A St Andrews man has appeared in court accused of stabbing a dog to death with a screwdriver, before burning the remains.
Bradley Simpson, 24, is alleged to have killed a German Shepherd named Buddy in an attack in the Fintry area of Dundee on April 1.
Simpson, of Watson Avenue, had his case continued without plea on a defence motion for psychiatric assessment.
A police doctor had assessed Simpson ahead of his attendance at Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday and said he was fit to appear.
Defence solicitor Theo Finlay said he was unable to submit a plea on Simpson’s behalf until he had been assessed by another psychiatric expert.
Missing
Buddy the dog was reported missing by his owners from his home on Honeygreen Road on April 1, with an appeal for his return made on social media.
His owners conducted a frantic search for the beloved pet, with posts on popular webpage Missing Pets Dundee and Angus calling on locals to check gardens, CCTV and camera-controlled doorbell devices.
His remains were discovered in a public park by police.
Allegations
Simpson appeared before Sheriff Martin Edington at the city’s sheriff court from custody.
He was remanded, pending psychiatric investigation, until April 11.
Two charges have been libelled against him.
It is alleged that on April 1, at a location between Honeygreen Road and Linlathen Park, Dundee, Simpson caused unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, namely a German Shepherd dog named Buddy, by repeatedly stabbing it with a screwdriver and by means unknown to the prosecutor, killed it.
It is further alleged on the same date and location he attempted to defeat the ends of justice by setting fire to the dog and burying its remains, to conceal the crime libelled in the first charge.
