regular-rants
Beautiful Cody the Border Collie dog before the attack
ON August 26, 2012, the life of Cody the Collie dog changed forever. It also turned the lives of her owners and family upside down.
That Sunday morning, Cody followed two boys who were out still drinking or trying to sober up from the night before near her home in Moira, Co Down.
Cody was not causing any harm or offence. She was just a curious dog who thought no harm would come to her if she went for a walk with them.
As the lads approached a quarry, Jamie Downey decided he needed to relieve himself of his night’s drinking.
When he turned his back, his thug pal Andrew Stewart took lighter fluid from his pocket, poured it over Cody and then set her on fire.
On hearing Cody’s screams, Downey turned round and shouted: “What the f**k did you do that for? She wasn’t doing any harm.”
Instead of turning Stewart in to the police, Downey went along with a concocted alibi for his drinking pal.
Today, at Belfast Crown Court, Andrew Stewart was jailed for ten months for animal cruelty. He will serve another 10 months on supervised licence following his release.
Jamie Downey got six months for perverting the course of justice.
Stewart’s sentence for his “evil and vile” attack on the poor defenceless Cody is just simply not long enough.
A person can get more for kicking a police riot shield or throwing missiles at police lines during public disorder.
A person can get more for taking a car without the owner’s position.
A person can get more for peddling drugs.
A person can get more for stealing thousands of founds from a bank.
The list goes on and on and on.
Cody meant the world to her family. She was part of the family and they loved her and miss her greatly.
The judiciary should reflect long and hard on animal welfare sentences because Northern Ireland is a nation of animal lovers and they expect the courts to reflect the public’s revulsion at such crimes.
The public want to see that those who inflict wicked cruelty and unnecessary suffering to animals to be made an example of to those who think it is perfectly normal to mistreat animals for so-called fun or sport.
When the Welfare of Animals (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 was passed, the public was promised that the new legislation would “provide tougher penalties for serious animals welfare sentences”.
Ten months in jail for dousing a dog with petrol and then setting it alight is not a tough enough sentence.
The maximum sentence is two years under the 2011 legislation.
Frankly, our well paid Assembly members should take the legislation back to the floor of the Assembly andhave the maximum increased to a minimum of five years.
Andrew Stewart should have got no credit by the judge for his guilty plea as his trial was about to start.
He denied these offences when he was arrested; he denied them when he was charged; he denied them when he was arraigned; he denied them even when a jury was a sworn in to hear his case.
For a gutless coward who ended the life of a much loved family pet he should have received the maximum of two years in jail.
It would have sent out a clear and unequivocal message that the courts will come down extremely hard on those who abuse, mistreat or causing unnecessary suffering or harm to them.
Cody only got a partial justice today at Belfast Crown Court.
It is up to the public to bring pressure to bear on their fat cat MLAs to review the Welfare of Animals Act 2011 law and have the maximum term of imprisonment for animal cruelty upped to a minimum of five years.
All animals needs protection from the warped and the twisted who think they are expendable, to be used in blood sports or can be attacked for loutish fun.
Don’t let Cody’s horrific death be in vane.
Lobby your MLA today and ask him or her to support a motion for the legislation to be toughened.
Do we as a society really want animal welfare offenders to receive ten months in a cushy prison surrounded by Playstations, X -Box consoles, HD television, Astro turf football pitches and a ready access to recreational and prescription drugs.
Cody deserves better. All animals deserve better.
At the end of the day, we, the public, are their voice to end the unnecessary and barbaric suffering meted out to them for no good reason at all.
Folk group The Druids sparked a row at Ardoyne Fleadh over ‘hate speech’
A republican folk band at the centre of a political row over comments made at the Ardoyne Fleadh last month will not face prosecution.
The PSNI said officers in north Belfast had carried out a “full and thorough investigation” the stage performance by The Druids
The DUP and TUV said they had reported comments made by the act to the police.
The police say a file was presented to the Public Prosecution Service which advised no criminal offence had been committed.
A video from the event showed a member of the band telling the audience that British soldiers in Ireland “should get together with their Orange comrades” and go back to England.
The PPS decision has infuriated the DUP
Its North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds said the decision not to prosecute “beggars belief”.
“In Scotland prosecutions have been successfully pursued against those who sang the so-called Famine Song, yet the republican equivalent has been given the green light by the PSNI and PPS in Northern Ireland. Why is the obvious question?” he said
“In our original statement we said we would be keeping a close eye on the PSNI investigation because of their past favouritism towards this event. It is now clear our concerns were justified.”
“This import of this decision should not be underestimated by the authorities. Every political extremist has been given free rein to tell whatever section of society they like to f- off home, to threaten them, to abuse them and the PPS and PSNI will look the other way.”
“This decision will be challenged by the DUP at the Assembly, on the Policing Board and through any other avenue we can find.”
However, the SDLP’s Alban Maginness said it was the right decision even though the remarks were offensive.
At the time the row was sparked, chairman of the Ardoyne Fleadhy, Eddie Copeland said the remarks by The Druids were “wrong and disappointing”.
Police have re-opened the M1 motorway following a hoax bomb alert
A SECURITY alert in Belfast has ended but it caused delay to two Danske Bank Irish League fixtures.
The police have now re-opened the M1 between Lisburn, County Antrim, and Broadway in Belfast in both directions following a security alert.
The alarm was raised after a suspicious object was found at Kennedy Way on Saturday morning.
Army technical officers carried out a controlled explosion on the object.
The ATO later declared it an elaborate hoax.
As a result, Irish League chiefs had to delay two Premier League matches.
The Linfield v Dungannon game at Windsor Park in south Belfast was put back three quarters of an hour to 3.45 pm.
The Crusaders v Ards match at Seaview in North Belfast was delayed until 3.15 pm.
Serial paedophile Jimmy Savile tells Kelly: I’m no paedophile
EXCLUSIVELY LIVE: UTV LIVE Tonight reveals a shocking interview with serial pervert Jimmy Savile in which he confesses: I am not a paedophile.
Top chat show host Gerry Kelly put the hard tough questions to child abuser Jimmy Savile during a grilling six years ago at his seedy lair in England.
The television interview will be shown tonight at 10.35pm just two days after former school teacher Gerry appeared back at UTV Havelock House Studios where his popular show was unceremoniously axed several years ago.
On Tuesday night, Gerry made a guest appearance on The Magic Box. Hosted by Eamonn Holmes, the show was a collaboration between UTV and BBC to dredge up Ulster’s funniest moments on television to herald the end of dreary analogue TV.
But astonishigly, some three weeks after the ITV investigative series ‘Exposure’ unmasked Jimmy Savile as a child abuser, UTV has dug into its archives and found an exclusive interview between one-time chat show king Gerry Kelly and sex fiend Savile.
Former chat show king Gerry Kelly grilled Jimmy Savile
“It’s a shocker,” a UTV insider tells the Belfast Daily Live Tonight edition tonight.
“Gerry looked Savile in the face and asked him directly to his face about the rumours going round that he was a nonce.
“Jimmy was puffing on his cigar and amazingly, looked Gerry straight in the face and confessed: ‘I am not a paedophile’. It’s an absolute shocker.
“Nobody thought for one minute he was going to make such an amazing confesssion. It will be gripping television tonight. Don’t put the kettle until the half time whistle.”
Electricitiy chiefs are on standby for a massive surge of power when UTV Live Tonight goes out live tonight, live at 10.35pm.
So tune in and watch Jimmy Savile’s amazing ‘I’m No Paedophile’ confession tonight on UTV Live Tonight.
Tonight at 10.3opm on UTV (channel 3 on the old analogue system).
