Jasminum Veronica Maher in court for receiving tainted property

A Gympie woman has sobbed as a court was told the story of her illegal efforts to save the life of her American bulldog, including using bolt cutters to break him out of the pound. Here is what the court was told.

A Gympie woman burst into tears on Monday as she pleaded guilty to receiving tainted property in the form of her pet bulldog, which had been broken out of the RSPCA shelter where it was waiting to be put down.

Jasminum Veronica Maher, 43, was convicted of committing the offence on May 25, 2022, after the American bulldog was taken from the pound, the court heard.

Sometime between 5pm on May 15 and 7.31am on May 16, there had been a break-in at the RSPCA shelter, it heard. Maher had visited the shelter on May 13, to say goodbye to the dog after it had been seized and impounded for mauling a cat and biting the owner some time before January 2022.

On January 29, 2022, about 3am, Maher used bolt cutters to break the dog out of the RSPCA, but she was caught, charged, convicted and given a suspended jail sentence.

The dog was back in the pound when Maher went to say goodbye on May 13, two days before it went missing again.

Maher was arrested after it went missing. She told police someone had dropped the dog at her front door at 5am on January 29, and she had taken it to a fr

iend’s place for safekeeping.

She refused to disclose the name and address of her friend as she didn’t want her dog to be put down, the court heard.

The dog was found at a friend’s address, who told police Maher had asked him to look after the dog the same morning she was arrested.

Police attended Maher’s address at 6:50am on May 25, at the request of Gympie Regional Council, to seize a stolen dog.

The court heard barking echoed from the house as police knocked on Maher’s door and she emerged from her bedroom.

Maher walked her dog out of her house and surrendered him, the court heard.

Police checks revealed that sometime between 5pm May 15 and 7.31am May 16 there was a break-in at the RSPCA shelter and the incident was reported.

Maher broke into sobs as these facts were read out to the court.

When Maher was informed that the dog was missing on May 18, she responded that she didn’t know anything about the matter.

“I love my dog. I love him, I love him a lot,” Maher said between the tears.

“I wanted to see him and I didn’t know what to do.”

She said she could not say no to seeing her dog.

“I want my dog to live,” Maher sobbed.

“If I’m locked up, he doesn’t stand a chance. They’ll just put him down.”

Maher was sentenced to nine months in prison and will be released on parole on August 31, 2022.