A Worcestershire man has been jailed for eight months for causing unnecessary suffering to his dog by cutting his throat with a knife.
David William Betley, 58, of Mill Avenue, Broadway, appeared at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, October 11.
He was sentenced to eight months in prison – four months for each count consecutively – after pleading guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, after an RSPCA prosecution.
He admitted that he failed to get veterinary treatment for his 17-year-old Staffie, Pincher, who was suffering from weight loss and osteoarthritis, and that he’d killed him by cutting his throat with a knife.
Betley was also disqualified from keeping all animals for life and was ordered to pay costs of £350 and a victim surcharge of £187.
The RSPCA was contacted on 21 February to reports of a dog being attacked in Mill Avenue, Broadway, a village in the Cotswolds.
Animal Rescue Officer Freya Lamb responded to the call and, due to the nature of the incident that had been reported, called police for assistance.
In her witness statement, she said:…
