A couple have appeared in court accused of animal cruelty after a dog was found dead in a suitcase on the banks of the River Mersey.
Chantelle Duvall-Gregory and Christy Carl Hewitt are alleged to have beaten and abused their dog Snoop over an eight month period at the home they shared on Winfield Green in Garston.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard this afternoon that Snoop, a Malinois or Belgian Shepherd, also didn’t have an adequate diet and that Duvall-Gregory, 20, and Hewitt, 21, allegedly failed to take him to a vet despite him needing treatment.
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The pair spoke only to confirm their personal details and deny all charges against them. The RSPCA initially launched an appeal for information after a dog’s body was found locked inside a pink suitcase on the banks of the river in Speke and Garston Nature Reserve.
Duvall-Gregory and Hewitt were later charged with three offences each of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between April 1, 2021 and December 22, 2021. Both were also charged with one count of breaching their duties as people responsible for ensuring the welfare of an animal. All charges relate to Snoop.
Peter Mitchell, prosecuting, said he believed the nature of the offences meant they could be tried in the lower courts. Victoria Balenski, defending, said she agreed with that proposal and invited magistrates to set a trial date for later this year.
Duvall-Gregory and Hewitt, of Parkfield Road in Aigburth, were both granted conditional bail. The pair are set to stand trial at Sefton Magistrates’ Court in November.
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