An Aberdeen woman violently lashed out at SSPCA staff after six mistreated dogs were confiscated from her poor care.
Marisha Whyte admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to two adult Border Collies and four puppies, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
They were removed by the animal welfare charity towards the beginning of 2022.
Weeks later, Whyte drove to the animal rescue shelter in Royal Deeside, where she confronted staff and demanded to see her pets.
When a staff member told Whyte that her animals weren’t there, a “red mist descended” and she grabbed the woman and struck her head.
Two adult Corder Collies and four puppies suffered unnecessarily
Then Whyte attacked a second worker who tried to come to her colleague’s aid – bursting her lower lip.
Fiscal depute Lydia Williams told the court that on April 16 2022, staff were on shift at the SSPCA Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Drumoak, near Banchory.
Whyte entered the reception area where she demanded to see her dogs which had been taken from her around two months earlier.
The animal cruelty prevention charity previously removed two adult Border Collies and four puppies from Whyte’s care on February 8 2022, due to her causing them unnecessary suffering.
Whyte’s arrival at the sanctuary was noticed by other staff at the time.
Thug burst the lip of one SSPCA worker
“She was advised by the female member of staff at the reception that the dogs were not at the locus,” Mrs Williams said.
“She then tried to push past the woman to get to a locked door behind her.
“The accused then grabbed her by the arm and grabbed her facemask, striking her to the head, before grabbing her hair and dragging the complainer outside.”
Several of the woman’s colleagues who gathered outside the reception tried to help by restraining Whyte.
However, at that point, she lashed out and struck another member of staff’s face.
Police officers then arrived, took Whyte into custody and secured the centre’s CCTV camera evidence of the brawl.
One victim suffered scratches to her right arm while the other’s lower lip was burst.
In the dock, Whyte pled guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs by failing to seek veterinary care – leading to disease and puppies by acts of neglect that resulted in them becoming emaciated.
She also admitted to assaulting staff at the SSPCA Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
Her defence solicitor Stuart Murray reminded the court that his client “had dogs removed from her care” before her outburst.
“She attended at the complex in her car, and as she moved around the buildings, she heard barking and, in the compound, she saw two of her dogs – unmistakably her dogs,” the solicitor said.
Mr Murray said that, when the staff member refused to let Whyte see her dogs, it “got her heckles up” and she became “irate”.
‘The red mist descended … She knows there is no excuse’
He added: “She was under a huge amount of stress at the time and she regrets acting in this manner.
“Ms Whyte does not have a full memory of what happened. The red mist descended. She knows there is no excuse for this.”
Sheriff Rhona Wark told Whyte that she appreciated the offender had realised there was no excuse for her bad behaviour.
“But, as I understand it, you turned up and demanded your dogs and behaved in the manner described,” the sheriff added.
She fined Whyte, of Boyd Orr Avenue, Aberdeen, a total of £270 for the assaults but deferred sentencing of the dog neglect charges until a report into the background of the offences could be carried out.
Sheriff Wark deferred the hearing until next month and ordered a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out in the meantime.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
