Man jailed for beating cocker spaniel 'with his bare hands'

A man has been jailed for six weeks for animal cruelty and banned from owning dogs for a decade.

Last summer, an allegation of animal cruelty was made to police after footage was captured of a man beating a dog on camera at an address in Ashford.

On 29 July and 2 August 2023 Richard Peart, 52, was seen on video beating a cocker spaniel on several occasions, both with his bare hands and a with a shoehorn.

Peart, of Bournemouth, was convicted of two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under the Animal Welfare Act at Staines Magistrates Court on Friday, 17 May.

He was sentenced to six weeks in prison and banned from keeping a dog for ten years. He was also ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. The dog has since been happily rehomed.

Investigating officer PC Ping said, “When I first saw the highly distressing footage of this incident, I knew that this case needed to be progressed to court to ensure the defendant was brought to justice. I’m very glad that the dog is no longer suffering, and that a ban is in place post-release for the offender.”

Get more news from SurreyLive straight to your inbox for free here.