A Morrisons shopper reportedly threatened to "smash someone's face in" after they criticised him for leaving his dogs in a hot car.
On Facebook, a woman has claimed that the man violently threatened her and her partner after they told him "it's legal to smash a window" after they saw two dogs left in a car parked at the Southport supermarket. The woman said the incident happened around 3.30pm on Thursday, June 23.
Posting about the incident on the Crimewatch Southport and surrounding areas Facebook page, the woman said: "The man threatened to smash my partner's face in after he told him it's legal to smash a window". She added her partner was holding their two-year-old granddaughter at the time.
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The dog owner reportedly also told the couple he was allowed to park in the parent and child spaces at Morrisons because the dogs were his "babies". He claims he had permission from the manager to do so.
But the woman added this wasn't true after the man proceeded to abuse the shop's security when they reported him.
The full post said: "This idiot left two dogs in the car at Morrisons about half three yesterday and was nice enough to threaten to smash my partner's face in after he told him it's legal to smash a window. My partner was also holding our two-year-old granddaughter.
"Also told us he's spoke to the manager and he's allowed to park in parent and child spaces with his dogs as they are his babies. Management have not told him this at all because we reported him to the security woman and when she spoke to him he gave her abuse too."
The post split opinion in the Facebook group. One commenter said: "These people are so disgustingly selfish to do this. They claim they love their dogs and would never do anything to hurt them. If that's the case can these stupid people stop leaving their dogs in cars when the weather is hot."
But another added: "Just so you're aware it's not actually legal to smash a window to get a dog out of someone else's car. The police could class it as criminal damage - its best to phone the police to let them deal with it."
Solicitor Matthew Reynolds, who specialises in all aspects of motoring offences, said: “Although smashing a window to rescue a distressed dog in a locked vehicle could lead to a charge of criminal damage, you would have a lawful excuse to smash the window if you believed that the owner of the vehicle would have consented to the damage, had they been aware of the circumstances.
“It would also be a defence to a charge of criminal damage if you smashed the window to protect the owner’s property (the dog) in the belief that the dog was in need of immediate protection and that smashing the window was reasonable in the circumstances to achieve that aim.
“If you do remove a dog from a car, tell the police what you intend to do and why. It would also be a good idea to take photographs or video of the dog and contact details of any witnesses to the incident.”
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