Dudley Payne tortured American Bully, Rocko, to death

Dudley Payne, 28, of Braintree Avenue, Penwortham, was convicted of killing 11-week-old American bully breed Rocko and inflicting a catalogue of non-accidental injuries on his pet including severe head trauma, a ruptured liver, a partial hip fracture and a prolapsed eyeball.

The young pup - who Payne had only owned for six days - also had cigarette burns on his groin and abrasions consistent with being scratched by fingernails.

The injury to Rocko's eye (Image: RSPCA)

At Preston Crown Court this morning (Friday October 20) Payne was sent to prison for two years and nine months.

He was also banned from keeping animals for 15 years.

RSPCA inspector Emma Dingley said it was the most shocking and violent act of deliberate cruelty towards an animal she had ever investigated in her eight-year career with the animal welfare charity.

Rocko (Image: RSPCA)

Payne had denied causing unnecessary suffering to Rocko - who he had bought from a childhood friend - claiming the injuries had been caused when he was performing CPR on the dog at his then home in Balcarres Road, Leyland.

But a jury at Preston Crown Court took just 20 minutes to find him unanimously guilty of animal cruelty after a four-day trial last month.

The injury to Rocko's eye (Image: RSPCA)

Jurors had heard that the RSPCA was contacted by a vet after Rocko was taken to them on February 2 last year, but he was dead on arrival.

A postmortem showed the puppy had suffered a ruptured liver, head trauma, a partial hip fracture and abrasions consistent with being scratched by fingernails, as well as cigarette burns to his groin area. There were also injuries to his abdomen and lacerations to his liver and he had inhaled the contents of his stomach.

In a statement read in court at the trial, inspector Dingley said: “The vet received the postmortem results back and immediately contacted the RSPCA. He told me on the phone it was the worst postmortem examination report he had ever read.”

The injuries to Rocko's groin area (Image: RSPCA)

A vet who also gave evidence in court said Rocko's injuries suggested "intentional harm," disputing the argument put forward by Payne’s legal team that the puppy had sustained his injuries as a result of Payne performing CPR after his pet had developed breathing difficulties.  

The puppy had been seen at the vet three days before for his vaccinations and was reported to be bright, alert and responsive.

When interviewed under caution at a police station by inspector Dingley, Payne answered no comment to all questions.

Payne had been remanded in custody since the conclusion of the trial.

Speaking after today’s hearing, inspector Dingley said: “I will never be able to comprehend what happened to Rocko and why such a young animal was treated in such a cruel way.

“This investigation will stay with me forever, but I’m pleased that we were able to get some justice for this little puppy, and I think the long custodial sentence reflects the gravity of this case.”