A District-based Marine faces three years in prison after police said he admitted to killing a puppy by throwing it across a room and kicking it.
Lance Cpl. Jordan Darbyshire told Gaithersburg police that he had a drinking problem and killed a 13-week-old cockapoo named Tippy during a “drinking episode,” court records show.
Darbyshire said he “picked up the dog, squeezed her hard, threw her across the room and kicked her,” according to police.
The 22-year-old is stationed at the Marine Corps Barracks in Capitol Hill but lives with his wife in a Gaithersburg apartment.
Darbyshire’s mother-in-law alerted a local veterinarian of possible animal abuse after the couple’s other dog broke a leg.
A necropsy performed on Tippy showed that the dog had died from a heart attack caused by internal bleeding, court records show. Her liver and lungs were damaged by “blunt force trauma,” and one of the dog’s legs was broken after she died, the report said. The incident was first reported in The Gazette.
A cockapoo is a hybrid between a poodle and a cocker spaniel.
Darbyshire turned himself in to police after they obtained a police warrant. He has not entered a plea and no future court date has been set. He could not be reached for comment.
Police said there was a “history of death” of Darbyshire’s pets, including ferrets and one other dog.
He is being charged with a felony animal cruelty charge that can carry a three-year prison term and a $5,000 fine, and a misdemeanor animal abuse charge that has a maximum penalty of 90 days in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Capt. Lisa Lawrence, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps, said the Marines were “looking to proceed with legal action” in military courts, but no legal decisions have been made.
She said the Marine Corps decided to place Darbyshire in a treatment program after officials learned of his drinking problems.
Darbyshire has been a Marine since 2006 and has not been deployed, Lawrence said.
