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PET HORROR THUG FACING JAIL
HIDING his face, this is the twisted teenager who forced his ferret to rip apart a baby guinea pig as its screaming owners looked on in horror.
John Brennan then urged a pal to film the sickening attack on his mobile phone as he encouraged the ferret to eat the guinea pig.
The 19-year-old has now been warned he faces jail after being found guilty of animal cruelty charges by South Tyneside magistrates. Friend Andrew Wyness, 18, has already been jailed for three months for his part in the attack and banned from keeping animals for 10 years after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
During his trial, magistrates heard how Brennan, 19, and Wyness called at the house of Kevin Knowles and his girlfriend Michelle Bannister in Dock Street in the early hours of the morning on Friday, October 13.
Brennan, of Beattie Street, went straight over to their eight-week-old guinea pig, pulled out the ferret, which was hidden in his coat sleeve, dropped it in the cage and closed the lid.
The court heard that the two visitors laughed as the female guinea pig squealed in agony.
Its injuries were so severe that a vet who examined its body found its skull was missing.
The pet's right leg had been ripped off, its back and ribs were broken and it had several puncture wounds.
Giving evidence, Mr Knowles, 24, said: "The ferret ripped it to bits.
"I was trying to comfort my girlfriend, who was screaming and hysterical."
"John Brennan said, 'Look it is killing it', then John said to Andy, 'Pull your phone out and take pictures of it and record it'."
When Brennan pulled out the ferret, it was still holding the guinea pig by its neck.
He then subjected the defenceless animal to more torture by putting them both back in the cage and encouraged the ferret to attack again.
When Brennan left the house, he took the cage with him for the ferret.
Police later found the ferret and the cage still containing the dead guinea pig at Brennan's former Dock Street home, and he was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and theft of the cage.
Mr Knowles and his girlfriend had just bought the guinea pig the day before for Miss Bannister's daughter.
Reading from the vet's statement, Stan Sudworth, prosecuting, said: "The guinea pig has been caused unnecessary suffering, ending in a painful death."
Pictures of the mauled guinea pig shown to the court were so gruesome The Shields Gazette is unable to print them.
Brennan denied animal cruelty but was found guilty yesterday.
Magistrates adjourned sentencing, but warned him they were considering jail due to factors including the death of a defenceless animal in a vicious act of cruelty, and that the offence was committed intentionally.
Speaking after the case, an RSPCA spokeswoman said: "We are pleased that the police, the CPS and the courts took this matter seriously and that it was investigated and it led to a prosecution.
"This sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated."
By KAYE HENRY
gazette.news@northeast-press.co.uk
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
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