Jealous ex-lover shaved woman's shih-tzu

A man shaved his ex-girlfriend’s shih tzu dog as he thought she was not telling the truth about her whereabouts, a court heard. Robert Davey, 26, of Cotton Drive, Hertford, cut the hair of the victim’s pet, which she had been going to enter into the Crufts dog show, and damaged her house in Lee Close, Hertford, because he did not believe she was at work, Stevenage’s Magistrates’ Court was told on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Elaine McMillan said of the incident on December 6: "As she was walking home [from work] she could see the windows and doors were open. "In the kitchen she could see a large amount of dog’s hair next to the sink. She looked at the dog and saw the hair had been cut away. "The word ‘liar’ had been scrawled across the walls, door and fridge and in the lounge and hallway. "The damage to the property is quite extensive. The words were very large and written in black marker pen."



The couple had split up three weeks before the incident, although Davey had spent the night at the victim’s on December 5. The cost of the damage was estimated to be £3,000. Davey, who was representing himself, said: "I definitely agree I overreacted on a large scale. My defence is I don’t like being lied to. I’m a nice person, believe it or not."

Davey, who is self-employed, was ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to his victim, sentenced to a 12-month community order with supervision and told to attend a thinking skills programme. He was also given a weekend curfew from 7pm on Friday to 7am on Sunday for eight weeks, for which he will have to remain indoors and wear an electronic tag. Chairman of magistrates Nicholas Moss told Davey: "This behaviour is completely unacceptable. You do not treat other people’s property including a harmless pet in this fashion. "It’s absolutely abominable. You should be ashamed."