Landscaper jailed for domestic abuse after throwing pet off wall

A domestic abuser has been jailed after he threw a pet dog at a wall when it barked at him as he was beating his partner.

Neil Brown, 32, admitted assaulting the woman at a house in Kilbride Place, Dundee, on February 6.

Brown seized her by the body, chased her, grabbed her by the neck and dragged her along the floor.

When her pet Jack Russell started barking he threw it against a wall, hitting its head.

The dog was later found by police “whimpering” under a bed.

Appearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, Brown, a prisoner at Perth, was jailed for 23 months.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael also handed him a non-harassment order for three years.

The court heard the pair have been in a “on off” relationship since 2019 and have made plans to marry since the incident.

The attack began after Brown, who runs a paving business, Empire Home Improvements, had been out drinking with friends. He arrived at the woman’s home around 4am, waking her up and asking her to make him a cup of tea.

She agreed but Brown became aggressive. She initially dialled 999, but changed her mind and hung up and went back to sleep, however at about 9am she was awoken by screaming downstairs.

When she tried to leave again, Brown became physically violent, and took her phone to prevent her from calling the police, throwing it into the bathroom.

A friend phoned as Brown was assaulting her and she managed to ask them to call the police.

Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin said: “When police arrived they found her crying on the street. The accused was arrested.

“The dog was visibly shaking under the bed and had a cut above the right eye.”

Brown’s solicitor Paul Parkersmith said: “He fully accepts what he did. He tells me the dog bit him and that’s why he threw it.”

Brown also pled guilty to spitting on a screen partition and kicking the inside of a police van. All of the offences were committed while he was on bail for other matters.