A 30 year old North Mackay man has been sentenced to 18 months probation and prohibited from owning animals for three years following a sickening attack on a dog in February this year.
Andrew Coleman, who appeared in Mackay Magistrates Court this morning (Tuesday 21 May), was also sentenced to 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to cruelty to an animal by causing it unnecessary or unreasonable pain after the beating of the dog.
CCTV footage captured Coleman holding down a bull Arab named Jaboo and repeatedly punching him in the head, before tossing Jaboo aside in a suburban street in North Mackay on 13 February 2019.
In court, Coleman blamed his drug use for the attack, saying he was “coming down from using methamphetamine”.
Prosecuting Barrister for RSPCA Scott McLennan said that was no excuse for the attack, which he labelled “protracted, callous and cruel”.
RSPCA Prosecutions Officer Tracey Jackson said the outcome today should serve as a warning to others that the community and courts take this type of offence seriously.
“We hope that every hour this offender spends performing community service reminds him of the importance of treating animals with respect, and the consequences that can flow from committing cruelty to animals.”
Coleman was also ordered to pay costs of nearly $100 and had his conviction recorded.
Jaboo remains in the care of RSPCA.
