Man caught torturing flatmate’s puppy on iPad recording fined €100

A woman became suspicious that her flatmate was injuring her puppy so she set up her iPad to record him.

The footage revealed he sat on the beagle puppy, broke her leg, and tried to strangle her.

Kevin Louin’s housemate hid her iPad in the kitchen of the house they shared with others. Her pup had sustained a number of unexplained injuries and she began to suspect Louin was hurting the dog on purpose.

On January 19, she hid her iPad and left the house for a short while. When she returned, she watched footage showing Louin pulling the puppy from the dog bed in the kitchen and sitting on the six-month-old pup, causing her to yelp in pain.

She called the gardaí and two gardaí from Tallaght arrived at the house at Alderwood Avenue, Tallaght. In Tallaght District Court yesterday, Sergeant Bernard Jones said that, on that date, the dog had a broken paw and this was evident from the footage. Louin also tried to strangle the dog.

Louin, aged 32, with an address at Exchange Hall, Belgard Square, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to beating, kicking, torturing, and terrifying the pup.

Sgt Jones said Louin later came to Tallaght Garda Station and was shown the iPad video. He admitted that he tried to sit on the puppy and tried to strangle her.

Louin, who represented himself, also gave a voluntary cautioned statement in which he admitted kicking the dog on several occasions — even ones that the owner of the dog had not known about.

Sgt Jones said Louin, who is originally from France, had no previous convictions. He said Louin moved out after the incident.

Judge Lindsay fined him €100.