A Bristol couple have been prosecuted after a malnourished dog was caught on camera being hurled over a six-foot garden gate. James Andrew Marchant, 42, and Clair Yvonne Malik, 42, of Privet Drive, both pleaded guilty following an investigation by the RSPCA.
Incident Captured on Camera
On September 5, 2025, a neighbour reported that Marchant had pinned a terrier to the ground. The neighbour began filming and captured Marchant throwing the dog, named Boomer, over the wooden gate onto a paved area. Neighbours shouted for him to stop, police were called, and Marchant was arrested.
The vet who reviewed the footage told the court that Boomer would have experienced pain and anxiety while being restrained, as well as immediate discomfort from being held and suspended. This was followed by fear and anxiety during the fall, and immediate pain upon impact. The vet added: "The callous manner in which he threw Boomer over the fence, compounded by the failure to have him then checked by a vet, illustrates that he failed in his duty to protect him from pain, suffering, injury and disease."
Malnourishment and Recovery
Boomer was also underweight and malnourished, with a body conditioning score of just two out of nine. While in RSPCA care, he gained weight through proper feeding. He arrived weighing 2kg (4.4lb) but reached 3.5kg (7.7lb) by the time he was rehomed a month later—a 75% increase.
Sentencing and Bans
Marchant pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences: throwing Boomer over the fence and failing to provide an adequate diet. He received a ten-year ban from keeping animals, cannot appeal for seven years, and was ordered to pay £400 in costs and an £80 victim surcharge. Malik admitted one charge of failing to meet Boomer's needs regarding his weight. She was handed a five-year ban from keeping dogs, cannot appeal for three years, and was fined £120 plus £400 costs and a £40 victim surcharge. The pair were sentenced at Bristol Magistrates Court on June 24.
RSPCA Response
RSPCA Inspector Kim Walters said: "Animals feel pain and suffering just like we do and always deserve to be shown kindness and compassion. We're so grateful to everyone who speaks up for animals and grateful to the neighbour for reporting what they'd witnessed. We will always look into reports of animals suffering and we depend on the public to be our eyes and ears and report any concerns to us."
