Jail for hammer attack man
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Issue: 21/02/2020
A man who beat his dog to death with two hammers has been jailed for six months.
John Boyle, from Northern Ireland, killed his Staffordshire Bull Terrier after it had been hit by a car before throwing it in to a bin.
Belfast City Council prosecuted Boyle after investigators followed up the report of that a car had been injured on the road.
Animal welfare officers went into Boyle’s property and found the dog’s body. They confiscated a wooden mallet and a metal hammer that had evidence of dried blood on them,
Boyle pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal and received the six month sentence. He was also banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
He told the officers that he could not afford to take the dog to the vets.
A Belfast City Council spokesperson said, ‘This was a particularly extreme and harrowing case. Council is committed to thoroughly investigating all complaints around animal welfare issues.
‘Council takes its duty in this regard very seriously and we trust this sentencing will serve as a warning to anyone who mistreats animals.’