Owen Rippon: Man filmed punching dog more than 40 times sentenced

A man who repeatedly punched a dog and deliberately fed her chocolate in a bid to make her sick has been sentenced.

Nottinghamshire Police said both acts of cruelty took place in Nottingham between 20 March and 4 April.

Owen Rippon, 18, who did not own the dog but was looking after it at the time, was arrested after videos were posted on social media.

One video showed him punching her more than 40 times, with the second showing him deliberately feeding her chocolate.

Rippon, of Woodville Road, Nottingham, was given a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

He has also been banned from keeping animals for life.

During sentencing, Rippon was ordered to participate in rehabilitation activities and made to pay £239 in fines and court costs.

The dog, a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Boxer cross, has since been checked over by a vet and is "safe and well", police added.

A force spokesperson said the dog's owners "fully cooperated at all points throughout the investigation and helped bring Rippon to justice".

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