A brute who abused a Chihuahua and was filmed throwing its lifeless body from a first-floor window has been given 240 hours of community service.
Donald Gollan, 35, had previously been convicted of killing his ex-partner Laura Park’s 12-year-old dog, Archie, and tossing him from the window at her residence in Helensburgh.
He was also prohibited from keeping animals for three years when he was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court yesterday (Wednesday).
However, Laura argued that cruel Gollan should never be permitted to own a pet again, advocating for lifetime bans for individuals like him.
The court had earlier been informed that the small dog had died, having suffered multiple fractures following a prolonged assault in the home.
A neighbor’s CCTV footage showed the dog’s body being thrown out of the window, followed by a shirtless Gollan hiding it behind a mattress in the yard.
Laura, who described her house as “like a crime scene,” expressed disappointment with the sentence and vowed to push for stricter penalties for those who abuse animals.
She stated: “He tortured and killed a living creature.
“It’s appalling that they didn’t consider the agony and suffering he inflicted on that poor little dog.
“We urgently need to reform our laws. That’s what I’m determined to fight for.
“I can’t grasp why the justice system believes he will be fit to own an animal in three years.
“Archie was a sentient, domestic pet that had only known love and safety for 12 years.
“I would advocate for lifetime bans.
“The punishment does not fit the crime. He was found guilty of brutally ending a life.”
She also mentioned that the decision has left her without closure.
Laura explained, “We’ll never find closure from such a brutal act. If the justice system had acknowledged that Archie’s life was taken, it might have felt less like an insult.
“Archie’s story won’t be in vain. I’ll do everything I can to expose how flawed the system is when it comes to animal welfare. And how our pets, which are like our children, are overlooked under current legislation.
“Pets are more than just animals to us. They are family members and loved as deeply as a child or the person next to us at night.
“Domestic animals are family members; yet they aren’t recognized as such. That needs to change.”
Gollan, who denied his crimes, was found guilty after a trial of causing an animal’s death, breach of the peace, shouting, swearing, and breaking a lamp.
During sentencing, Sheriff Kirsty Hood remarked: “This crime is severe. The act of killing a beloved pet has had a deep impact. There’s nothing I can say that will make this right.”
In addition to the community service order and pet ownership ban, Gollan was also required to participate in court-monitored drug and alcohol treatment and was prohibited from contacting Laura for three years.
