KIRKBY DOG ATTACK CASE: CHRISTY DRAPER AND PETER FINNEGAN LAUGH AS PROSECUTION COLLAPSES IN KNOWSLEY

In a disturbing incident that shocked the local community in Knowsley, two men, Christy Draper and Peter Finnegan, faced serious allegations involving the brutal treatment of a feral cat named Tooch. The incident, which reportedly took place in January 2011, involved the two men allegedly goading their dogs into attacking the defenseless feline, an act that drew widespread outrage and media attention.

Alf White, an animal lover and caretaker of Tooch, recounted the tragic events. He had looked after Tooch, a feral tabby cat that had lived near his workplace in Kirkby for five years, treating her as a pet. On the day of the attack, White arrived at Knowsley Industrial Park to find Tooch’s body lying on the ground, a sight that devastated him. Upon reviewing CCTV footage from the yard, White discovered horrifying images showing Tooch being torn apart by dogs, while a man, believed to be one of the accused, was seen kicking her while watching the attack unfold.

The Liverpool Echo published the distressing photographs in an effort to identify those responsible. The publication prompted an outpouring of calls from the public offering information. Following the investigation, Merseyside police formally charged Christy Draper, of Kirkby, and Peter Finnegan, formerly of Mintor Road, Kirkby, and as of November 2019 residing at 36 Browning Street, Bootle, with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

However, when the case was scheduled to go to trial on 2 November 2011, the prosecution unexpectedly offered no evidence. District Judge Ian Lomax dismissed the case, stating, “As always it is for the prosecution to prove you are guilty rather than for you to prove you are innocent. I do not know what the flaws in the prosecution’s case are but clearly they were spotted and it was decided no evidence is to be offered. The case against you is dismissed.”

Witnesses and the accused, dressed in casual attire such as tracksuit bottoms and T-shirts, exited the courtroom laughing and mocking the proceedings. One of them shouted, “You have wasted everyone’s time.”

White expressed his frustration and anger over the collapse of the case. He told the Liverpool Echo, “I am absolutely fuming. I am shaking with rage. I cannot get my head straight.” He explained that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had told him that although they possessed CCTV footage, it only showed the side of the building and did not clearly prove that Tooch was alive during the attack. White insisted that he visited Tooch 29 minutes before the attack to bring her a blanket and say goodnight, asserting she was alive at that time. However, the CPS claimed this detail was not included in the evidence.

White also revealed that he paid £360 for veterinary treatment to repair Tooch’s damaged teeth. He pointed out that another cat, Sylvie, was present in the footage and was fortunate to survive the ordeal. Sylvie has since been relocated to the Liverpool Cat Sanctuary for her safety.

Attempts by the Liverpool Echo to obtain clarification from the CPS regarding the reasons behind the case’s collapse and the delay in evidence presentation went unanswered. The community remains outraged over what they perceive as a miscarriage of justice in a case that highlighted the cruelty inflicted upon a vulnerable animal in Knowsley.