Man jailed for causing death of dog found hanged in Bury

Michael Evans, aged 50, of Alfred Street, Bury was sentenced at Bury Magistrates Court today in a case brought by the RSPCA.

He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the dog, called ‘Sky’, by subjecting her to unnecessary physical violence and tethering her in a dangerous and inappropriate fashion which led to her death. He was also banned from keeping animals for ten years with no appeal for five years.

Sky was spotted hanging from the cycle bridge over the River Irwell on Saturday 24 April 2010. The young tri-coloured dog was wearing a green leather collar and was suspended by a metal chain which had pulled tight, strangling her. A media appeal for information in the days afterwards led the RSPCA to Mr Evans.

RSPCA inspector Caroline Hall said: “This dog suffered a great deal before her death. What she went through doesn’t bear thinking about. She had been beaten and had injuries consistent with that. The post-mortem found that she died from a broken neck as a result of hanging.”

The court heard that Sky was a ‘difficult’ dog and that Mr Evans had lost his temper after returning from a day out drinking to find that she had ‘trashed the house’ and eaten everything in the fridge. In interview he said that he had tied her up outside a local veterinary practice but today he admitted chaining her to the bridge from which she was found hanging. Mr Evans said he had been very drunk at the time and regretted what had happened.

“We don’t know what happened next but it seems likely that she fell,” said RSPCA inspector Hall. “Of course, she wouldn’t have been there, in the state she was in, had it not been for Mr Evans. As her owner he was responsible for ensuring she was protected from pain and suffering and he actually caused those things.

“There can be no excuse for what Mr Evans did – least of all Sky’s lack of training, for which he was also responsible - and I’m very pleased with the sentence passed today.”