A drunken vigilante stole three puppies from a dodgy dog breeder.
In a crime of passion and fuelled by MD 'Maddog' 20/20 Mark Primrose, 39, nabbed three small pugs from rogue puppy dealer Carol Willis’ home in Barrhill.
Last year our sister paper the Daily Record exposed Willis for coining in the cash while subjecting animals to misery.
Willis was forced to hand over the dogs to the Scottish SPCA after whistleblowers told of appalling living and breeding conditions.
Many of the dogs were infected with giardia, a bug associated with cramped and unsanitary conditions which can be deadly if untreated.
Just days after the Willis article appeared a boozed-up Primose, of Ladywell Road, Maybole, was asking about rescuing dogs.
Depute fiscal Kim McGregor said Willis was asleep when she became aware of someone saying: “Anyone in? Just let us in.”
After phoning the police she went to the area where she kept the dogs and found Primrose inside.
He slammed the door in her face while shouting “dirty b*****” and Willis ran out of the house.
Another witness spotted Primrose heading towards a BMW parked outside with three small pug puppies in a cage.
Primrose dumped the cage by the roadside and put the pups in the car.
He then made off with his getaway driver and the pair were spotting driving towards Girvan.
Ms McGregor said police went to Primrose’s home four months later.
“At this time it was noted that Primrose had a small, pug-like dog,” she said.
“He agreed to bring the dog to Ayr Police Office and was interviewed and denied any involvement.
“The dog was scanned using a chip scanner and it was identified that that dog was owned by witness Willis.”
The dog was handed over to the SSPCA.
Shortly after the Daily Record article about Willis Primrose shared the news on his Facebook page and said “sickening”.
A number of others posts were made about Willis and stealing the dogs.
In one he said: “Don’t do Children in Need any more- only dogs” and “What’s the crime? Every share and comment welcome. Yet my girlfriend loses her dog simply for loving me.”
In another he referred to Willis and said: “She ain’t in Barrhill. I evicted her from there.”
Ms McGregor said: “All these posts that the accused was making indicate that he doesn’t understand the seriousness of this offence and the implications that would have had on the witness Willis.”
Sheriff Desmond Leslie asked: “Have the SSPCA carried out any checks on Ms Willis breeding?”
Ms McGregor replied: “My understand is she is no longer breeding.”
Solicitor Steven Maxwell told Sheriff Leslie that Primrose and his partner recently had a child, who was severely premature and remains in hospital.
Primose admitted stealing the dogs on April 27, 2018.
He admitted another charge of assaulting a man by hitting him to the face with a pack of Irn Bru cans.
Sentencing for both charges was deferred for background reports.
