Man beat XL Bully with baseball bat

SUSPENDED JAIL TERM AFTER CAMPAIGN OF ABUSE

- By CONAILL CORNER ECHO Correspondent

A MAN who abused his XL Bully dog by repeatedly hitting her with a baseball bat was given a suspended prison sentence and disqualified from keeping animals for six years.

James Campbell, 50, was filmed hurling bricks and pans of water at the 21-month-old dog, Zeus, which he abused in the rear yard of his home in Harrowby Road, Birkenhead.

A witness who provided video evidence in the case said they had also seen Campbell grabbing Zeus by the neck, headbutting her and shouting violently.

At a sentencing hearing at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Wednesday, Campbell was given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, a six-year ban on keeping animals and a £200 fine, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA. He had admitted one Animal Welfare Act offence at a previous hearing.

The court was told that Zeus had been removed from the property by police on August 8 last year following concerns she was being mistreated by Campbell. He told officers he had sustained injuries to his wrist after she had bitten him and he had acted in self defence, describing the dog's behaviour as “frustrating”.