The incident: A man's neighbor's dog wouldn't stop barking.The appropriate response: Resolving the issue with the neighbors or the local authorities, depending on the circumstances.The actual response: He drowned and later mutilated the dog.Stephen Woodhouse, a 52-year-old pilot from the village of Long Buckby, England, was mowing his lawn last July, when he grew annoyed by the barking of his neighbor's dog.
Advertisement
Stephen had reportedly had issues with the dog, a border terrier named Meg, in the past, which he claimed he could hear barking from "morning until night."He leaned over the fence, picked up the dog, and carried her to an area of his property where construction work was being done."There was some building work being done and a big bucket of water," Stephen later told police. "So I stuck it in the bucket until it stopped moving. I never thought of the consequences."Once the dog was dead, Stephen hid her body under a hedge.Worried that the dog might be tracked by the microchip in her neck, Stephen returned to the body that night and used a knife to cut the chip out.When the dog's owners, Alan and Alison Boddington, realized that the dog was missing, they launched a village-wide search operation. They were especially keen to find the dog because they had bought it as a companion for their disabled daughter, who died last year of an asthma attack at the age of ten. Dozens of neighbors and friends joined in the search.Eventually, Alison, the dog's owner, grew suspicious that Stephen might have been involved, and searched his car. After finding dog hair and a rope, she called police.Stephen reportedly told police, "I reached my wits' end. All I could think of was that the noise had to stop. It was driving me bloody mad."After pleading guilty, he was spared jail, but had to pay £3,200 ($5,000) in fines.
Advertisement
Stephen has also reportedly been suspended from his job as a pilot pending an investigation to determine whether he is mentally fit to fly.One of the villagers who talked to the Daily Mail said, "He hated pets and kids. Nobody likes him… In the entirety of the old village you couldn't find anyone that would say a good word about him."Presumably this incident hasn't done a great deal to help his image.Cry-Baby #2: Elizabeth Hogrefe
Screencap via Google Maps
The incident: A woman's boyfriend was snoring.The appropriate response: Nudging him, then buying him anti-snoring products, then, if that does nothing and it bothers you enough, breaking up with him.The actual response: She allegedly beat him with a crowbar.Last week, Elizabeth Hogrefe (pictured above) was staying at a motel in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her unnamed 58-year-old boyfriend.During the night, the boyfriend allegedly awoke to find Elizabeth yelling at him while beating him with a crowbar.According to police, the boyfriend fled the room and staggered down the road. A motorist who saw the injured man reportedly called the police.When police found the man at a nearby convenience store, they say they found three large welts on his back that were "consistent with being hit with a pry bar."A spokesperson for the Lincoln Police Department told the Lincoln Journal Star that Elizabeth had attacked the sleeping man because he was snoring.Elizabeth was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. She is currently in jail awaiting trial—hopefully not in a cell with a snorer.
Advertisement
Which one of these noise-haters is the bigger cry-baby? Let us know in this poll down here:
ORIGINAL REPORTING ON EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS IN YOUR INBOX.
By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.