it. The defendant claimed the dog had bitten him but there’s no suggestion on the CCTV footage that the dog had bitten the defendant. It seemed he was walking along calmly at all times.”
The court heard that it was was a “deliberate and gratuitous” kick of Cruise by McCabe, who has 48 offences on his record.
Lewis Pearson, defending, said McCabe had been “chastising” the dog after he’d bitten him, adding: “He lives on the street. His dog is an eight-month-old Boxer called Cruise – that’s his only friend. However, Cruise can be naughty and takes some controlling.”
McCabe appeared visibly upset when he was told Cruise was being permanently removed from his care and would be re-homed as part of his punishment.
Sentencing | 12-month community order. No mention of a ban. Deprivation order on Cruise.