A 46-year-old man has been banned for life from owning any domestic pet after a judge heard he repeatedly kicked a dog in the head and flung it against a wall.
Steven Stawen, of Church Road, Durrus, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in the form of dragging the grey whippet by the neck, kneeing it in the head and body and throwing it against a wall where he again kicked it in the head and body on March 26th, 2023.
Sergeant Louise Vaughan, of Bantry Garda station, told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that gardaí were alerted to the incident by a member of the public who had seen a video of the abuse posted on Facebook.
Gardaí called to Stawen’s home, where they found the dog and noticed he was timid. He was later removed from Stawen’s care and brought to an animal charity. Sgt Vaughan said the dog has been rehomed and is doing well.
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She said gardaí arrested Stawen on March 28th, 2023, and brought him to Bantry Garda station, where he made full admissions about hitting the dog, saying he thought it had killed a neighbour’s cat, though it transpired the dog had just chased the cat.
Defence barrister Ronan Barnes said his client had a traumatised childhood in institutional care in his native Germany. He was there until he was five years old, when he was fostered by a family in west Cork. He suffered from mental health issues as well as a drink problem, the court heard.
He said his client’s long-term relationship ended shortly before this incident. He took the break-up badly and resorted to alcohol to try to cope.
Mr Barnes pointed out that his client had pleaded guilty to the offence and had not come to Garda attention since. His client was not the one to post the video on Facebook, he said.
Judge Sinéad Behan noted from a probation report that there was a high risk of Stawen reoffending. While he had been in contact with mental health organisation Dual Diagnosis, it did not seem there was any plan to assist him, she said.
After a break in proceedings, the judge noted Stawen had acknowledged his offending and expressed remorse. She said he had a difficult past and had “certain vulnerabilities because of his mental health and alcohol abuse issues”.
However, the ”moral culpability here was high", she said. This was a “cowardly act of cruelty” and a “very grave” offence against a “defenceless animal”.
She imposed a two-year sentence, suspended in full, and banned Stawen from owning any domestic pet in future.
