WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE
ANDREW RICHARD STEWART is due to be sentenced this morning after he admitted setting a family dog on fire in 2012.
The 23-year-old from Wellington Parks, Moira, Craigavon, Co Armagh denied the charge for two years but pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary cruelty to an animal last month.
He’s due to appear before Laganside Crown Court, Belfast at 10am this morning.
The three year old Collie, Cody, survived for two weeks after the attack but had to be put down when vets concluded she would never fully recover.
Over 70,000 people have pledged support for Cody on the Justice for Cody Facebook page.
Jamie Downey, 23, of Chestnut Hall Avenue, Moira admitted a lesser charge of perverting the course of justice. He is also due to be sentenced today.
The owners of Cody, Natalie and Martin Agnew, said they have found the past two years very stressful.
Natalie said, “The effect it has had on my two boys is still ongoing. They have had to have counselling, sleepless nights, nightmares.”
It has been awful hard to come to terms with ourselves, and trying to explain to children – when we can’t understand or fathom it ourselves – is very hard.
Supporters of Justice for Cody are expected to show their support outside court this morning.
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