Dog assaulted after soiling jacket

[Nwicker60]

Incident was a one-off sheriff told at Wick court

GILES Humphries lost his temper after his dog urinated on his jacket in the back seat of his car.
He stopped the vehicle, grabbed the Staffordshire terrier, named Saffi, by its collar, and kicked it, Wick Sheriff Court heard today.
Jobless Humphries, of 34 Princes Street, Thurso, admitted ill-treating the animal and was fined £300.
Witnesses to the incident, on March 9, in Campbell Street, Thurso, who were unaware of the accused’s motive, felt that, whatever wrong the terrier had done, such chastisement had “gone too far”, said senior fiscal depute, David Barclay.
He told the court that when seen by the police, Humphries, 31, readily admitted what he had done and was remorseful. The terrier was found to be timid but good-natured. A check by an SSPCA inspector revealed that Saffi was healthy and well-cared for, in acceptable surroundings.
Mr Barclay added: “The general view was that the accused was not someone who mal-treated his pet but that the offence had been a case where he had briefly allowed his temper to get the better of him.” Humphries was allowed to continue keeping his pet.
The court heard that the penalty for such offences was a fine up to £20,000 or a year in jail.