#MostEvil | Russ Marriner, born 27 August 1964, and son Bill Marriner, born 28 September 2000, both of 25 St Patricks Way, Harrogate HG2 7NZ – subjected a terrified puppy to a savage prolonged beating, leaving him with a catalogue of horrific injuries

Police found the small white terrier, known as Ted, covered in blood and suffering from horrific injuries after he was attacked by father and son Russell and Bill Marriner.

The pair claimed Ted had attacked them but neither were able to show any injuries.

Police rushed to the property after receiving a call about a dog being beaten.

RSPCA Inspector Nikki Cheetham, who led the investigation for the animal welfare charity and attended with the police, said that when they arrived they could see Ted huddled behind the door with red patches on the laminate flooring which looked like blood.

She said: “Police finally managed to rouse a man who eventually opened the door and it became immediately apparent that the small dog, called Ted, was severely injured.

“He was covered in dried blood and he had a significant wound to the top of his head.

“Both the men claimed Ted had attacked them but neither of them was able to show any injuries.”

The officers found further blood-stains throughout the living room including on a blood-covered metal vegetable steamer, on an axe and blood smeared on a cardboard box.

These items were seized as evidence and Ted was signed over into the RSPCA’s care.

Insp Cheetham said: “Ted was not able to weight bear on his right hind leg so I picked him up and carried him to my van. When we arrived at the vets, I found Ted cowering at the back of the kennel.

“It took me several minutes to gain his trust.”

Vets found Ted had bruising to his upper lip, a fractured tooth and a wound affecting his gums as well as bruising to his tongue, left eye and pinnae of both ears.

After clipping his fur, the vet found small, circular wounds consistent with the pattern of holes on the metal vegetable steamer. Radiographs also revealed Ted had a dislocated hip.

The veterinary report said: “The injuries sustained are, in my opinion, consistent with assault and severe blunt force trauma.

“It takes a very significant amount of force to dislocate the hip and this is an extremely painful injury that can in some cases require hip surgery and can cause long term complications.

“In addition to physical pain, Ted was suffering from fear. He was nervous around humans and it took my colleagues and I time and care to build trust with him. The injuries sustained were severe, painful and caused a great deal of suffering.”

Eventually, Ted did not need hip surgery but he was placed on heavy medication until he got better.

Ted’s attackers admitted two animal welfare offences each, including inflicting injuries on him and failing to ensure he received appropriate veterinary care for his injuries contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The pup has since found a new home through the RSPCA’s York Animal Centre “where he will receive the love and attention that he deserves.”

Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months. Six-month alcohol treatment program. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

ExaminerLive

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Additional Information

Father and son are both musicians. Russ ‘Mazz’ Marriner was the bass player in a band called The Message and his son, who goes by the nickname Madz Marriner, is in Freezing Hot, which as of March 2021 appears to be defunct.