Glynneath: Man who punched dog and shoved it in boot sentenced

A man who repeatedly punched his cocker spaniel outside a shop as passers-by shouted at him to stop has been sentenced to community service.

Gregory Phillips, 40, was caught on dashcam footage shoving his dog into the back of his car outside a shop on Pentre Street, Glynneath, Neath Port Talbot, on 31 March. 

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work.

RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben said the beating would "shock" people.

Phillips, of Ynyslas Crescent, Glynneath, pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates' Court to an animal welfare act offence and was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

Dashcam footage showed him grabbing hold of the dog as it jumped out of his car when he went to put a crate of beer on the back seat.

He then punched the cocker spaniel several times, before throwing it into the boot along with other dogs, and then striking it again.

Passers-by can be heard hooting their car horns and shouting at him to stop.

Phillips was also ordered to pay £300 in costs and a £90 victim surcharge. Insp Hogben said: "In broad daylight and with people all around, this poor dog was beaten by his owner, who clearly had no regard for his legal responsibilities towards his animal. "Fortunately, the dashcam footage helped us to identify this individual and ensure we could take action.  "Clearly, this is no way to treat an animal, and thankfully, the vast majority of people across south Wales and beyond will be shocked by this footage, and the beating this poor cocker spaniel was subjected to."