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Man who left puppies to die in bin avoids jail
David Storey outside court
A WIGAN man who callously left three puppies for dead in a rubbish bin has avoided jail.
David Storey dumped the four-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier pups in a communal bin, outside his flat in Scholes, in freezing temperatures.
Yesterday, he was banned from keeping animals for 10 years and was given a 12-month community order at Wigan Magistrates’ Court.
The 29-year-old had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a puppy by putting it into a rubbish bin while still alive, and two counts of neglect.
Only one of the three survived.
Storey had sold the dogs, which were part of a litter of six, when they were just four weeks old but they were brought back because they were in ill health.
The hearing was told he did not have the money to refund the people so instead he came to an agreement to give them his bitch.
The court heard how the man had been seen putting a bin bag into a communal rubbish bin at the flats where he lives at about 3.30am on January 1 this year.
But in an interview with the RSPCA, he said he believed all three dogs were already dead.
The witness heard noises coming from the bin and went to investigate. He climbed into it and could see something moving.
At first, he thought it was just one dog. But on further inspection he saw that there were three.
One was already dead and he tried to resuscitate another, without success, but the third was alive so he took it inside and alerted the authorities.
Post-mortem examinations carried out on the dead dogs concluded that hypothermia accounted for at least one of the deaths.
Defending, Patrick Heald, said: “It seems the puppies were removed from their mother far too soon, and the defendant, for a number of reasons, was unable to properly care for them.
“Until relatively, recently Mr Storey was a family man living with his partner and three children, aged 12, eight and three.
“He became unemployed after witnessing a tragic accident which resulted in the death of a close friend and colleague at his place of work, and since the accident his mental health has been fairly precarious and he has received medication for anxiety and panic attacks.
“That put a strain on his relationship and he and his partner separated.
“But he dealt with this challenging situation in an entirely inappropriate and criminal way, for which he has expressed his shame, regret and remorse for his actions.”
Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, Tony Stock, said: “The defendant has said he knows what he did was wrong and that he is really ashamed and embarrassed by his actions. He said that he cannot stress how sorry he is.”
Sentencing Storey, the chairman of the bench said: “Cases of animal welfare are very high on the public agenda.
“Only two weeks ago, there was complete fury over a lady who put an animal in the bin, promoting tremendous public feeling.
“We feel rather than displaying deliberate or wilful neglect, you were ignorant to the upkeep needed for the welfare of these animals.”
Storey was sentenced to a 12-month community order with the conditions he attend a New Direction Activity programme and carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work.
He was also banned from owning any animal for 10 years and can only apply for removal of the ban after five years and was ordered to pay £260 to the RSPCA for the cost of the investigation.
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Weather for Wigan
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
