Owner convicted of killing his pet terrier
A dog owner has been convicted of killing his pet and throwing it from the balcony of his 15th floor flat.
Dean Edwards was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to his Staffordshire bull terrier following a two-day trial. The hearing was told the two-and-a-half year-old dog named Diesel suffered a "chest trauma" injury which caused "catastrophic" injuries to its heart and surrounding arteries.
The 44-year-old denied causing injury to the pet or throwing it over the balcony of the flat in Smith House in Stoney Lane, Bloxwich.
But he was convicted at Walsall Magistrates' Court on Friday and the hearing was adjourned until November 5 for reports.
The court was told the RSPCA and police were called after Diesel was found lying on the ground on November 15 last year.
During an inspection blood was found on the balcony and inside the flat.
Specialist vets said heavy bruising discovered on the dog was not consistent with a fall.
It was believed the animal was dead before it was found on the ground, said Mr Nick Sutton, prosecuting.
Edwards said the first he was aware of Diesel being on the ground was when he was awoken by the doorbell to his flat.
He said the dog had been sleeping on the balcony.
Mr Sarbjit Singh Lalli, defending, said that although baseball and roun-ders bats were seized from the flat but was nothing forensically linking them to Diesel.
But District Judge Michael Morris said: "The defendant struck a fatal blow to Diesel and attempted to throw Diesel to the ground to cover up."
