A Fife man has admitted drowning his Golden Retriever in a bathtub and sending photos of his body to his ex-partner.
Twisted Allan Petrie killed his 10-year-old dog Jack at his home in Leven and texted horrific photographs of the aftermath to Karen Howarth, who he had split with earlier that year.
In chilling text messages seen by DC Thomson’s Crime and Court team, Petrie told Karen: “I’ve just committed murder.”
He told her: “Av put it oot his miserable f****** life. And am next coming get your f****** collie.”
The text was followed by a smiling face emoji.
Karen told us: “I said I didn’t believe him because he loved that dog. And then he sent me a photo of Jack drowned in the bath.
“I was screaming and didn’t even know I was screaming. When I realised I had to push my face into a pillow because I didn’t want to wake my neighbours.”
Guilty plea
The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to the gut-wrenching charges in a letter to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He admitted that between November 8 and 17 last year, he caused unnecessary suffering to his dog Jack in that he submerged the dog’s head in water, whereby it ingested liquid and drowned.
Petrie carried out the heinous act at his home address in White Avenue in Leven.
He also admitted to sending a message deemed grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or of a menacing character to Ms Howarth.
On November 9, Petrie texted his former partner inferring to her that he had killed the dog.
He followed that with a photograph of Jack, lying drowned in the bath.
Ms Howarth, 52, has explained that she had ended her five-year on-off relationship with Petrie months prior to the gruesome incident, but said the pair had kept in contact.
One of her dogs had been fathered by Jack and she was full of love for the friendly canine.
But the late night text from Petrie, which she revealed read: “I’ve just. Committed. Murder. I’ve just killed,” left her stunned and in tears.
Sheriff James Williamson said he had been “totally astonished” reading Petrie’s guilty plea letter.
He deferred sentence until July 1 for background reports and for Petrie to appear in person.
