A 43 year-old woman who stole her ex-partner’s dog has been given a six month suspended jail sentence.

Denise Hynds, of Pelham Road, appeared before Derry Magistrates Court charged with the theft of the dog and abandoning an animal.

The offences took place in October 2013.

The court heard that on October 26, 2013, at around 2am the injured party made a report to police that he had heard what he thought was a knock at his door and a taxi waiting outside his property.

When he looked to the rear of his house, he saw Hynds, his ex-partner, leaning into his dog’s pen.

When he came out of his house, both she and his Staffordshire bull terrier had ‘disappeared’.

The stolen dog was later located through the Facebook page ‘Pet FBI’.

A member of the public had discovered the animal ‘wandering around the Brigade area’ trying to shelter from the rain.

The dog was described as ‘dirty, scared, soaking wet and starving’.

Hynds denied stealing the dog and said she had been drinking in Muff and had gotten a taxi home but her recollection of the rest of the night was ‘hazy’ due to her alcohol intake.

Steven Mooney, defence solicitor, said that the sentencing had been deferred and Hynds had ‘stayed out of trouble and managed to keep her nose clean’ despite her alcohol problem.

Deputy District Judge Peter King said that he had made it ‘very clear’ that he expected Hynds to stay out of trouble for the period of the deferral and if she had not she would have been jailed for these offences and a suspended sentence would also have been activated.

He said: “You came very close to going to prison today both for these offences and the suspended sentence.”

Speaking of her treatment of the animal, he added: “Thankfully we are not dealing with a more serious situation.”

Hynds was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

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