Redcar men jailed for driving a nail through dog's head

Two Redcar men have been jailed for admitting animal abuse.

Michael Heathcock and Richard Finch were both handed 4 months in prison - over the treatment of Scamp the dog.

The pair admitted taking Mr Heathcock’s dog into the woods and driving a nail into his head, before burying him in a whole and leaving.

A couple walking in the woods later found Scamp and rushed him to the vets, where he had to be put down due to the severity of his injuries.

Protesters crowded into Teesside magistrates court and gathered outside this morning as the two men were sentenced. They each received 4 months in jail and a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

In mitigation, the court heard that Heathcock couldn’t afford to pay for a vet and felt that they were putting Scamp out of his misery. It heard the pair thought he was already dead when they buried him.

RSPCA inspector Jones said:

“Scamp had been suffering for months but instead of seeking veterinary treatment his owner and his owner’s friend decided to take him to a secluded spot in the woods and hammered a nail into his head.

“There were four indentations in his skull, where they had attempted to hammer the nail in and failed. Scamp had also suffered a burst skull fracture from a large trauma ‘such as a hammer’.

“It is very hard to think about what he went through. It’s been a truly harrowing case for everyone involved.

“The only consolation is that Scamp’s final moments were spent being comforted by the kind strangers who found him, and the wonderful staff at the vets.”