Walsall dog owner jailed after throwing bull terrier from balcony
A dog owner has been jailed for six months after being convicted of killing his pet and throwing it from the balcony of his 15th-floor flat.
Dean Edwards was also banned from keeping any dog for life and ordered to pay £1,000 costs for causing the unnecessary suffering to his Staffordshire bull terrier following a two-day trial last month.
The court heard how he brutally beat two-and-a-half year-old Diesel inside the flat and then threw him over the balcony to "cover his actions". The animal suffered chest trauma which caused catastrophic injuries to his heart and surrounding arteries.
The RSPCA and police were called after the dog was found lying on the ground in Stoney Lane on November 15 last year. Edwards denied causing an injury to the pet or throwing it over the balcony of his flat in Smith House but was convicted following the trial.
Fatal
The 44-year-old was yesterday sentenced to 26 week weeks in jail at Walsall Magistrates Court.
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."
An appeal against the conviction and sentence was lodged and will now go to Wolverhampton Crown Court. The trial was told that during an inspection of Edwards property, blood was found on the balcony and inside the flat.
Mr Nick Sutton, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said it was believed the animal was dead before it was found on the ground.
Mr Sarbjit Singh Lalli, defending, said that although baseball and rounders bats were seized from the flat, nothing forensically linked them to Diesel.
