Rest In Peace Wurzel

How would you react if your next door neighbours small dog strayed into your garden? If you like dogs, and this one appeared friendly, you might give it a stroke, maybe offer it a biscuit, before seeing it safely home.

If you are not a dog lover, perhaps you would shout at it, and shoo it out of your garden. Maybe, if the neighbours dog had done a crap on your lawn, you would go around next door and complain. Even if you like dogs, it is not nice to have a strange one fouling your grass.

Of course these reactions are perfectly acceptable, and are the kind of things you would expect in the circumstances.

What you would not do, is, you would not pick up a heavy broom handle, and beat the little dog senseless. Beat the little dog so savagely that you smash its little skull into pieces and bash it's brains in. You wouldn't do that would you? Even if you absolutely loathed dogs that is not the sort of thing any reasonable person would do is it?

Wurzel

But incredibly, three years ago, that is exactly what one of my neighbours did to my extremely handsome son's little dog Wurzel, when she went into his garden. He picked up a broom handle and savagely battered her.

Wurzel was one of the friendliest little dogs ever. A terrier cross. Extremely handsome son George chose her from the litter, and gave her the name Wurzel. We all loved her. She was a terrier though, and she had terrier instincts. She would, if the opportunity arose chase anything. That is the reason she went into the neighbours garden. She had seen the hens he had recently acquired. Not that they were in any danger from her. They were in a secure hen run. She couldn't hurt them. But she was apparently barking at them. For that, she paid with her life.

When he had beaten her unconscious, the neighbour, picked her up and threw her back over the fence, where she landed on the concrete path.

My extremely handsome son George and I were not at home when all this happened. But arrived in the immediate aftermath. We went into the house. We were happy because we'd had a good result at the football. How quickly our happiness turned to tears when we found Tricia, sitting, white faced, and shocked, on the sofa, cuddling Wurzel. The little dog was fitting, and making small high pitched whimpers. My first thought on seeing her was that she would recover, but Tricia knew that she was brain dead. She just knew.

Of course there is more to this whole incident than first meets the eye. Tricia had been involved in a right of way dispute with this neighbour, which had been simmering for some time. What I wasn't aware of was that he had previously threatened to make her life hell. He had actually on more than one occasion, I later found out, burst into the house, shouting and swearing. Tricia had kept these incidents from me. Not wanting me to get involved. Hoping things would eventually settle down. I firmly believe that when he murdered Wurzel, he did it because he knew how much it would hurt Tricia.

I went next door to see him. Perhaps I should have counted to ten first. But I wasn't in a counting mood! The strange thing is that Tricia said later, I appeared very calm. She watched me remove my glasses, and place them on the table before I went out. She thought there might be trouble! She was right.

The neighbour went off to hospital in an ambulance. Nothing too serious, just some bruising and a few broken ribs! At least I didn't bash his brains in! I was arrested, taken to the police station and locked up.

I just couldn't help myself you see. The pain and anguish I felt at seeing Wurzel like that. The feeling I had that I had let my family down. The rage I felt that he thought he could do what he had done without consequence. What must he have thought? Did he think I wouldn't react? I think that is what he thought. How wrong he was!

I had been doing so well too. Hadn't been in trouble with the law for many years. I know it's wrong to take the law into your own hands, but I wasn't thinking straight. I was in shock. Even so I'm not sorry. He got what he deserved!

He has moved away now, thank God. I wish I could name him on this blog, but I am not allowed to cause him harassment. Not for at least five years, or they will lock me up again!

There is a lot more to this story. It made national news. TV even. I will come back to it sometimes.

RIP little Wurzel.