Alexandra Bekiaris guilty of animal cruelty after allegedly striking pet dog King

A vile pet owner who repeatedly struck and possibly strangled her pooch, leaving the dog with tissue trauma, has told a court she hopes to own pets again.

Bekiaris was sentenced at Heidelberg. File image.

A vile thug who lashed out at her pet dog repeatedly striking the pooch and possibly causing him to go limp from strangulation, has escaped court without a criminal conviction.

Alexandra Bekiaris, 56, appeared via videolink at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court where she pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

Bekiaris was charged with an offence related to animal cruelty. File image.

The court heard Bekiaris, who works in the film industry, lashed out at ‘King’, her King Charles Spaniel, in a car park in June.

After viewing footage of the incident and examining King, a vet formed the opinion the dog had tissue trauma consistent with abuse.

At one point during the assault, Bekiaris slammed her hand down repeatedly on the dog, which could be heard to cry out while the blows landed, the court heard.

The court heard that later the dog appeared to go limp, with the vet forming the opinion it had possibly been strangled by Bekiaris.

Bekiaris also placed a towel over the dog, which could be seen to struggle and heard to cry out when she crouched over it, the court heard.

The dog was later assessed by a vet. Generic image.

In an interview with authorities after the incident Bekiaris said she had been bitten by her dog who was acting erratically.

“(At another point, she said) her behaviour towards King, the dog … on that night was because he was behaving inappropriately sexually and she felt violated by him,” the court heard.

Defence lawyer Adrian Lewin told the court Bekiaris’ actions were “a case of applying training the wrong way”.

Mr Lewin added Bekiaris would like to own dogs again in the future.

The court heard Bekiaris had no criminal record.

Magistrate John O’Callaghan said her treatment of the dog was “obviously sub par”.

Bekiaris was fined $2000 and ordered to pay vet costs. She did not receive a criminal conviction.