Man who Beats Dog with Wooden Plank is Spared Jail

Lee Dyer, has been spared jail by Green Magistrates court after a neighbour filmed him repeatedly hitting, punching and kicking his three year old rescue dog in his back garden. 

Dyer (28) was filmed secretly, beating the Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a 10ft plank of wood, repeatedly lifting the plank and bringing it down on the dog who is hiding behind a pool.

Another part of the video shows Dyer holding the dog between his legs, before repeatedly punching the dog either side of his head several times, before kicking it several times. He is also shown grabbing the terrified dog by the throat after it tried to escape his clutches, even playing dead at one point in a desperate bid to stop the attack.

Dyer claimed in court that the reasoning behind his actions were that the dog had urinated on his trousers.

Andrew Wiles, prosecuting, said “The vet said the dogs behaviour was very submissive and he was hand shy, which is evidence of the fact the dog was exposed to trauma. She said the dog would have been terrified and suffered mentally”.

Dyer admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and two counts of failing to ensure the welfare of an animal at a previous hearing. He was ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work and pay £300 in court costs (Is that all?.. No custodial sentence or life ban on keeping animals? Well there’s a surprise!).

An RSPCA spokeswoman said the dog had now been seized, adding: “We are pleased the defendant has been convicted in this horrific case. The footage speaks for itself about the cruelty here”.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary to an animal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is six months in prison or a fine of £20,000.

Warning: Video contains scenes of animal cruelty