“Dog lover” pleads guilty to blinding Tuebrook pensioner’s pet







A MAN admitted blinding a dog by beating it with a hurling stick.

Seven year-old Labrador Barney was knocked unconscious by the assault as he walked with his owner, 73 year-old grandma Dot Gaudie, in fields near his home.

Rescue dog Barney lost an eye as a result of the attack.

Martin McHale, 57, of Snaefell Avenue, Tuebrook, yesterday pleaded guilty at Liverpool magistrates’ court to the attack which took place on May 31 last year on fields near Lister Drive, Tuebrook.
But dad-of-three McHal told magistrates he was truly sorry for what he had done.

Bernie Phelan, prosecuting, told the court: "Mrs Gaudie, a woman in her 70s, was taking her dog for a walk when she saw the defendant walking with three dogs."

When Barney approached the group McHale beat him with the stick, which witnesses described as "a two-handed strike".

Mr Phelan said: "This rendered the dog unconscious for 15 minutes.

"The animal was removed for emergency veterinary surgery."

He added: "The owner of the animal no longer feels safe and secure to go out with the dog and now employs dog walkers to do the dog walking for her."




But George White, defending, told the court his client was a man of previous good character who had pleaded guilty to the attack.

He said: "The incident happens, what does he do? He stays at the scene.

"The stick that my client had was a hurling stick, he used it to hit the ball and the dogs run after it."

He added: "He works in Liverpool Community College, he is someone who works with vulnerable people.

"He is a dog lover, and he has a reference from his vet.

"He has shown great remorse. He was really upset that the dog lost an eye."

Magistrates ordered the probation service to write a report about the defendant before sentencing McHale on April 21.

The chair of Magistrates told McHale: "This is an all options report, it does include the possibility of custody, but does not preclude a community sentence."


THE ECHO

Give me 2 mins with this sicko and i`ll give him the beating he gave that dog! How can he say he is a dog lover, hes a sick guy and i think a custodial sentence is justified. What next, does he beat a child or adult like that. Pick on someone whom can fight back, ME. Come on guy! THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS> NONE!

Sickening in the extreme ! Never mind the slap-on-the-wrist treatment he'll get from our pathetic "on an another planet" court system. Give the scumbag a few two-handed wacks over the swede with a similar weapon!

This twunt (sorry Wench, I realise that word is your copyright)is stealing MY oxygen. Ain't too happy at that !

I remember when I was younger in walker park in prenton there was a man sitting on the bench beating the shit out of his dog with a stick, but really calmly and slowly. The dog wasnt even bothered by it?? Is it a normalthing to do maybe??

Yeah, that's obviously the right thing to do, show your dog how much you love it, by beating the crap out of it with a wooden stick. Try it on your wife and kids too, I bet they will love you right back for it, so much, that they might even return the favour, right back atchya, maybe with an even bigger stick!

Just calling the wife over now. ohhh she's gunna get it and whilst im beating her I'll have the kids sitting quietly watching and chanting to them "guess whos getting it next"!!

Arrr the poor dog.

"is it a normal thing to do maybe??" are you a bit thick or what

i would like to know why his own dogs were not taken of him.He says he s a dog lover having 3 0f his own wonder how he would feel if he was hit with a stick.

Are you struggling with sarcasm or what?

As a fitting pnishment, not only should he get a jail term, but I think he should get his dogs taken off him.