Teenager caught with sick video footage of his dogs tearing apart wild animals

A thug who trained his pet dogs to tear apart wild animals was caught after horrific mobile phone footage was found on his phone.

The case was heard at Greenock Sheriff Court

Patrick Carter, 19, kept three dogs, two lurchers, named Max and Murphy, and a Patterdale-Jack Russell cross, named Laddie.

The twisted sadist, from Greenock, Inverclyde, trained the dogs to hunt badgers and foxes, and also used the dogs for fighting.

He was nabbed in June last year after the Scottish SPCA were altered to concerns about the dogs - and an investigation revealed horrific video footage on Carter's mobile phone.

In one sick screengrab, Carter posted a picture of a lurcher with the caption 'big chap nearly lost his jaw'.

Investigators discovered that Laddie, a black terrier, and the two tan-coloured lurchers, had suffered severe injuries, from fighting wild animals.

Carter was found to have clothing, a hunting lamp and used animal nets when a warrant was issued to search his home.

Video footage showing badgers dragged from their setts, and a person holding one down while dogs attacked it, were described as 'gut wrenching'.

Damning messages were also discovered where Carter and his pals eagerly discussed the next hunt they would go on, and also celebrated the aftermath of one.

After the investigation, the three dogs were rescued and have been rehomed.

Carter pled guilty at Greenock Sheriff Court to keeping or training dogs for the purpose of an animal fight contrary to Section 23 (1) (a) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

He will be sentenced next month.

An undercover Scottish SPCA SIU inspector said: "Badger baiting and animal fighting are far more common than people would think and anyone engaging in this barbaric activity is inflicting unimaginable pain on the animals involved.

"The footage and pictures we uncovered are gut-wrenching.

"The animals he set his dogs on would have endured terrible suffering before they were killed.

"Whilst his dogs appeared to be in good general health when we searched his property, Laddie had severe facial injuries consistent with animal fighting and Max had scarring to the jaw area and his leg.

"On further examination, Laddie and Max were found to have scarring and deformities within the mouth and nose consistent with previous severe traumatic injuries.

"Multiple videos of animal fighting were found on Carter's personal devices, featuring two lurchers matching Max and Murphy's description.

"All of the videos found were incredibly disturbing to view and the animals involved were clearly in great distress and suffered the most horrific end to their lives.

"Over the animals screams, voices can be heard in the footage goading and encouraging the dogs to tear the animals apart."