CONVICTED (2022) | game warden Christopher Robertson, born 20 January 1972, of Pratt Street, Kirkcaldy KY1 1RY – banned from keeping pets for 20 years after his lurcher dog was found “extremely emaciated” and close to death. The alarm was raised by a resident near the A822 layby and her gardener, on July 13, 2018 after they heard Robertson “roaring” and the sound of a small dog yelping, and a larger dog “screaming”. This noise continued for about an hour, and both witnesses became increasingly alarmed for the welfare of the dogs. The gardener phoned the police and two officers arrived at about 4.40pm. They saw Robertson walking an extremely emaciated lurcher-type dog. She was almost completely bald and covered in sores. Her ribs and hips were protruding through her skin. The dog would have died within hours if she had not been found in a lay-by as she had been neglected for months by Christopher Robertson. As officers approached, Robertson tried to place the dog in the back of his pick-up truck. She was too weak to jump into the tailgate so Robertson lifted her in. He became aggressive when officers approached and asked about his dog. He said to them: “Fs it to do with you” and “there’s nothing wrong with her, f off. I’m not telling you my name, I’ve done f*** all.” During the ensuing angry standoff, officers saw that Wilkinson had a knife with a 3″ blade attached to his belt. The knife was pulled out by one of the officers and thrown to safety. Police called for back-up after Robertson slid underneath his vehicle where he stayed for around 20 minutes. When he finally emerged, he was asked about his knife. He replied: “I’m a gamekeeper, it’s for gralloching deer.” As well as the lurcher, police found a small Border terrier in Robertson’s truck. She appeared to be in better condition than the lurcher, who was so weak she couldn’t stand without assistance. She was seen to be even more emaciated up close and was covered in open sores. All four of her paws were bleeding between each toe. Both dogs were taken to a local vet for treatment. Vet Rhuairidh Mackenzie said: “The dog was extremely emaciated, with extensive patchy hair loss and numerous wounds to the body. “She was so weak she struggled to stand or walk. She had profuse diarrhoea and was in need of immediate medical attention. She was given IV fluids. “She was outwith the normal readings attributed to extreme malnutrition. We wrapped her paws in bubble wrap to increase her temperature. “She weighed 8.3 kilos, when a dog of that breed would normally be 12 to 15 kilos. Normal food portions would have been dangerous to her liver. “It was difficult to estimate how long it took to get to this stage. Scars and lesions were prolific. She had sores all over her body. “The body condition of this lurcher was the worst I had ever seen. It was at the extreme end of mistreatment. No reasonable person could have looked at her and not known she needed treatment.” Another surgeon Kate Jamieson added: “It’s my opinion that this case involved months of neglect. “If the [lurcher] had not received treatment when she did, I think she would have died over the weekend.” She said: “It has been the worst case of neglect that I have ever seen. Definitely the skinniest.” Robertson admitted causing the dog unnecessary suffering in addition to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and possession of a knife in a public place. Sentencing: nine-month curfew; 20-year pet ban. Daily Record