RCIPS Constable Timothy Munroe, who is on trial for animal cruelty following the death of a police dog in 2022, admits he failed to raise a kennel gate at the police compound, which left K9 Baron exposed to excessive temperatures and without access to shelter, food or water.
Munroe faces one count of cruelty to an animal. The charge does not allege that he was responsible for the dog’s death, but rather than he caused the animal unnecessary pain and suffering, which he denies.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, 13 Dec., Munroe told Magistrate Vanessa Allard that he attended the George Town Police Station on 7 July 2022 at 5am to conduct an animal welfare check.
During the visit, which was caught on an obscured CCTV camera, Munroe can be seen entering the interior kennel.
“While inside, I raised the guillotine gates to let the dogs out, and I cleaned faeces that had been tracked inside, and replaced the food and water,” said Munroe.
At the time of Baron’s death, there were four officers assigned to the RCIPS’s K9 unit. Munroe was the newest, having transferred to the unit three months prior, and was the only officer working on the day the dog died.
During the trial, which has involved several adjournments due to scheduling conflicts, it was revealed that, on the day of Baron’s death, the supervising officer of the unit was on vacation, while the other two officers were on sick leave, leaving Munroe to oversee the department and the animals.
“You accept that you raised the gate to let the animals out?” asked prosecutor Hema Soondarsingh during cross examination, to which Munroe replied, “Yes.”
“You also accept that you closed the gate and left K9 Baron on the outside where he did not have access to food, shelter or water?” asked Soondarsingh, to which Munroe also said “Yes.”
Munroe’s attorney, Dennis Brady, likened his client to a “sacrificial lamb to the slaughter”, saying he is being held responsible for the “incompetence of senior officers”.
The prosecution and the defence counsel are expected to submit closing submissions in the coming weeks, with a verdict expected early next year.
Munroe remains on bail until then.
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