Dog dies after being dragged alongside Somerset farmer's car by a rope

A farmer has admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his son's dog after it was dragged along a road by a rope attached to a car.

When police went to check on the dog's welfare, the man refused to tell them where it was.

A search involving 18 officers and a drone eventually tracked the dog down in a cow barn. It had suffered severe injuries and later died.

Kim Rendall, from Southover Road in High Littleton near Bath, appeared at North Somerset Courthouse on Monday 30 October where he admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering.

One was for failing to protect the dog from pain, injury and suffering and the other for failing to arrange urgently-required veterinary attention.

The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA.

The court was told that the nine-year-old husky-type dog called Daisy had belonged to Rendall's son.

On 17 April, witnesses saw Rendall driving through High Littleton.

Daisy was tied to a rope and was being dragged along the road behind the car.

Despite several vehicles flashing and beeping at him, it was only after a pedestrian flagged Rendall down that he stopped.

Daisy was filmed being dragged behind the car for 55 seconds, the court heard.

Dashcam footage of the incident, shown in court, depicted this moment before Rendall then put Daisy into the car and drove off.

When police went to his home, they found Rendall having a haircut in the kitchen and drinking a cup of tea.

The court was told Rendall refused to tell officers where the dog was.

One officer was heard on bodycam asking him “where is that dog?” numerous times but Rendall did not answer directly, saying “I don’t like this at all”.

The court was told he continued to refuse to tell officers where Daisy was when being questioned at the police station.

Despite being given veterinary treatment, Daisy had to be put down six days after the incident because it was not possible to adequately control her pain.

The court was shown videos of the incident and photographs of Daisy’s injuries.

Some in the court, including witnesses from the day, could not watch the screens when these were shown because they were so graphic.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, one witness said she had “never seen an animal with such serious injuries” and had suffered from nightmares since.

Another said they had been signed off work to help them sleep and still were “getting flashbacks to that day months later”.

Avon and Somerset Police officer Natalie Cosgrove read her own statement in court, where she said in 15 years of policing it was “the worst thing I have ever seen” and it will haunt her forever.

She said: “I was shocked at what I saw. I was horrified and physically sick that a nine-year-old dog was subjected to this cruelty.”

Character references praised Rendall as a farmer with exemplary character who cared for his animals.

His representative in court described the incident as “poor judgement on that day” and said “he has learning difficulties and hearing problems".

They said the incident had “devastated Mr Rendall's family.”

Rendall appeared to break down into tears when the character references were being read.

Magistrates in Weston-super-Mare said Rendall had shown a “deliberate disregard for the welfare of Daisy” and that “a haircut and a cup of tea were a higher priority” for him.

He is due to be sentenced on 21 November at Bristol Crown Court after magistrates decided their maximum sentencing powers were not sufficient.

He has been granted unconditional bail until his next hearing at Bristol Crown Court on 21 November.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…