A Brighton dog walker has admitted shoving a spaniel called Sam against a wall in a “sadistic” fit of rage.
Luke Cobb was caught on a security camera picking up Stanley and repeatedly thrusting his face into a brick wall.
Today, the 38-year-old pleaded guilty to a single count of animal cruelty. He was told he now faces up to a year in prison.
Prosecuting, Megan Attree said: “The police received a number of reports from concerned members of hte public about a video which was going around on social media of a dog being attacked by the defendant.
“The defendant was the owner of a dog walking company called Harvey’s Walks.
“The video shows one male and a dog which appears to be scared and walking away from him.
“The defendant then picks up the dog by its neck and is seen dangling as he carries him. He then walks towards a wall and repeatedly smashes the dog two or three times for no apparent reason, just smashing the dog’s head against the wall.
“The dog could be seen to struggle as the defendant walks off with it in his arms.
“The defendant’s partner contacted Michael Gibbs who owned Stan to say you need to come and pick him up because my partner isn’t very well.
“There was some apologies on social media. He said: ‘I understand by now, you have seen that there is a video of me going around social media, where I lose my temper with a dog who has bolted from me down the road, and in it, you can see that I push the dog up against the wall in anger after he tried to bite me. I have no excuse for my behaviour.
“‘I lost my temper and made a terrible mistake.'”
When Stan was taken to the vets, he winced as his collar was removed, and that evening, he was still wincing and pulling away from his owners.
Ms Attree said: “The police took statements from other people whose dogs have been cared for by the defendant and behaviour changes as a result.”
She said a reviewing lawyer said the offence was particularly serious because of the “sadistic behaviour, significant force and significant betrayal of trust.”
She said: “He had dogs in his care which were entrusted to him by people paying him for a service believing they would be better cared for than if they were left at home or in a different circumstance.”
Defending, Mark Charnley said Cobb, of Ashurst Road, Moulsecoomb, deeply regretted the “moment of madness” from November last year.
He said: “The defendant was accepted blame from the very start. He sent an apology to all his clients shortly after the whole thing blew up.
“His business is over. It’s finished. Hopefully the dog will forget quickly, but he will never forget. It’s had a massive effect on his professional and personal life.
“People have made it very clear what they think about him on social media and in person.”
Chair of the bench Alison Musker ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case for sentencing until 31 May.
She requested a note be put on the file recommending the sentencing bench watch the video.
I hope they do watch video of what he done to that poor defenceless dog. I hope the judge sentences him on the basis of that poor dog and there owners. If he had done this to my dog it would be me in court. I hope that man suffers for a long time for what he has done.
The absolute maggot,that wasn’t a one off situation, he just got caught,I hope you get your karma inside mate,you cruel hearted slime, get back in the sea where you belong.
Evil person. Spaniels are such loving dogs. I’m sure the owners of the dogs are devastated.
I use a dog walker and she is so kind.
The absolute maggot,that wasn’t a one off situation, he just got caught,I hope you get your karma inside mate,you cruel hearted slimeball
Vile creature, he lost the border terrier that went missing last summer 🙁 vile excuse of a human being. how anyone could do this is beyond me, poor dogs and poor owners putting their trust in him!
It won’t take long for the well-endowed sodomites in prison to take it in turns to practice their art on him when they find out what he did.
How long has this despicable individual got away with these atrocities ? Law needs to change about dog walkers immediately. Sadly he’s not the only one in Brighton. Karma is hopefully coming.
I walk dogs and also mind dogs and I have3 cats , I couldn’t watch video , thank god someone reported him and how long has this went on , imagine leaving your fur babies to this torture
What a vile human being and bully. I don’t believe for one second this was the first time he’d ever mistreated dogs in his so called care. Thank goodness he got caught out. Just shocking to watch.