Animal cruelty: Man who kicked his cowering dog about the head jailed for four months

Jordan Wilson, 29, was also banned from keeping any animals for the next five years.

Wilson, of Rowan Drive in Dunmurry, admitted carrying out the attack in the city centre on October 28 last year.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police spotted the violent outburst on CCTV footage as he walked from the Grand Opera House towards the Europa Hotel.

“He proceeded to kick his dog aggressively on the head,” a Crown lawyer said.

“The dog appeared to be in fear, with its tail pointing downward.

“The defendant then kicked the dog a second time before he was stopped and arrested.”

In a separate incident on August 20 last year police discovered Wilson lying drunk on the city’s Dublin Road.

But when officers requested an ambulance due to his condition he became verbally abusive.

The prosecutor said: “He began shouting at them, calling them f****ts, brutes and telling them to f*** off.”

Wilson then kicked a sergeant on the leg during attempts to take him to hospital.

He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, disorderly behaviour, and assault on police in connection with the two cases.

Defence solicitor Joe Hackett described the incident involving the dog as “very unsavoury”, but argued that his client has no previous history of similar violence.

“This was just a one-off incident fuelled by alcohol,” Mr Hackett contended.

Imposing one month in custody based on Wilson admitting the offences, Deputy District Judge Philip Mateer ordered him to serve a further three months for breaching previous suspended terms.

“You were unnecessarily abusive to police who were simply trying to help you on the Dublin Road when you were in an intoxicated state,” the judge told him.

“Having been through that process you were seen to kick a dog a number of times in the head, causing the dog to cower and behave in a frightened fashion.”

Mr Mateer barred Wilson from keeping animals for a period of five years, but confirmed his right to appeal.

He added: “If he shows this was a one-off and that he can manage to control his temper around a dumb animal then I’m quite sure the court can remove that disqualification.”