Dad-of-two jailed for horrific death of dog (From The Northern Echo)
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Paul Hinton jailed for horrific death of dog
8:31am Friday 8th October 2010 in Animal Watch By Chris Fay, Reporter (Sedgefield)
DOG ABUSE: Paul Hinton
A FATHER-OF-TWO has been jailed for 18 weeks after he admitted binding a stray dog’s muzzle shut and beating it to death.
Police and RSPCA officers described Paul Hinton’s actions as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty they had ever come across.
The 35-year-old, from Darlington, appeared before magistrates yesterday to admit five charges of neglect and cruelty.
Kevin Campbell, prosecuting, said Hinton’s former landlord found the dog in Hargreave Terrace, in the town, on April 1, a month after it died.
Mr Campbell said Hinton, a 35-year-old unemployed joiner, tied the brown cross-breed dog’s muzzle shut, leaving it unable to regulate its body temperature by panting.
The dog died of impaired breathing and a heart attack as a result of a traumatic injury.
It was either kicked or beaten in the head, spine, tail, left hind leg and abdomen.
Hinton admitted failing to meet the needs of the dog, causing unnecessary suffering by tying its muzzle, hitting it and cruelly ill-treating it.
Chris Bunting, in mitigation, told magistrates Hinton took the dog in because it appeared malnourished and was scavenging in bins.
However, when it twice bit one of his sons, Hinton, who has since moved to Pensbury Street, Darlington, tied the animal up to protect his family.
Mr Bunting said: “Mr Hinton took the dog under his wing with distorted, but wellmeaning intentions, and things went wrong very quickly.”
Hinton was banned from keeping animals for life.
An application for bail pending an appeal against the sentence was denied.
Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Garry Palmer said: “What this dog went through is the stuff of nightmares. Thinking about that has caused many a sleepless night for me.
“The premeditated nature of what happened here makes it one of the most shocking cases I have ever dealt with. It was horrific.”
Comments(15)
HPBD
says...
10:29am Fri 8 Oct 10
annapiela wrote:1/3 reduction due to an early guilty plea.
The monster deserves jail - but why wasn't he given the full penalty for the cruelty to animals charge, 6 months in jail? What are the extenuating circumstances that prevented the judge from giving the full penalty to this excrement of a man?
Liz Hill
says...
11:59am Fri 8 Oct 10
Ian James
says...
12:20pm Fri 8 Oct 10
entitled opinion
says...
3:41pm Fri 8 Oct 10
Assurance
says...
6:37pm Fri 8 Oct 10
No punishment within the power of the courts is sufficient to be dealt to this kind of man. What is it within them that gives satisfaction from torturing one of God's creatures to death?
beaharrison
says...
6:51pm Fri 8 Oct 10
this countries judicial system is a joke. just own up and everything is forgiven. its comparable to when you were a teenager and your dad caught you smoking!
jp62
says...
7:28pm Fri 8 Oct 10
cj-dog
says...
8:52pm Fri 8 Oct 10
Although HPBD gave a muted response.
The sentence was not long enough. There is no mitigation.
I cannot fully describe the revulsion I feel for this cruel bully because the Echo would delete it or send the police to my door.
network
says...
8:31am Sat 9 Oct 10
Ms angry
says...
6:02pm Sat 9 Oct 10
up for a lot longer than Six Months ,
if he can do this to an Animal just
think what he could do to a Human
Being.
He should be assessed as a potential
danger to people not just Animals.
C'mom throw away the Key.
dadooron
says...
10:01am Sun 10 Oct 10
Trial and Error
says...
7:19pm Tue 12 Oct 10
Ian James wrote:Do you like the thought of that Ian ?
I hope he gets it right up the arse, off a big, fat, sausage jockey!!!!!! yeha, yeha, yeha!!!!! lol.
Linda_Evans
says...
3:32am Sun 17 Oct 10
You want to do something about animal abuse, then Petition our 'caring' Government.
There is a Petition against animal abuse here -
http://www.petitiono
nline.com/mod_perl/s
igned.cgi?csjf4&1
beccabrew
says...
2:13pm Sun 17 Oct 10
Nick Scott wrote:I agree with u nick scott, he thinks hes a big hard man an he aint, hes scum of the earth hurting tht poor dog, disgusting wot people do, 18 wks is tht it? an thts disgusting n all, tht not a sentance he should get life an a big fine, an never 2 own an animal ever agen!!!!!!!! wot goes around **** around hard man an u will get it i hope u do!!!!!!
Big hard man, beating up a dog. Hope he enjoys jail.
annapiela says...
9:59am Fri 8 Oct 10