CONVICTED (2012) | Dean Andrew Edwards, born 22/04/1968, formerly of Smith House, Stoney Lane, Walsall and more recently 40 Ingot Close, Walsall WS2 7DD – battered his dog to death before hurling him 60ft off a block of flats in an attempt to cover up the attack
Dean Edwards beat his two-and-a-half-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Diesel so badly his internal organs suffered “catastrophic injuries”.
He then threw the body of the dog over his balcony at Smith House. The animal was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the ground by another resident of the tower block the next morning, and police and RSPCA were called.
Vicious Edwards claimed at the time that the first he knew of Diesel being on the ground was when he was alerted by a neighbour. He told the neighbour he thought the dog had been sleeping on his balcony and must have rolled off the edge.
But when Edwards’ flat was inspected “splatters” of blood were on the inside of the balcony, the floor and also on radiators.
Baseball and rounders bats were also seized and Edwards was arrested.
A post-mortem revealed that Diesel suffered a “blunt blow” to his chest, causing “massive injury” to his heart and surrounding arteries. He suffered no fractured bones and had limited bruising to his body because he was dead before falling from the balcony.
Edwards has been banned from keeping dogs for life after he was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Sentencing him, District Judge Michael Morris said: ‘I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt you struck a fatal blow to Diesel and attempted to throw Diesel to the ground to cover your actions.’
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: ‘We are pleased to hear Mr Edwards was convicted of the offences and the sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence.’
Sentence: six months in prison. Banned from keeping dogs for life