CONVICTED (2021) | Loizos Ydraiou, born September 1998, of Arboretum Avenue, Lincoln LN2 5JE – subjected his dog to a violent attack which included attempted strangulation.
Ydraiou, who works as a chef, was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence and disqualified from keeping all animals for five years, after inflicting violence on a dog — including strangling him.
An expert vet said in their report that when they examined Oscar he had bloodshot eyes. He also demonstrated pain on manipulation of his neck, and there was tenderness and swelling around the throat.
The fur around Oscar’s neck was shaved to enable it to be examined further, and the vet found bruising over his laryngeal area.
Ydraiou pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a lurcher dog by inflicting violence resulting in physical and mental trauma.
The court heard the RSPCA was provided with a video which appeared to show Oscar being strangled. RSPCA Inspector Laura Jones attended the location on April 16, 2021, with a signed vet certificate along with the police.
They met with the defendant who had the dog and the police took the dog into their possession. Oscar was then taken to a vet for examination.
RSPCA Inspector Jones said: “The male appears to remove some sort of cord from the top of his garden fence metal railing, he appears to wrap this cord around both his hands and pull it taught between his hands.
“It was about a foot in length when pulled taught between the male’s fists.
“He then enters a brick shed type outbuilding, you hear a dog yelp and bark from inside this outbuilding, then the male lifts a black smooth haired dog with white chest markings off its feet by its throat from out of the outbuilding and swings its full body weight mid air by its neck.
“I could clearly hear the dog gurgle and make a definite choking noise.
“The male then places the dog on to the ground in a sitting position still with his hands around the dog’s throat.
“The male straddles the dog from behind using his body to restrain the dog, he looks to be squeezing the dog’s throat area with both hands with force.
“This male then removes his left hand, the dog is now quiet, the male then lowers the dog’s head to the ground, the dog appears motionless.”
The vet said although the video shows Oscar suffering for only a short period of time, they did not feel this diminishes the act of cruelty he suffered.
The vet’s report stated: “It is my professional opinion that Oscar was caused to suffer firstly through being carried by his neck and then through the application of pressure to his throat.
“The sound Oscar makes after he has been moved outside and immediately prior to his dropping to the ground are hard to listen to and thankfully not often heard, but are consistent with him having an obstructed airway.
“Oscar appeared to be being strangled and in my opinion this would have been both painful and terrifying.”
Oscar has since been signed over to the care of the RSPCA and has now found a loving new home.
Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months; 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days; 100 hours of unpaid work; total of £528 costs and charges. Five-year ban (expires November 2026).
