(Image: RSPCA)
A County Durham man who threw his dead dog's body onto some wasteland so "foxes could eat it" has been banned from keeping animals for life.
John Bagnall, of Wansbeck Grove, Consett, beat the 16-year-old terrier-type dog Jake, leaving him with a series of fractures.
Peterlee Magistrates' Court heard the RSPCA began investigating in October last year following reports that the elderly dog had been beaten.
When RSPCA Inspector Christine Nisbet visited Bagnall's home, he told her he had found Jake dead the previous morning and initially thought he was asleep.
Asked what he had done with the body, Bagnall said he had thrown the dog onto wasteland behind his house so that foxes could eat it.
He led the inspector to the spot, where Jake’s body was recovered for examination.
A veterinary examination found multiple rib fractures at different stages of healing.
X-rays showed seven broken ribs, which the vet said were consistent with significant blunt force trauma.
In a statement presented to the court, the vet said: "Ribs are pliable and mobile structures.
"They are difficult to break.
"It requires significant blunt force trauma to break a rib."
The fractures were on different sides of Jake’s body and at various stages of healing, showing he had been injured over time.
Bagnall denied beating Jake, but inspector Nisbet said he admitted grabbing the dog by the scruff of the neck and throwing him outside for hours after accidents in the house.
The 38-year-old admitted causing unnecessary suffering
Magistrates gave Bagnall a 24-week suspended prison sentence and banned him from keeping animals for life.
He was also ordered to pay £300 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
The court heard in mitigation that Jake had previously fallen down the stairs and Bagnall is autistic.
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After the case, inspector Nisbet praised the members of the public who raised concerns.
She said: "I would like to thank those who reported this incident to us. It is awful to think of the suffering Jake endured over months.
"Every living creature deserves a life free from suffering and filled with compassion."