Perth director who callously kicked dog fined

The damning act was captured by a passing motorist on his dash cam

The director of a well-known Perth car dealership was fined £240 at the Sheriff Court yesterday after he kicked his black Labrador dog - and then gesticulated at a member of the public who witnessed the callous act.

The incident took place on Dunkeld Road, on the city’s Motor Mile, and was captured by a passing motorist on his dash cam.

It was subsequently ‘shared’ on social media and caused “an outcry from the public,” according to depute fiscal Malcolm Sweeney.

Thirty-two-year-old Christopher Dickson, of Balhousie Street, Perth, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on September 14, 2018, and kicking the animal.

The court was told that a motorist was in a queue of traffic about 4.30pm when she noticed the accused crossing the road.

His dog continued walking in front of him and then he was seen kicking the underside of the animal and it fell to the ground before walking to the other side of the road.

An individual in another car shouted at him and he was seen to “gesticulate” at that particular person.

Solicitor Paul Ralph said the accused had been out walking the dog, without a lead.

It had gone onto the road and he had “administered swift justice.”

Normally he would have done that by “clipping it around the ear” but he had an injury to his hand.

He had raised the dog since it was a puppy - it was now six-and-a-half - and it didn’t require any veterinary treatment.

Imposing the fine, to be paid within a month, Sheriff Richard McFarlane noted: “This was another case where CCTV footage and social media does a lot of the work for the police.”

The incident had “generated certain revulsion” among a dog-loving nation but the animal hadn’t suffered any injury.