Men jailed after hammering nail into dog's skull and burying it alive in 'barbaric' attack

Two men have been jailed after hammering a nail into a dog's head and burying it alive in a "barbaric" attack.

The 16-year-old terrier, called Scamp, was found under a mound of earth by a passing couple who heard grunting noises.

After discovering the animal, they rang police and took the dog to a vet.

The animal had to be put down due to its injuries, with the vet concluding it had suffered at least six blows to the head in what was the worst case of animal cruelty he had witnessed in 30 years, Teeside Magistrates' Court heard.

Michael Heathcock, 59, and Richard Finch, 60, were each sentenced to four months behind bars after pleading guilty to offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the court with their dogs and also packed the public gallery to see the pair jailed, with some shouting "justice".

The court was told Scamp had been deaf, blind and incontinent and Heathcock thought he would not be able to afford to put the canine down, believing it would cost £300.

So he and Finch, both from Redcar, decided to try and kill the dog themselves, said John Ellwood, a prosecutor for the RSPCA.

The pair took Scamp to Kirkleatham Wood, a few miles from Middlesbrough, and used a claw hammer to hit the dog on the head before "driving a nail into its skull" and burying it alive.

Chairman of the bench Frances Linsley said: "This was a barbaric act which was premeditated and caused untold suffering to the dog, Scamp."

Dominic Tate, defending, claimed Heathcock loved the animal and "after 16 years of having Scamp and caring for the dog this was not his intention".

He said: "He did not set out to cause unnecessary suffering."