A domestic bully told police to remove his wife from their home so he could keep his dangerous dog there.
After the dog attacked his wife and a child, police officers arrived to try to remove the pet from Jackson Caven’s home.
Furious Caven told the officers he wanted to keep the dog and urged them to remove his wife from their house instead.
Caven, 41, was found guilty after trial of subjecting his then-wife to a course of coercive and controlling behaviour for nearly two years.
He was found guilty of shouting, swearing and acting aggressively towards her in Perthshire between April 1 2020 and March 22 2022.
He was found guilty of repeatedly demanding money from her and punching holes in the doors and walls of their home, as well as calling her names.
Caven was found guilty of failing to remove an aggressive dog from the house after it attacked and injured Mrs Caven and a young child.
‘His manner was terrible’
Perth Sheriff Court was told police visited the house after a child reported being scared of the dog after being attacked.
An officer told the court Caven had another home and was advised to move the dog there initially.
“He asked if I would remove his family from the house rather than his dog.
“He wasn’t joking. He was angry.
“He shouted at me. We both discussed it and decided it would be better if the dog left the house than his family.”
Another officer confirmed the story.
“He expressed no sympathy or empathy at all with their predicament and didn’t understand why he should remove the dog.
“To be blunt, his attitude was shocking – the way he spoke to his wife.
“He was very demeaning, very insulting.
“He was basically blaming his wife for the dog having bitten her and for us being at the door in the first place.
“He was very rude and off-hand.
“We both had to placate him. His manner was terrible.”
Guilty of course of abuse
Finding Cavan guilty, Sheriff William Wood acknowledged there had been arguments between the couple.
But he added: “Most telling is the evidence of the police officers, who said Mr Caven refused to remove the dog to his own property, and suggested it ought to be his wife… removed.
“In the context of the charge, he was obstructive in failing to remove an aggressive dog from the house.
“It does seem there has been a course of abuse visited upon Mrs Caven.”
Caven, from Birnam, had bail continued and sentence was deferred for the preparation of background reports until next month.
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