Thugs who hammered nail into blind and deaf dog’s head before burying it alive jailed as cheers erupt in court
The RSPCA has now called for tougher sentences for those found guilty of animal cruelty charges
TWO men who buried a dog alive after hammering a nail into its head have been sentenced to four months behind bars - with the verdict met with cheers from campaigners.
Friends Michael Heathcock, 59, and Richard Finch, 60, plotted to kill Heathcock's pet terrier Scamp after the elderly animal became incontinent, lost the use of its back legs and went deaf.
Handing down the sentence, chairman of the bench Frances Linsley said: "This was a barbaric act which was premeditated and caused untold suffering to the dog Scamp."
The pair were banned from keeping animals for life, with animal rights campaigners outside the court cheering at the news.
The court had earlier heard that one vet described the attack as one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he had ever seen.
The court heard how the two men took the dog to Kirkleatham Woods, near Redcar and used a claw hammer to hit a nail into his skull.
Scamp could have been hit up to six times with a hammer before the pair left him for dead in an ivy-covered shallow grave with the five inch nail protruding from his head.
Dog walkers, who were alerted to the grave after hearing a noise, eventually uncovered Scamp and took him to a vet before calling the police.
But the 16-year-old dog's injuries were so severe that he had to be put down.
At an earlier hearing Richard Finch and lan Heathcock pleaded guilty to animal cruelty offences.
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The RSPCA has now called for tougher sentences for those found guilty of animal cruelty charges, with David Bowles, head of external affairs at the RSPCA, saying: "Scamp’s ordeal was horrific and heartbreaking and the sentence handed out to his killers will upset and anger animal lovers.
"This terrible case is the perfect illustration as to why we need to give magistrates and judges powers to give tougher sentences for the most appalling cases of cruelty and neglect.
"The magistrate gave the longest sentence they could after taking time off for guilty pleas. It’s possible they will only end up serving eight weeks."
The court earlier heard arguments from John Ellwood, prosecuting, who said that Heathcock and Finch had handed themselves in following adverse publicity and outrage on social media.
He said Finch got the idea of using a nail to kill the dog after watching a TV show where an animal was killed with a bolt gun.
Mr Elwood said: "They thought they were doing the right thing and putting him out of his misery but it went wrong.
"Finch said he told Heathcock to get the dog put down and kept pressuring him but was told it cost £300 to put him to sleep.
"After saying they would do it themselves, they took him to Kirkleatham woods with Heathcock carrying him, they took a claw hammer and a nail.
"Heathcock would drive the nail through the dog's skull, that was their plan."
Mr Elwood said the pair had kept watch for some time after the savage attack, adding: "They said reason they kept a lookout was to make sure nobody saw them as people would think it was barbaric."
The pair said 'something had to be done' after Scamp began urinating around Heathcock's house, causing a smell.
Dominic Tate, mitigating for both defendants, said that the situation arose when the pair became concerned about the dog's rapidly deteriorating health.
Mr Tate said: "This was not a case of treating a dog with malice, Heathcock had the dog for 16 years without any issues prior to this.
"They have been extremely naïve in their actions and how they went about this – clearly there were other methods available to them.
"They accept they had not thought through anything to the level they should have done.
"They are men of good character and this has been a situation that has generated headlines and they have been targeted.
"It was not their intention to cause Scamp unnecessary suffering."
Britain’s biggest animal shelter today slammed the sentence.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which has launched a campaign to increase the maximum jail term for animal cruelty from four months to five years, hit out at the punishment.
Battersea’s Chief Executive, Claire Horton, said: “The unimaginable suffering Scamp endured at the hands of his owner, a person he should have been able to trust implicitly, will horrify the nation.
"The two men responsible have been sentenced to just four months in prison. Why? Because magistrates are unable to issue anything more than six months for even the most appalling and callous acts of animal cruelty.
“England and Wales’ maximum sentence simply must change. Four months for what was done to Scamp is neither a fitting punishment nor a deterrent.
“Animal lovers will surely want to come together and join Battersea and other respected animal welfare charities so we can make our collective voice heard for animals like Scamp.
“Our tougher sentencing campaign is already making its mark.
“We're asking the public to write to their MP and call for a five-year sentence for such shocking acts of cruelty as we need the punishment to fit the crime.”
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