An unauthorized dog caretaker handed a pet owner his deceased dog in a plastic bag and then physically attacked him.
After Owen Dempsey informed Martin Hulse that his French bulldog named Tank had passed away while under his care, Hulse went to collect the dog. Dempsey became aggressive, accusing Hulse of implying he was responsible for the dog’s death, resulting in a physical altercation where Dempsey headbutted and punched Hulse. This incident occurred after a previous incident involving a missing German Shepherd under Dempsey’s care.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court revealed that Hulse had hired Dempsey as a dog sitter in June 2024 without any issues initially. However, the situation escalated when Tank died while under Dempsey’s supervision during a 10-day period when Hulse and his wife were on vacation.
Dempsey, who was required to have a valid license for providing dog boarding services, was confronted by Hulse upon his return from holiday. Dempsey handed over Tank’s body in a plastic bag, claiming he had stored the dog in a freezer, although the body was not cold and had started to decompose.
Following a trial, Dempsey was found guilty of assault and breaching a community order related to operating as an unlicensed dog boarder. Despite a history of previous convictions for assault and other offenses, Dempsey failed to attend the trial and was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail.
District Judge Paul Healey emphasized the seriousness of the assault and highlighted Dempsey’s non-compliance with the community order as factors leading to the custodial sentence. Dempsey’s wife reacted emotionally during the court proceedings, leading to her removal from the courtroom.
