Man beat sick dog to death in park

A man who claimed he could not afford vet bills for his sick dog will avoid a jail term for killing the animal in a park full of children.

A witness saw Liam Dowling, aged 44, swing the Jack Russell overhead by its lead and smash it to the ground up to 30 times as he crossed a park by Clonliffe College.

Garda Shane Mengessidis said he was seen putting his foot on the dog’s head while it was on the ground and pulling the lead tight.

Dowling, of Fitzgibbon Court, Fitzgibbon St, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to killing a protected animal at Clonliffe College on August 19, 2014.

Judge Martin Nolan noted Dowling had been on prescription drugs, and that Dowling cares for a child and is a “contributing member of society”. The judge said he intends to impose 200 hours of community service in lieu of a two-year sentence if Dowling is suitable.

He said he would not impose a ban on Dowling keeping animals, as he didn’t want to deprive the man’s child of having a dog.

Dowling claimed the dog, a family pet of nine years, had been sick for up to five months and he did not have the money to pay for vet bills.

“Sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing,” Dowling said in interview.

Judge Nolan adjourned the matter until October.