Dead dog dumped at owner's door

The court was told Benji had died four weeks earlier

A man who dug up a dead Yorkshire Terrier and dumped it on its owner's doorstep has been jailed for 12 months.

Gary Cochrane, 30, exhumed Jamerie Currie's dog Benji from its burial place and drove the carcass to her home in Bannockburn.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told he had wanted "revenge" against Miss Currie, the girlfriend of his brother Colin.

Cochrane had admitted digging up the dog, which had been dead for four weeks, at a previous hearing.

The court heard Cochrane had been angry after his brother and Miss Currie asked him to move out of the house in Park Crescent, Bannockburn, where he had briefly lived with them.

Cochrane himself had buried Benji behind the tool shed of Miss Currie's mother's house in Stirling.

There was an extremely unpleasant and overpowering smell Stuart Ronnie, Fiscal depute

At about 2130 BST on 27 August, while Miss Currie's mother was away on holiday, Cochrane went back to the house and dug up the body of the dog.

He put it in his car and drove it to Park Crescent, where he took it from the boot, put it on the doorstep and went home.

The creature's remains lay unnoticed until 0740 BST the next morning, when Cochrane's brother went into the hall to get ready to go to work.

Fiscal depute Stuart Ronnie told the court: "He was immediately overcome by an extremely bad smell. He opened the door and found the dead dog on the doorstep.

"He was, perhaps understandably, sickened and alarmed at the sight and immediately returned indoors and found Miss Currie.

"The police were informed, and attended immediately."

Previous conviction

Cochrane told the police he had been angry with Miss Currie, adding: "I went to her mum's house and re-dug her dog and left it at her door. I was looking for revenge."

Three days later, he led police on a 65mph daytime chase through the streets of Stirling, and within weeks he had stolen a fuel card from his bosses and tried to use it to fill his silver Peugeot 206 with £50 worth of petrol.

Defence agent Elaine Buist said Cochrane, a Stirling Council truck driver, had turned to alcohol and prescription drugs.

She said: "He acts inappropriately when under the influence of these things."

Cochrane, of 41 Haig Avenue, Stirling, pleaded guilty to causing a breach of the peace by digging up the dog and leaving it on the doorstep.

He also admitted stealing a fuel card from his employers on 3 October and driving dangerously and aggressively in the Union Street area of Stirling while over the legal alcohol limit.

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson told Cochrane that because of the gravity of his offences, and a previous conviction for housebreaking, a custodial sentence was the only appropriate option open to him.

Cochrane was also banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to resit his test before getting back behind the wheel.

Miss Currie, a 21-year old-waitress, said afterwards: "Benji was my wee dog. I was distraught at what he did."