CONVICTED (2024) | Lukasz Sudek, born 1 May 1986, with a last known address of Harris Close, Hounslow TW3 4JJ but with links to Harrow, Feltham and Brentford – brutally kicked and strangled his girlfriend’s dog because he was stressed from losing his job. Sudek was caught savagely battering the defenceless animal by a CCTV camera in an alleyway below his girlfriend’s flat in Sudbury Hill, Harrow, on April 8, 2024. The Polish national had a cigarette behind his ear and a can of lager in one hand as he used his free hand to choke the small brown dog with an orange-handled retractable lead, pulling the cord over his shoulder to cut air from its windpipe. Sudek gulped and shamefully hung his head below the dock as disturbing footage of the relentless booting was played in court. Prosecutor Shelina Khuduron said police were called to the scene by a concerned member of the public who had witnessed the cruel kicking. They described Sudek ‘kicking the dog in the head’ and ‘pulling the leash over his shoulder to strangle the dog’. Sudek’s girlfriend told officers she had thrown him out over the incident, but Sudek handed himself in once he heard police had CCTV. Footage of the attack lasted around four minutes, including over a dozen kicks, and Sudek could be seen shaking his hands out after repeatedly yanking the lead to throttle the animal. Ms Khuduron said there was no victim impact statement from Sudek’s ex-girlfriend (the dog owner), and vet bills or a statement about the injuries from a vet. During the search at the police station, Sudek was also found with a bag of amphetamine. He was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and for possession of a Class B drug. He admitted both offences . Defence counsel Syed Naveed said Sudek had come to the UK in 2004 and had a well-paid career in construction before he lost his job in Christmas 2023|. After losing his income he moved in with his girlfriend, who supported them with money from hairdressing, but Sudek continued to be ‘under a lot of stress’. “His actions were due to that stress,” Mr Naveed argued. “Still, he realises there was no justification for that, and that’s why he pleaded guilty at the very first opportunity.” Mr Naveed also said Sudek was aware of his own anger management issues, and claimed he had been unable to show the probation service remorse due to the language barrier. Sentencing Sudek, the lead magistrate said the footage showed the attack was ‘a deliberate attempt to cause suffering’. “We saw the CCTV, where the handle of the lead was wrapped around your hand and pulled over your shoulder to cause maximum force,” the chairwoman said. She said it would have caused ‘a substantial amount of pain and suffering’ and concluded, due to ‘the level of violence used and the length of the incident’, only immediate custody was appropriate. Sudek broke down in tears and blew a kiss to his ex-girlfriend as she cried in the public gallery while he was led away. Sentencing | eight-week custodial; £154 victim surcharge. Five-year ban applicable to all animals (expires May 2029). MyLondon