CALLUM GERKEN'S BRUTAL CRUELTY IN FOREST HILL: PUPPY BEATEN TO DEATH

In a disturbing case of animal cruelty, Callum Lee Gerken, born on January 6, 1992, and residing on Stanton Road in Oxford, has been found guilty of heinously attacking a young Labrador puppy in Forest Hill. The incident, which shocked the local community and animal welfare advocates alike, involved a brutal assault that resulted in the puppy's tragic death.

Shadow, a 17-week-old black Labrador puppy, suffered severe injuries during the attack. Witnesses reported that the puppy sustained a laceration to her liver, a fractured jaw, and fractured ribs, all inflicted by Gerken. The assault was so vicious that the puppy was left struggling to breathe, yet Gerken refused to seek any medical assistance for her, showing a blatant disregard for her suffering.

The incident came to light on Wednesday, April 3, 2019, when police responded to a distress call from an address on Saunders Road, Oxford. It was there that officers found the injured puppy and began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her injuries. Gerken was promptly arrested the following day, April 4, and was formally charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, along with malicious communications.

Further details revealed that Gerken's anger was triggered by Shadow's behavior inside the house, where she had defecated and torn items, causing damage. In a disturbing display of cruelty, Gerken admitted to repeatedly hitting the puppy with a slipper. His actions were compounded by malicious voice messages sent to Shadow’s owner, in which he claimed, “I have just beat it from one side of the room to the other.” In these messages, Gerken also declared, “I don’t give a fuck. That is how it will be with me. She ain’t gonna do that again because she cannot fucking walk.”

Despite initially denying the charges, Gerken changed his plea to guilty at the last minute during the court proceedings. The magistrates did not hold back in their condemnation, stating, “The dog died as a result of what was done to her. You were determined to cause harm and you made threats that you would cause further harm to the dog. You were in a position of responsibility. You used a slipper as a weapon. You did not call or take the dog to the vet or seek advice even though you were aware she was unwell.”

Supporters of Gerken, present in court, shouted words of encouragement as he was led away, including “love you Cal, see you next week.” The court ultimately sentenced him to 23 weeks in prison, ordered him to pay £250 in compensation, and £1,000 in court costs. Additionally, Gerken was banned from keeping dogs for a period of ten years, reflecting the severity of his actions and the court’s stance on animal cruelty in Forest Hill and Oxford.