A man who was caught on CCTV attacking a horse has been given a lifetime ban from keeping equines.
Connie Mullane, 24, of Old Gloucester Road, Winterbourne, admitted causing suffering to a pony by inflicting blunt force trauma and physical violence at a hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, under section four of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The horrific footage shows Mullane pick up a piece of wood before striking a pony in a trap across the face with it.
The pony can be seen flinching in pain before rearing up and showing clear signs of distress after the attack, which took place on 20 May this year.
Mullane was sentenced on 8 December to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and given a lifetime disqualification order on keeping horses.
He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £500 costs, plus a £115 victim surcharge.
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Speaking following the sentencing, RSPCA inspector Miranda Albinson described it as an “absolutely horrific case of animal cruelty”.
“There is never an excuse to treat an animal in this way,” she said.
“CCTV footage clearly shows Connie Mullane hitting the poor horse in the face with a piece of wood in an incident which would have caused pain and left the horse terrified.”
Under section four of the Animal Welfare Act, a person has committed an offence if “an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an animal to suffer”.
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