Elderly dog gets launched over a gate by cruel Liverpool owner in disturbing CCTV video from RSPCA

This was the moment when a Liverpool man launched his elderly pet dog over a gate, which led to him being banned from keeping pets for five years.

CCTV shows self-employed gardener Kieran O’Connor throwing the animal into a garden, instead of opening the gate so he could walk in.

Dog falls over

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier can be seen in the footage falling on his side and stumbling up as O'Connor lets himself into the garden through the gate.

Liverpool & Knowsley Magistrates’ Court was told the RSPCA investigated the case after a worried member of the public forwarded the clip on.

Sentenced

At sentencing on July 2 he was also given a community order which involves 26 programme requirement days and ordered to pay costs of £500 and a victim surcharge of £114.

Accompanied by a colleague and a Merseyside Police officer, she got no answer by knocking the door, but could see Prince through a window, sitting on the front room sofa.

The police officer who was with her called the defendant’s number - which was advertised on his trailer parked outside - but he refused to attend the address.

Dog taken into RSPCA care

After waiting 25 minutes, the officer gained entry to the property using a search warrant, and Prince was taken into RSPCA care.

She said Prince had “ideal body condition”, was “bright, alert and active” and showed “no obvious signs of distress”.

When she spoke to the defendant the following day, he claimed he was “putting his dog over the fence” because his neighbours had accused Prince of attacking their dogs.

A vet at RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital who viewed the footage, said it began with Prince being walked on a lead towards a gate by a man.

Dog ‘looked confused’

Her report added that “instead of opening the gate” he was seen “picking up the dog and forcefully throwing it on the other side of the gate.

“The dog has fallen down on its side/back” and “looks very confused on the video, it takes a few seconds for it to get up.”

The vet signed a Veterinary Certificate supporting Prince’s removal from the house and at the surgery, he was given pain relief.

Although a full examination revealed that he had not sustained any fractures, the vet said he had been put through unnecessary distress and suffering.

Court order to remove dog

After the hearing, Inspector Goodman said: “The most surprising thing about this case is that Kieran did not seem to understand that what he did was wrong.

“This attitude meant that he would not sign Prince over to us - even when the prosecution had run its course.

“We had to obtain an order from the court to make sure we could take him into our care and get him into a safe and secure environment.”