HE told police his rottweiler had to be euthanised after it was attacked by a pack of teenagers at Newcastle West, triggering widespread outrage and a $20,000 fundraiser to find those responsible.
But after a "significant" investigation, including retracing his steps and poring over hours of CCTV footage from numerous locations, police determined Phillip John Laughton, 42, had "entirely fabricated" the story.
