A man accused of ill-treating an animal had his case adjourned at this week’s sitting of Carlow District Court. Ballyfermot man Gary Griffin, was before Judge William Harnett on Wednesday on one charge.
Garda Fiona Ruth told the court that on Monday September 19 at 9.25pm in the townland of Ballinacarrig on the Wexford Road she was operating a checkpoint. She stopped a vehicle driven by Mr Griffin with four other occupants in the car.
“I looked in the back of the vehicle and saw a dog which appeared to be a pit bull. He was very badly wounded, there were lacerations to its body and there was blood. He appeared to be in distress. I asked Mr Griffin if he was the owner of the dog. He said he was. I told him the dog appeared to have been badly treated and was in distress and that he needed to be seen by a vet,” she told the court.
Gda Ruth said she seized the dog and brought him to a vet.
Judge Harnett asked Gda Ruth if Mr Griffin had any previous convictions. Though he had previous convictions dating back to 1988 including one for ill treatment of an animal, the court heard from Mr Griffin’s solicitor Eoin O’Connor who said that one had been appealed.
In mitigation, Mr O’Connor said his client had instructed him that he had been hunting foxes with his dog and that had brought about the dog’s injuries.
“I would have the suspicion that he was engaged in dog fighting. I will hear his evidence in that matter if he wants to give it, but to me it doesn’t seem plausible that a fox came in not second but fifth against a pit bull,” said Judge Harnett. Inspector Jerry Coonan told the court that the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would be looking for over €5,000 in fees in the case.
Mr Griffin, a full-time carer, who earns just over €400 a week looking after his wife in Dublin, heard his case was to be adjourned until November 11.
