A woman who killed her neighbour’s dog by throwing poisoned meat over their fence was caught on camera just moments later as she tried to destroy the evidence of her cruel act.
Susan Foster, 60, from Scunthorpe, deliberately laced a chunk of meat with anti-freeze and chucked it over the fence into Colin Stark’s garden where his German Shepherd Roxy ate it.
Roxy, which Mr Stark owned since Roxy was eight weeks old. She spent four days suffering from severe pain and vomiting until vets finally decided to give her a rest.
CCTV captured Foster throwing the food across the fence.
She was caught trying to erase the evidence and stealing the camera hours later.
At Grimsby Magistrates’ Court, Foster was convicted of an act of poisoning meat and throwing it into her neighbour’s garden, and another charge of causing a drug or substance to be taken, knowing it to be poisonous.
She did not explain her actions in court and received a 26-week sentence suspended for 12 month.
Susan Foster, 60, deliberately laced a chunk of meat with anti-freeze and chucked it over the fence into Colin Stark’s garden where his German Shepherd Roxy ate it
Roxy (pictured), spent four days suffering from terrible nausea and vomiting, before her vets finally decided to put Roxy to rest.
Stark (65 years old) said that the June 12 incident ‘came out the blue’.
According to him, he used to greet his neighbor every morning, but they stopped speaking to one another as time went on. Foster remained at home, and he said that Foster did not work.
On June 12, Roxy began vomiting at Mr Stark’s Scunthorpe home, Lincolnshire. He later discovered strange pieces of meat in the garden.
He stated, “We watched Roxy. She wasn’t being her normal self. Because she was so lethargic, her only option was to lie there.
“She was becoming worse every day over the course of the day.
‘We then took her to the vets and took samples of the meat, and he said: “I think that’s poison”.’
Stark discovered CCTV footage that showed Foster throwing toxic food onto her property from 6 feet away.
Foster attempted to destroy evidence with his stolen camera, just hours after her poisonous trap was set.
He stated that he had played the game back when Roxy was asleep and could see on my computer something coming.
“Was this a bird?” I wondered. It was then that I made it slower and it became clear that there were things being thrown across the fence.
‘The camera’s got an alarm trigger, so it detects motion, and it set off a trigger on my phone at 11:45pm on Saturday.
‘I looked at the alarm, and at first I couldn’t work out what it is.
‘Then I realise it’s a hand, and it’s her hand going all over the camera, and then eventually, her face appears on the camera.’
Stark stated that Foster had ‘vanished’ after the attack and then sold her bungalow.
He didn’t see her again until the Grimsby Magistrates Court trial.
Roxy was found to have suffered from antifreeze poisoning, also called ethylene glycol, during the hearing.
According to the expert, Roxy’s clinical signs on June 14-16 were consistent with Roxy having taken the drug around June 12.
Foster received a suspended sentence and was required to complete 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days.
She was also disqualified from keeping all animals for 12 months and ordered to pay £2,040 in court costs, £627 compensation to Roxy’s owners and a £120 victim surcharge.
Stark saw CCTV footage of Foster throwing the poisonous food through Foster’s 6ft fence onto Stark’s property
Foster intentionally added anti-freeze to a piece meat and she was captured on CCTV throwing it at her neighbor’s fence.
Stark spoke out after Foster was sentenced. He said that he had confronted Foster because he saw the video of the meat being put into his yard.
He said: ‘I’m banging on her front windows, saying “give me my camera back.”
“My voice was loud as I was angry. And my wife stated, “You should stop screaming, pack your stuff and call the police.”
“But, within thirty seconds of her saying this, she emerged with the camera and we exchanged a few words.”
‘She gave it back, and it’s got her on camera in her house, walking through her house.’
Stark, who was heartbroken, said that he still thinks about Roxy daily. He added: “Nothing can bring Roxy home, she was such a wonderful dog.
‘We’ve got pictures of her. We’ve got one over the fireplace. It’s one the children gave us for Christmas.
‘It says “the boss lives here” because she was the boss of the house, and it’s a lovely picture of her just laying on the floor.’
A heartbroken Mr Stark (pictured), said that Roxy is his most precious possession. He added: “Nothing can bring Roxy home, she was such a wonderful dog.”
Stark claimed Foster should be given a more severe punishment because the poisonous food could have also killed Milo, his seven-year old dog.
He stated, “We have justice but it is very mild justice.”
‘We’ve got two dogs, and she wasn’t just trying to get rid of one of them, she was trying to get rid of both of them.
“With such an intention, she should have gotten at least five more years straight away. Look at America, you’ll see the results.
Roxy was an amazing dog, and nothing can bring Roxy home. Every day I think of Roxy.
‘When we’d go to the Co-op, she would just sit and wait for me while I was in the shop. She wouldn’t bark at anybody.
“I made a mask of my daughter’s face when I put her to bed. You never forget. When she was just eight weeks old, she was our puppy.
Inspector Bradshaw, RSPCA’s chief investigator, described the case as a “very sad case”.
He stated that Roxy was their beloved pet and they were devastated by her death.
Roxy was in great pain, suffering from the act. The dog’s health declined and Roxy lost her life.