Nicholas Bermingham faces Orange Local Court for urinating on dog

Nicholas Michael Bermingham, 29, of Maxwell Avenue, was convicted in Orange Local Court of committing two acts of animal cruelty to his now former whippet, named Buddy.

According to police facts, neighbours heard Bermingham yelling and a dog yelping about noon on November 22, 2020.

The neighbours walked outside and saw Bermingham striking Buddy on the head and body with the back of his hand.

The dog was tied to a railing and was unable to avoid the strikes.

The neighbour told police they heard Bermingham shouting at Buddy saying, "you're a dirty dog, you pissed inside, you'll never piss inside again".

Bermingham then pulled down his pants, urinated on the dog, sat on a step near the dog and said, "I hope you like the smell of piss."

The neighbours who saw the whole incident confronted Bermingham and he shouted at them saying, "shut up, you're nothing but a stupid c***, you're nothing but a maggot".

He started to shout at the dog again and he could still be heard yelling at the dog at 2pm. A neighbour had also filmed Bermingham hitting Buddy on the head a number of times while the dog was tied to a railing.

Police stopped Bermingham while he was walking Buddy on Glenroi Avenue about 7.45pm and he denied harming the dog. However, police had seen the video, seized Buddy, and took him to Orange Police Station and contacted the council rangers.

At 8.05pm police received a call about Bermingham throwing glass bottles at his neighbours' house.

He was arrested at gun point after a witness said he was armed with a knife. Police asked him about the whereabouts of the knife once he was arrested and he said it was inside his house.

In relation to the animal cruelty he said," the dog shouldn't have pissed on my bed, it's all the dog's fault".

The dog was given to the RSPCA to care for from January 25, 2021.

Magistrate David Day ordered Bermingham not to purchase, acquire, or take possession of any companion animal for 10 years and to pay $1250 in compensation to the RSPCA for looking after the dog.

Mr Day also convicted Bermingham of the two acts of animal cruelty and gave him a concurrent two-year Community Correction Order for each act. He also issued two $550 fines.

"The offence is serious because the dog cannot run along to police and make a complaint, it's lucky that the cruelty was upset by others," Mr Day said.

"In my experience, people who do that to a dog do similar things to a human being."

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