CONVICTED (2021) | Malachy Doherty, born c. 1984, of Metcalfe Road, Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 7AZ – stole a couple’s pet dogs from outside a shop

The disappearance of Labradors Denzel and Welly sparked a massive reaction on social media as thousands of people shared an appeal for information. That led to a tip-off, with police officers tracking down the dogs three days later to Tunstall.

A neighbour had seen the pets and had become suspicious.

Malachy Doherty was arrested and went on to plead guilty to theft and failing to surrender to bail. He was sentenced to 27 weeks in prison.

His teenage accomplice, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of theft following a trial held in his absence. A court warrant has now been issued for the youth’s arrest.

Bernice Campbell, prosecuting, said the dogs’ owner Dale Robson had been walking them through Nantwich town centre on March 27, 2020.

He popped into M&S and left Denzel and Welly tied up outside. Mr Robson returned a couple of minutes later to find they were missing.

Store staff alerted the police, who also gathered CCTV footage from the scene. It showed the two offenders running away with the dogs.

The 14-year-old subsequently texted someone offering two dogs for sale, although he later claimed they were different pets.

The court was told it had been an ‘opportunistic’ crime as they had chanced upon the Labradors.

In a statement read out at the hearing, Mr Robson said: “I cannot believe that someone can be so heartless as to steal two dogs who are members of the family.”

His friends helped scour the area for the dogs, aged seven and eight. But the pets had completely vanished.

They were later found safe and well at the address and have since been reunited with their family. Doherty said he had never intended to sell on the dogs and wanted to simply keep them as pets. He claimed he had no knowledge of his accomplice’s text.

He had asked his 28-year-old wife Mary Doherty to look after them at home. In court, she admitted handling stolen goods and her case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report.

Colin Drew, representing the couple, said they had experienced a torrent of social media abuse since they were linked with the theft of the dogs. He claimed that Malachy Docherty had even tried to take his own life.

“He has been very, very emotionally disturbed in relation to this,” added Mr Drew.

“The dogs were returned in good condition. Mary Doherty was looking after them well – maybe too well. It appears one of the dogs had put on a bit of weight. They were both being walked and fed.”

District Judge Nick Sanders described the dog-napping as an ‘abominable offence’.

He said: “This is not theft of a push bike. It’s the theft of two family pets. I cannot begin to imagine the distress you caused that family.”

Sentencing: 27 weeks in prison; £1,000 in compensation to the dogs’ owner; a total of £1058 in costs and charges. He was given an extra week in jail for breaching the terms of a previous court sentence.

Stoke Sentinel