CONVICTED (2018) | Yousef Jouichat, born c. 1988 and Ameer Khan, born c. 1996, both of Pickering Court, Jarrow NE32 3JJ – starved a dog to death at their home
Brothers Yousef Jouichat and Ameer Khan mistreated their three-year-old female American bulldog for at least two months. The animal, named Liner, was left skeletal and with a chronic skin complaint and overgrown nails.
RSPCA officers said the brothers were caught when they took the already dead dog to a vet to inquire about having her cremated.
The vet grew suspicious of their account and called in RSPCA inspectors, one of whom described Liner’s condition as the worst she had seen.
Magistrates heard the pair claimed they had been visiting relatives in Cardiff during the two months leading up to the dog’s death and that they had entrusted her upkeep to a man named Ali, who they had met on a football pitch.
Neil Taylor, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court their accounts differed, and they could not further identify the man they accused.
He said: “It’s a pretty clear case of neglect. Over a prolonged period they starved an American bulldog named Liner to death.
“They claimed the dog was a fussy eater which had lost and gained weight intermittently.
The vet was concerned and also noticed the dog’s nails were overgrown.”
He added: “They made up a story that they had left it in the care of another person whose name was Ali, who they had met on a football pitch.
“It’s the prosecution case that they couldn’t afford medication and that Mr Ali didn’t exist and that they starved the dog to death and did so with no remorse.”
Chef Khan and jobless Jouichat both pleaded guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure its needs were met. The charges relate to a period between September 2 and October 2, 2017, the day the dog was taken to Blythman and Partners vets.
Speaking about the case RSPCA inspector Rachael Hurst said: “This is the worst case of cruelty I’ve seen in my five years with the RSPCA.
“The dog was like a skeleton, it was skin and bones, and the smell was horrendous.
“It must have suffered terribly, and I can’t imagine the level of suffering this dog has gone through before it died.
“We don’t know why they did it. There were no calls of concern around this dog.”
District Judge Roger Elsey said: “It clearly is a serious case. It merits punishment, and if you had any previous convictions it would be a custodial sentence.”
Sentencing:
Khan: 18-month community sentence with 200 hours of unpaid work and 15-day rehabilitation requirements. Total of £385 costs and charges. Lifetime ban on keeping animals with no right of appeal for 15 years.
Jouichat: 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months; 100 hours of unpaid work with 20-day rehabilitation requirement. Total of £415 costs and charges. Lifetime ban on keeping animals with no right of appeal for 15 years.