Man jailed for killing dog and leaving it on Hendon beach

Luke Proffit is one of the first offenders in the Northumbria Police area to be jailed since tougher sentencing guidelines

A man who stabbed his dog 12 times and left it to die on a beach has been jailed for 18 months.

Luke Proffit attacked the German Shepherd on Hendon beach near Sunderland in December, Northumbria Police said.

Proffit, 22, told police "it's not illegal to kill your dog" but admitted at Newcastle Crown Court causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

The 22-year-old, of no fixed abode, was banned from keeping pets for 18 years.

Police said the dog was found by members of the public and treated by a vet but suffered a cardiac arrest during an operation.

Wildlife enforcement officer PC Peter Baker described it as an "absolutely horrendous case".

He said: "It is without question that the dog was subjected to sustained violence [with] appalling injuries to her body and neck.

"We are a nation of animal lovers and it is always disappointing and upsetting when crimes like this happen.

"Proffit is one of the first offenders in our force to be jailed since tougher sentencing guidelines were introduced in courts across the UK last summer for the most heinous animal cruelty crimes."