Suspended prison sentence for Deeside man who attacked his dog, leaving the pet with multiple broken ribs

A man from Deeside has been given an 18-week suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping all animals for ten years after he attacked his dog and left the pet with untreated rib fractures.

Injured Teddy was taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for treatment after he was thrown over a fence on 21 October last year by Thomas Trinkl (DOB: 7/3/1993), of Sealand Court, Sealand Avenue, Garden City, Deeside. 

During a veterinary examination Teddy was found to have three historic rib fractures - which had been untreated for at least two to three weeks -  and a more recent rib fracture.

Trinkle, who said Teddy’s broken ribs could have been caused when he was out on a walk or left unaccompanied in the street, was sentenced on Thursday (14 October) following a trial at Mold Magistrates' Court last month.

The court heard how RSPCA animal rescue officer John Littlewood visited Bridge View in Deeside at about 6.45pm on 21 October after members of the public reported seeing Teddy being hit and thrown over a perimeter fence. A group of people had managed to secure the dog with a lead, although he was extremely nervous and appeared scared by any sudden movements. 

Teddy also had a wound above his right eye and on the pad of his left front paw.

RSPCA inspector Jenny Anderton, who investigated the case for the animal welfare charity, telephoned Trinkl the following day to tell him that Teddy was injured and to ask him what had happened the previous night. 

She said: “He explained he was still in the process of training the dog but a year in, the dog was being naughty one minute and good the next. Tommy Trinkl said he got frustrated with the dog sometimes and that the previous day, the dog had ‘tipped him over the edge’ and that he had thrown it over the wall as it was ‘the only way out’. 

“I asked him whether he would like to sign the dog over if he wasn’t managing with it’s behaviour. He said he would think about it. He said the dog had been toileting in the house and that he lost his rag with the dog sometimes but he didn’t want to give up on it like his family had given up on him.”

In a later interview with Jenny on 17 November, Trinkl was again asked to explain what had happened to Teddy on 21 October. He said: “I threw him over a fence because he had like an episode.” 

The court was told that Teddy would show signs of fear when Trinkl became agitated and would shake, urinate and defecate in the house. 

When questioned about Teddy’s multiple rib fractures and asked how these might have occurred, Trinkl said they could have happened when he was thrown over the fence, out on walks or when his pet was left unaccompanied in the street. 

He said he hadn’t noticed his dog was in pain because of the rib fractures and said Teddy was “always having little accidents” and might do things like “run into a door.”  

The vet who first treated Teddy told the court: “It requires considerable force to disrupt the structure of a bone and cause it to break or fracture. The owner’s explanation of how Teddy’s injuries could have occured do not match the severity of the injuries. 

“It is my opinion that Teddy was allowed to suffer due to a failure of his owner to present the dog for veterinary assessment and treatment of multiple rib fractures. It is also my opinion that there is a significant probability that the injuries identified in Teddy were non-accidental in nature and that the owner, Thomas Lee Trinkl, was the most likely person to have assaulted Teddy.

A second veterinary surgeon who examined and took X-rays of Teddy, said: “Given the multiple stages of healing present on the radiographs, in my opinion he will have suffered for many weeks, as a minimum, likely longer. The fractures will have resulted in unnecessary pain and suffering to Teddy which in my opinion has occurred on multiple occasions.”

Trinkl, who denied the two animal welfare offences, was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £128.

Teddy has made good progress in the care of the RSPCA and will be looking for a new home.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.

Trinkl was convicted of the following offences:

1) That on and before 21 October 2020 in the vicinity of Garden City, Deeside, Flintshire you did cause unnecessary suffering to a protected animal namely a Shar Pei dog and you knew or ought reasonably to have known that subjecting the said animal to blunt force trauma would have that effect or be likely to contrary to s.4(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

2) That on and before 21 October 2020 in the vicinity of Garden City, Deeside, Flintshire you did cause unnecessary suffering to a protected animal namely a Shar Pei dog and you knew or ought reasonably to have known that failing to ensure that the said animal received appropriate veterinary care for signs of injury would have that effect or be likely to contrary to s.4(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.