Rebecca Louise Perring was due to be sentenced today at Armadale Magistrates court today for maliciously wounding an adult dog with a knife.

Perring pleaded guilty in December to the offence which carries a maximum jail term of five years, and a fine of up to $50,000.

A lawyer for Perring, who appeared in the Armadale Magistrates Court today, asked for her sentencing to be adjourned in order for the court to receive a psychiatric assessment of her mental health.

The case will return to court on March 12.

Perring was charged by the RSPCA for maliciously wounding “Cheeky” an adult, female, german shepherd on June 23, 2008, contrary to the Animal Welfare Act.

An RSPCA prosecutor told the court that Perring stabbed the dog five times, piercing both lungs, the liver, the stomach and the intestine.

Cheeky died from suffocation, due to the pneumothorax causing her lungs to collapse. Cheeky died over a period of no less than 10 minutes, during which time she suffered significant pain.

Perring’s partner, who owned the dog, called the police. When they arrived they were told by Perring that an unknown and unseen person had entered the rear yard and stabbed Cheeky.

She also suggested the “person” then lay-in-wait in the rear yard to later attack her. As a result of further enquiries by police and the RSPCA this version of events was found to be fictitious.

Perring was interviewed by police at the scene and said: “I stabbed the dog” and that “it (Cheeky) had arthritis and I couldn’t afford to take it to the vet so I stabbed it”.

The dog’s body was seized along with the weapon which was found in the back yard. A post mortem found that Cheeky died from suffocation caused by the stab wounds.