CALUM TURNER BOOTLE DOG ABUSE SHOCKER: HORRIFIC ATTACK ON STAFFY CAUGHT ON CCTV

In a disturbing incident that has shocked the local community of Bootle, Calum Turner, born around 1996 and residing at 60 Antonio Street, was caught on CCTV brutally assaulting a defenseless Staffordshire bull terrier. The incident, which took place in the early hours, was captured in a distressing two-minute video that shows Turner engaging in a violent attack against the helpless dog, which was lying motionless on the ground.

Despite the severity of his actions, Turner was not prohibited from owning animals following the incident. The footage reveals him wrestling with the dog, kicking out at it, and wielding a handle from a push toy as a makeshift weapon. He repeatedly struck the dog with the handle, then proceeded to stamp down and kick in the same direction, demonstrating a clear intent to harm.

After the assault, Turner stood up, and a Staffordshire bull terrier, later identified as Mochi, emerged from the area and ran across the garden. The incident drew the attention of authorities, including Inspector Joanne McDonald, who was involved in the investigation alongside the RSPCA. On July 2, 2021, Inspector McDonald visited the property located on Lewisham Road in Norris Green, where the attack occurred.

Inspector McDonald recounted her initial reaction upon reviewing the CCTV footage: “Before attending the location I saw the CCTV footage of the beating. I saw a male, who I now know to be Mr. Calum Turner, who appeared to be hitting, kicking and smacking a dog for a prolonged period. The fence seemed to be obstructing the view but near the end the dog clearly ran away from the area Mr. Turner was seen in. It was very upsetting to watch and I was very concerned for the dogs at that property.”

During the visit, the inspector explained the purpose of their presence and requested that the dogs be examined by a veterinarian. After being loaded into her van, Turner approached her and admitted to having hit Mochi with a soft toy, believing the dog had mauled their other pet, Mitzee. Turner also confessed to having his arms around Mochi and shouting at him, acknowledging that he had gone too far.

The two dogs, Mochi aged five and Mitzee aged 12 weeks, were taken to a veterinary clinic for assessment. The vet found both dogs to be alert and without injuries, but the report indicated that Mochi had suffered during the attack. The veterinarian’s report stated: “Although the CCTV footage and lack of supporting medical evidence of injury do not provide any definitive evidence Turner made physical contact with Mochi by striking the dog with the metal and plastic push toy handle and by kicking and stamping down on the dog, the statements made by Turner confirm such physical contact did occur which caused the dog to yelp and cry out. These actions would have caused the dog to suffer. Suffering will have been experienced by this animal via mechanisms of pain, fear and distress for a period of two minutes, probably longer.”

In court, magistrates acknowledged the brutality of the attack, describing it as “prolonged and nasty,” but decided against imposing a disqualification order on Turner. They considered his actions to have been carried out under duress and took into account his previous good character. It was also noted that Turner was not the owner of either Mochi or Mitzee.

RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cragg, who led the investigation, condemned the act, stating: “This was a callous act involving the deliberate beating of poor Mochi who would have experienced pain and fear as a direct result of this horrible attack.”

The court sentenced Turner to a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete 160 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a total of £595 in fines. Notably, no ban on owning animals was imposed as part of the sentence.