Co Armagh man accused of putting dog in a bag and punching it

While initially reported and feared that the Jack Russell Terrier had sadly died as a result of being put into a bag and allegedly battered, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard the dog is alive but is “very sore.” Appearing in the dock charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the dog was 49-year-old Rolandas Kvederis, from Thomas Street in Portadown. While he confirmed that he understood the single charge against him, a police officer gave evidence that he believed he could connect the defendant to the offence and that police were objecting to Kvederis being freed on bail. He outlined how it was just after 1pm on Wednesday when police responded to a report from a member of the public that she had “observed a male kill a dog.” Having followed the man on foot, she was able to guide police to the corner of West Street and North Street in Portadown where Kvederis was detained by police. Officers could smell alcohol and a breath test gave a reading of 77, just over twice the legal drink drive limit and spoken to at the scene, he “mumbled something about drinking in his girlfriend’s house and ‘the dog killed a small cat and he was taking the dog away’.” Police went to a vets surgery with the reporting person where they were told the jack Russell Terrier had “suffered shock and had soreness around his limb areas.” “The witness said she observed the defendant carrying the dog in a bag and walk into some bushes. She stated that the defendant then began to beat the dog and slam it off the ground. The defendant then walked off,” said the police officer claiming that as Kvederis walked away he allegedly told the witness: “You don’t know what you’ve done. I will get your own kind to kill you.” She has been left “in fear as she is aware of his associates” but defence solicitor Philip Reid objected to the connotation of “associates,” commenting that it sounded “very sinister” when there is no suggestion Kvederis has any involvement in any type of organised crime. The court heard that another witness who was with the reporting party gave a similar account that Kvederis was “punching the bag with the dog in it or swinging it” but during interviews the defendant denied the cruelty. “He stated he was angry at the dog and had placed it into a bag with the intention of carrying it to the park and leaving it there,” said the officer. Mr Reid added that thankfully, “the dog isn’t dead, Your Worship. I think the initial reporting person thought he had killed the dog.” “The account he has given is that the dog seems to have killed a cat,” said the lawyer, “What he said was he was going to release the dog. The reason he had it in a bag is to stop the dog from biting and scratching at him. His intention was to leave the dog there. He completely denies beating the dog. I am not sure if there is any suggestion the dog has any real injuries.” The court heard that according to a report from the vets, the terrier “showed symptoms of shock…and seemed very sore upon manipulation and palpation of both pelvic limbs particularly the left hand side as well as pain above the pelvis.” Mr Reid suggested however the dog is quite old so “there could be underlying issues.” District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “What I am looking at is a man who has allegedly done something graphic and horrible to a dog and has also breached his bail.” “Even putting a dog in a bag is an act of the utmost cruelty. What he is then said to have done is disgusting, inhumane behaviour. The cat may have been killed by the dog but a dog is going to go for a cat, it really doesn’t have a choice in that. “As apparently intelligent human beings, we do have a choice into whether we attack a dog or not. All of this is prefaced by the fact that these are allegations and there is an awful lot this court does not know." The judge said that giving Kvederis “the benefit of the doubt,” he would release him on his own bail of £500 but he is banned from the Corcrain and Westland Drive areas of Portadown and banned from having custody or control of any animal. The PSNI officer said the matter was “all over social media [so] for the defendant’s own safety he would be safer not in that area.” Adjourning the case to 30 May, Judge Ranaghan said if there was “any ‘pursuance that is not right” as these matters need to be dealt with by the courts.