At Sligo District Court, Killian McLoughlin, Slievemor View, Ballytivnan, Sligo was charged with stabbing a Staffordshire terrier dog multiple times at 3A Upper John Street on August 24 2021.

Judge Sandra Murphy, who had Murphy had previously heard details of the case at a court sitting last November, sentenced Mr McLoughlin to five months in prison, with one month suspended.

The court was told by the defendant’s mother that she witnessed her son stabbing the dog and in her view, he was not ‘in the right state of mind’.

Evidence was heard from Darren Carr, a veterinary surgeon from the Well Pet Veterinary Practice.

He treated the female dog, which he observed was bleeding and there was a lot of wounds on its body.