A man who brutally stabbed his dog 12 times before leaving her to die on a beach has been jailed.

Luke Proffit, 22, inflicted fatal wounds to his German Shepard called Bella before abandoning her on Hendon Beach in Sunderland.

She was found by a member of the public and rushed to a nearby vet but later died after going into cardiac arrest, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said the charity Happier Days For Strays received a call on December 16 last year informing them a dog had been found injured.

‘[Someone from the charity] attended and saw a female dog covered in blood and
unable to walk due to the injuries sustained,’ Mr Wardlow said.

‘The dog was given pain relief. The intention being the dog would be anaesthetised the following morning and treated.

‘There were two 2cm wounds to the left chest resulting in penetrative chest
injury.’

The court heard Bella had suffered multiple wounds to her neck and a
further two puncture wounds to her body.

Despite CPR being administrated, she died after going into heart failure while under anaesthetic.

‘It’s clear that due to the extent of her injuries it was a sustained and prolonged assault and caused suffering which ultimately led to her death,’ Mr Wardle said.

‘At the time it was not known who the dog belonged to.

‘On the 16th of December, the defendant had contacted his mental health worker stating he had stabbed his dog.’

After he was arrested, Proffit gave no comment in interview but did tell officers ‘It’s not illegal to kill your dog’.

Proffit, of no fixed address, later admitted causing unnecessary suffering
to an animal.

He committed the offence while under the supervision of an unrelated
suspended prison sentence.

Defending Proffit, Jane Waugh said: ‘This is not someone who has badly
treated their pet over a number of weeks or months or even years.

‘This is one awful incident on an otherwise healthy animal.

‘It was a good weight and was in good condition and the defendant is full
of remorse and couldn’t really explain what led to this incident.’

Ms Waugh said Proffit had been suffering from voices in his head but
said the condition had stabilised since his time in custody.

‘He is horrified by what he did and is full of remorse for it,’ she added.

Proffit was sentenced to 18 months behind bars.

Judge Edward Bindloss told him: ‘You were somebody who had been suffering from emotional and unstable personality disorder and that was exasperated by substance abuse.

‘You took Bella outside with a knife and you stabbed her 12 times in a
prolonged and sustained attack and went back to your flat.

‘I have taken the view it would not be appropriate to suspend the
sentence.’

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