Man batters pet dog to death with a hammer after pet poos in his newly painted room

A crazed man battered his dog to death with a hammer for defecating on his floor at his house. Hector Findlay, 56, came home to find West Highland terrier Ben had soiled in the living room he had just decorated. The retired taxi driver took the helpless hound outside, held him down and repeatedly smashed his skull. He then dumped the eight-yearold pet in a wheelie bin while he was still alive.

His family called the police but when they found Ben he was so badly injured he had to be put down by a vet. Neighbours said Findlay's wife June was besotted with the dog and the couple had statues of Westies in their garden and a welcome plaque of one beside their front door. Animal welfare campaigners and politicians have demanded a heavy punishment.



Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell said: "This man should never be allowed to have animals again. Ordinary people will find it hard to believe that someone could do this to a defenceless animal. I would hope his sentence will reflect the horror the public will feel about this incident."

A spokesman for the Westie Rescue Scheme said: "This is absolutely disgusting. All dogs have accidents but this man has completely overstepped the mark by what he has done. This is a very distressing case and our members would consider a jail sentence to be a reasonable disposal for a crime like this." At Hamilton Sheriff Court Findlay admitted last month's horrific attack at his house in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Sheriff Thomas Millar called for background reports and ordered him to return for sentencing next month.