A man has been found guilty of cutting his own dog’s ears off.
The Staffordshire bull terrier named Victor had cocaine in his system, Wrexham magistrates heard.
Christopher Matthew Griffiths, 34, faced two charges of cutting off Victor’s ears in September last year.
He had denied the offences but was found guilty during a trial at Wrexham magistrates court today.
Griffiths, of Bridge Street, Southsea, Wrexham, told the court he was the victim of an attack and claimed the alleged attacker had cut his dog’s ears off while he was unconscious.
The incident happened outside Griffiths’ former property in Crescent Close in Wrexham on September 22 last year.
He contacted the police about the assault and told them the alleged attacker was a man known to him who was after money.
When officers arrived at the property, they found Victor bandaged up and the ears inside the property, along with scissors and pliers, which according to the defence case were collected by Griffiths to hand over to police.
Police evidence confirmed that they were called to reports of an assault at the property and found Griffiths with injuries, a smashed window and rubbish strewn across the front of the house.
Expert veterinary evidence read out in court revealed that Victor had cocaine in his system, which can result in the dog suffering periods of lethargy.
Giving evidence, Griffiths said he had not long been released from hospital at the time of the incident, having been in a coma and suffered brain damage.
He said he had callipers on both legs and paralysis in his left arm.
Griffiths told the court he was “volleyed” by his alleged attacker and lost consciousness.
He said: “He pointed at the dog and he had no ears.
“I love my dogs. He (Victor) is a muscular dog. There is no way I was going to be able to hold him down.
“Both my hands are extremely weak. My dogs are like kids to me. I wouldn’t give my dog cocaine. I don’t know why you would.”
Glenn Murphy, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, called neighbour Mark Owen Jones as a witness.
He told the court he heard the “stressful calls of a dog” and immediately looked outside his flat window.
Mr Jones said Griffiths was trying to remove a muzzle from the dog and requested a pair of pliers from a neighbour.
He said the defendant was kneeling down over the dog with his back to him, then he got up holding up what looked like fabric in his hands.
Bethan Jones, defending, told the court there were “big gaps" and discrepancies in Mr Jones’ evidence, adding that he had never spoken to or met the defendant.
But the magistrates found Mr Jones’ evidence to be credible and found Griffiths guilty.
He will be sentenced on June 17.
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wrexham-man-guilty-cutting-dogs-11391860
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