DUG OF WAR

Ex-husband cleared of attack during Jeen rescue attempt

- MIKE MCQUAID

THE owners of an awardwinning business came to blows over a pet dog when their marriage broke down.

Thomas McCabe and husband Barry Savage had run their successful horse supplies firm for 10 years and announced plans to expand.

But their personal relationship soured, culminating in McCabe being accused of repeated assaults on his estranged partner at their workplace.

A court heard Barry, 43, suffered a cut to his head after he tried to pull dog Macie from McCabe's Jeep.

McCabe, 58, faced three charges of assault but walked free when Sheriff Colin Dunipace returned not proven verdicts. The couple's 1st Choice Horse and Pet Supplies was named retailer of the year at the 2021 British Equestrian Trade Association awards.