Man who hanged dog may face jail

Subject: Man who hanged dog may face jail Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:01 pm

A man who killed a dog by hanging it by its lead in woods in Keighley could be jailed, a magistrate has said.
Christopher Collyer, 25, said his mother, Mandy, told him to
"dump" Charlie, her brown and white springer spaniel, after she was
evicted.
Collyer, of Kings Crescent, Morecambe, Lancashire, was found
guilty at Bradford Magistrates' Court of causing unnecessary suffering
to the dog.
Sentence was adjourned and he was told all options were open, including jail.
The court heard he was looking after Charlie and a
Japanese akita while his parents moved into their new home in Keighley,
when they were told they could only keep one dog.
'Given away'
He claimed he was told to "dump" Charlie.
He denied killing the six-year-old dog and said he had instead
given him away to an unknown woman with another springer spaniel who he
met in a field near his parents' home.
Magistrates found him guilty of three charges of causing
unnecessary suffering to Charlie by hanging him, by failing to provide
treatment for a chronic skin condition and by failing to ensure the
animal's needs were met.
Shasta Asghar, chair of the bench, adjourned sentencing and told Collyer all options would be considered, including custody.
The court heard that his parents have pleaded guilty to two charges each of causing unnecessary suffering to Charlie.
They will be sentenced with their son at Bradford Magistrates' Court on 15 April.
Speaking after the verdict, the RSPCA inspector who found Charlie said it was the worst case he had seen in 15 years.
Inspector Dave Holgate said: "When I came across the dog hanging, it was a horrific scene.
"That poor dog must have suffered for a long time before it
eventually died because its feet were just touching the ground and I
hope the sentence will reflect my disgust."