LONG BUCKBY MAN STEVEN WOODHOUSE DROWNED NEIGHBOURS' PET DOG MEG IN WARWICKSHIRE AND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Steven Paul Woodhouse, born on March 2, 1962, and formerly residing on Old Watling Street in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, was involved in a disturbing case that shocked the local community. More recently, he had been living at Foxfield Place in Long Lawford, Rugby, Warwickshire, with the address CV23 9BF. The incident involved the tragic death of a beloved family pet, Meg, a border terrier owned by neighbors Alan and Alison Boddington, who had purchased her as a puppy in memory of their late daughter Lauren, who passed away at the age of 10 in 2008.

According to court reports, Steven Woodhouse claimed that he had become increasingly annoyed by Meg’s incessant barking, which he described as “yap, yap, yapping.” His frustration culminated in a heinous act on Saturday, July 26, 2014, when he decided to drown the dog in a water butt located in his garden. The court heard that he used this method to kill Meg, then placed her body into a bin liner and concealed it within his shed, attempting to hide the evidence.

Further details revealed that Woodhouse had tried to remove Meg’s microchip, hacking her body into pieces in the process. When the Boddingtons asked him to check his outbuildings for their missing pet, he panicked and threw Meg’s remains into a nearby hedge. Subsequently, he stashed her body in a plastic box inside his car’s boot before moving it to a remote lane. Despite his efforts to hide her, he eventually returned her body to his shed.

Two days after Meg’s disappearance, Alison Boddington went to confront Woodhouse, finding his VW Golf’s boot unlocked. She was devastated to discover Meg’s fur, along with a knife and rope, inside the vehicle. Overcome with emotion, she recounted her shock, saying, “I saw Meg’s fur and a knife and rope. I was shaking. I kept saying, ‘I knew he’d done it’.”

Initially, Woodhouse lied to police, claiming he had lost his temper with Meg and had dumped her alive two miles away. However, he prolonged the family’s distress for an additional five days before finally admitting the truth. The court also learned that shortly after killing Meg, Woodhouse drove around with her body in the boot of his car, intending to dispose of it. He even undertook an overnight flight to the Isle of Man with the corpse still in his vehicle before returning home.

The Boddington family expressed their heartbreak following the court hearing in December. Mrs. Alison Boddington, aged 48, described how Meg’s death had left a void in their home, stating, “She was one of the only memories we had left of our daughter Lauren. There is just something missing in our house now.” Her husband, Mr. Alan Boddington, added that Meg had provided comfort to their late daughter during difficult times, saying, “If Lauren was poorly, Meg would lay by her cot. She was just a very kind, sweet-natured dog.” He emphasized that Meg was a small dog and not a noisy or disruptive presence.

In sentencing, Steven Woodhouse received a 12-week prison sentence suspended for a period, along with orders to pay costs of £2,400 and a victim surcharge of £180. The case drew widespread condemnation, highlighting the cruelty inflicted upon a cherished family pet and the disturbing behavior of the offender.