A dog walker who punched and kicked his Rottweiler before setting it on two women has been allowed to escape any punishment.
William Smith, 64, was found guilty of repeatedly kicking the dog on the body and punching it to the head.
He was also found guilty of grabbing the dog’s face and trying to set it on two women who bravely questioned his behaviour.
But at Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown admonished Smith and refused to impose any order to disqualify him from keeping dogs in future.
Admonishment means although the accused has the conviction on his criminal record, no further punishment is meted out.
Guilty after trial
Smith, from Auchtermuchty, denied any wrongdoing but was found guilty after a trial of repeatedly kicking the dog on the body and punching it on the head.
He was found guilty of grabbing the dog by the face and pulling it in front of horrified witnesses at Birnie Loch near Ladybank in Fife on April 21 2021.
He was also found guilty of two charges of encouraging the dog to attack women in the same location when they questioned him about his behaviour.
And he was found guilty of acting in a threatening or abusive manner in St Andrews on 16 April 2021 by swearing and uttering threats of violence.
Dog banning order rejected
The court was told there had been an incident while other people had been walking their dogs on the lochside and had seen Smith attacking his pet.
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson previously asked the court to grant a dog banning order against Smith but that was refused by the sheriff.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown noted Smith – a first offender – had been of good behaviour since the incident and accepted it had been “a blip.”
She said: “In light of the fact you have been of good behaviour, I will admonish you.”
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