July 2021

Puppy battered so severely that it had to be put down in act of ‘deliberate cruelty’

A dog owner who abused his puppy so severely that she had to be put down has been jailed.

Jerome Lothian left his crossbreed bulldog, named Mula, with multiple broken bones after severely beating her. The pooch also had features to her leg, pelvis and spine after a two month ordeal of abuse from her owner.

A court heard that the thug tried to blame the injuries on falling from a sofa and a step before experts deduced that she had suffered “severe blunt force trauma”.

It is understood that the PDSA animal charity contacted the RSPCA following concerns that Mula had an array injuries over just a few months, without a reasonable explanation.

The young pooch had old fractures that had not been treated, plus a new fracture in her hind leg.

She was struggling to walk on her back legs and was bleeding from her nostrils, as well as having wounds to her mouth and tongue.

The vet felt the extent of Mula’s injuries, even with extensive treatment, meant that she would be left in chronic pain and felt the kindest option was to put her to sleep to end her suffering.

Lothian’s partner, Danielle Toni O’Brien, was also on trial for her involvement with what happened to Mula.

Magistrates heard that O’Brien refused to allow Mula to be euthanised, resulting in police being called.

Helen Mead, an inspector with the RSPCA, sat with the helpless puppy as they waited for police.

She said the dog barely moved, but after some time Mula used her front legs to shift herself forward for a tummy rub and rested her head in the officer’s hands.

Neither Lothian or O’Brian could give reasonable explanations as to how most of the injuries happened and there were a number of discrepancies between their stories.

Vets concluded that Mula was made to suffer as a result of physical abuse whilst Lothian was responsible for her.

The court concluded that the pair failed to provide vet care for the young puppy, allowing her to suffer.

Lothian was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the puppy and other animal welfare offences at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

On July 7, he was jailed for 16 weeks and banned from keeping animals for life.

The 28-year-old, of Carlton, Nottinghamshire, was also order to pay £2,000 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

O’Brien, of Nottingham, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation requirement days and a deprivation order relating to another dog she owns was issued.

The 31-year-old was also ordered to pay £2,000 costs and a £85 victim surcharge.