YOUSEF ALHASSOUNI FROM LIVERPOOL SHOCKS WITH CRUELTY IN SANDFORD, DORSET
Youssef Hanta Alhassouni, a man born around 1998 and residing in Liverpool, has been convicted of a heinous act of animal cruelty that took place in Sandford, Somerset, near Wareham, Dorset.The incident involved the tragic death of his German Shepherd, Django, who was left to die in a confined wooden box inside the back of a Mercedes Vito van on one of the hottest days of the year.
According to reports, Alhassouni transported Django over a distance of approximately 270 miles from Liverpool to Sandford on July 30, 2024.
The journey culminated in him parking the vehicle at around 2 pm and leaving the dog inside the van while he went off to conduct some unspecified business in nearby Poole.
The weather that day soared to a scorching 30 degrees Celsius, creating a dangerous environment for any living creature left exposed to such heat.
It was not until several hours later, at approximately 6:11 pm, that a concerned member of the public noticed distressing sounds coming from the van.
Hearing the whimpering of a dog in apparent distress, the individual contacted the police.
Responding swiftly, officers arrived at the scene and forced open the doors of the van.
Upon opening the wooden box, they discovered that Django had already succumbed to the extreme heat.
A veterinarian later confirmed that the dog had died from heat stress, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures without adequate ventilation or access to water.
During police investigations, Alhassouni was detained and subsequently charged with an animal cruelty offense.
The court proceedings revealed that he had previously left Django in the van without incident, claiming that he believed the environment was safe and that the death was unintentional.
He expressed remorse, stating that he felt bad about what had happened.
However, the evidence presented, including the veterinarian’s report, clearly indicated that Django suffered severe physical and mental distress, which ultimately led to his death.
The report emphasized that any reasonable dog owner would have recognized the danger posed by such conditions and taken appropriate measures to prevent harm.
At the hearing held at Sefton Magistrates Court on December 10, 2024, Alhassouni, who required an Arabic interpreter during the proceedings, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The court sentenced him to a 16-week custodial sentence, suspended for the same period, and imposed a ban on owning dogs for five years, which will expire in December 2029.
This case highlights the importance of animal welfare and the legal consequences of neglect and cruelty towards animals, regardless of the offender’s location or background.
