An Austrian depend shot his spouse’s canine useless and hid its physique throughout ‘acrimonious’ divorce proceedings – however claimed he was placing the pet out of its distress, a courtroom heard.
Rely Konrad Goess-Saurau, 70, had denied a cost of legal harm on the grounds that it was cheap to ‘destroy’ the animal to finish his struggling.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court docket prosecutor Ben Worthington mentioned the German pointer named Herman was solely owned by his spouse Countess Susan Goess-Saurau.
He mentioned the Countess arrived residence at Temple Farm, Marlborough, on November 21 final yr and could not discover Herman.
On checking the CCTV footage, which confirmed her husband taking her canine, she contacted him.
Countess Susan Goess-Saurau (Picture: Daniel Jae Webb)
She claimed his response was: “I have put the dog down, he is disgusting, nobody likes him.”
Upset by occasions, the Countess – who has been married to the Rely for 26 years – phoned Wiltshire Police to report the incident.
She instructed the courtroom: “We had a heated discussion in the morning because he’d peed the day before.
“I did not see it, however the canine had peed by way of the bannister on the touchdown onto the desk beneath.”
Mr Worthington said: “The defendant didn’t have permission to eliminate the canine in the way in which he did in any occasion.”
He said the Count admitted the shooting in a hand-written prepared statement handed to a police officer in an interview – but claimed the pet had cancer and was in agony.
“I full admit that I shot Herman, my gun canine. I shot him humanely and buried him with my gamekeeper”, it read.
“I needed to take the merciful route to finish Herman’s struggling.”
The Count also told police that criminal proceedings over Herman’s death were motivated by a divorce and obtaining a larger settlement.
But the Countess – a master of foxhounds with VWH Hunt – claimed Herman, who was purchased by her mother Brenda Williams for her 46th birthday, remained healthy and happy.
“He got here driving each morning with me, and out within the afternoon, he was averaging 10 miles a day so he was very very match”, she mentioned.
Including: “It was such an terrible factor to do, the canine did not should die and it was my canine, not his canine.
“I adore my dogs. When their time comes, it is done so in a kind, calm and compassionate manner.
“I believe he had loads of life left in him. He was simply an outdated canine that was slowing down a bit.”
When asked by Benjamin Newton, defending, whether it would assist in divorce proceedings if her husband has a criminal record, she replied: “It is not one thing I thought of. I’m decided to get justice for my canine who did not should die in that method.”
Mrs Goess-Saurau said previous family dogs have been taken to the vets to be euthanased at the end of their life – never shot.
Christopher Willis, who has been a farrier at Temple Farm since 2006, told the court: “All canines love a farrier, so he was at all times happy to see me.
“I never looked at him and thought he was getting a bit doddery or anything.”
When Rely Goess-Saurau’s son Markus – from a earlier marriage – took to the stand for the defence, he claimed Herman was a household pet who had a relationship with all people.
He mentioned: “He was a hunting dog, he would hunt. He’s well known for killing deer. It’s something we struggled to stop him doing.”
He went on to say that on the time of the taking pictures, Herman had deteriorated in outdated age and was “sore, stiff and limping”, including that his physique was lined in “cancerous lumps”.
Markus instructed that courtroom: “There wasn’t a part of his body you could put your hand on where there wasn’t a bump.
“There was a difficulty in the home, one thing at all times wanted cleansing up within the mornings, both urine or, name it, poo.
“I’ve seen him happier, given the dog he once was.”
Temple Farm gamekeeper Phil Holborow mentioned Herman was unwell.
“He had lumps all over him and he was wobbly on his legs, his back end was going, that’s how I’d describe it. He was ill, the poor old boy looked ill.”
“In my words, he needed putting down, in my words. I think he was suffering.
“He [the Count] instructed me the canine crapped all over the place in the home, he mentioned ‘I believe we have to cope with it’. He requested me to bury it, do that is what I did.”
Former Temple Farm manager for 35 years, Christopher Musgrove described the Count as an “worldwide businessman with a look after the setting”.
Summing up, Mr Worthington told the bench of three magistrates: “He wasn’t on the finish of his life; he didn’t must be taken out and shot.”
He said that the Countess was “clearly passionate concerning the well being of her canine”, confirming that Herman was taken to the vets regularly throughout his life.
Mr Newton said his client is a man of good character and had a lawful excuse to commit criminal damage.
He said Mrs Goess-Saurau has “broader issues at thoughts”.
Mr Worthington add that the use of a firearm, namely a rifle, to kill the animal in a “revenge assault” was an aggravating feature.
Chair of the bench, Beverly Payne, returned a verdict of guilty.
She said: “We observe the connection was acrimonious and had been on that day.
“We are sure that you act unreasonably, you could have organised taking Herman to a vet to be euthanized like all the other pets.
“You could have recognized that may have upset your spouse. Due to this fact we do discover you responsible.”
Describing the offence as having a “excessive diploma of planning”, Ms Payne imposed a £2,000 high quality. He should additionally pay £620 prices and a £200 surcharge.
