Men killed homeless man's dog in 'childish dispute'

Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.

Two men who ran over and killed a homeless man's dog amid a "childish dispute" have been jailed for a year and a half.

Reece Hepplewhite, 25, drove at the victim and his dogs on the instruction of his friend Daniel Langley, 30, in South Shields in January, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Langley, of Sunderland, targeted the victim, who he had known since school, after a "stupid" falling out on Facebook escalated.

Both admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal while Hepplewhite, of South Shields, also admitted dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. Both were also banned from keeping animals for three years.

In December last year, the victim put a picture of his dog on Facebook, prompting Langley to send the man messages calling the animal a "turkey", prosecutor Ian Cook said.

The pair began exchanging increasingly aggressive messages, the court heard, and Langley made a number of threats, including saying he would chop the man's dog's head off and put it on a pole and stab and "ram" the victim.

On 6 January, "things went beyond comments", the prosecutor said.

Fearing the threats, the victim, who was homeless and sleeping in parks around South Shields town centre, decided to pack up his belongings and leave with his dogs.

As he was walking, he heard Langley shout "run him and his dogs over" followed by the revving of an engine, Cook told the court.

Hepplewhite drove the silver Volvo estate at the man and clipped him and one of the dogs, which ran off, the court heard.

He then turned the car, in which Langley was a front seat passenger, and drove at the man again, this time hitting the second dog and killing it, Cook said.

Langley got out and said the man would "get it" while Hepplewhite said there would be "money" on the victim's head if police were contacted, before the pair drove away.

Defence lawyers for both men said they had not meant to kill the dog, with Hepplewhite claiming he lost control when the car hit an icy patch.

Both objected to being called "dog killers", the court heard, while Robin Turton for Langley said it was a "criminally stupid incident arising from a stupid, childish dispute".

Both had previous convictions and were out on licence at the time of the attack, the court heard - Hepplewhite for dealing Class A drugs and Langley for a robbery - and they had since been recalled to prison.

Heppelwhite's 29 previous offences included multiple driving crimes, while Langley's 48 previous offences included multiple assaults, the court heard.

Recorder Richard Stubbs said the men were at best "indifferent" to whether the dog was killed and showed a "total disregard" for the animal's well-being.

He said although they might dislike being called dog killers, with Langley having been subjected to "significant online abuse", the "facts" were their "actions did cause the death of a dog".

A restraining order prohibiting the men from contacting the victim was made for five years, while Hepplewhite was also banned from driving for two years and one month and ordered to pass an extended test.

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