WARNING: Contains graphic content.

A drunk man attacked a puppy in the lift of a flat block with the whole incident being captured on CCTV.

Joseph McLeod, 25, of Gilshochill, was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court recently after pleading guilty to causing an animal unnecessary suffering.

The court heard that McLeod and the puppy, a female English Bulldog, had been within the common close of a flat block on Fearnmore Road in North Glasgow at around 10.30pm on July 6, 2023.

McLeod and the dog entered the lift and once inside he pulled the dog completely off the ground by her lead.

He threw her, slamming her against the wall in the lift and then shouted at the dog whilst striking her on the head.

The pup cowered away from McLeod. He then pulled her to the corner of the lift and continued to punch and kick her on the head and body.

McLeod went on to stamp on her neck. 

He held the dog to the ground by her neck with his foot. McLeod was laughing and pretended to kick the dog, watching her cower away from him.

He took her off her lead and left the lift and went into a flat. The dog followed him.

Police received an anonymous phone call and officers went to the concierge station of the building and recovered CCTV footage which captured the whole incident.

Cops then attended McLeod’s address where he answered the door.

Officers immediately recognised him as the man in the footage and cautioned him to which he shrugged his shoulders and said: “She was being annoying and acting up”.

McLeod became emotional and apologetic and tried to approach the dog in front of the officers.

Police saw the dog cower away from him. They also noticed there was no dog bed, bowls, or food in the property and when they asked McLeod about this he said the dog belonged to a friend.

Officers seized the dog and McLeod was cautioned and charged to which he made no reply.

Cops later traced the dog’s owner and returned her.

Sheriff Bernard Ablett asked if the puppy had suffered any injuries or required veterinary treatment.

The procurator fiscal depute stated that no injuries had been reported and that police had traced the owner of the puppy through a chip located by a vet but there was no mention of treatment.

McLeod’s lawyer told the court that his client had been under the influence of alcohol and street Valium at the time of the incident.

The defence solicitor said: “Mr McLeod immediately expressed his regret. Minutes before the dog had jumped up at a female passerby and was barking aggressively.

“He was alarmed by that but it is not an excuse for what he’s done.

"This incident gave him clarity. He has taken steps to address his alcohol and drug addiction and attends meetings. He has taken full responsibility.”

Addressing McLeod, Sheriff Bernard Ablett said: “This was what can be described as a cowardly attack on a puppy dog.

“You threw her against a wall and punched, kicked, and stamped on her. Fortunately, the dog was not injured during your attack on her.”

Sheriff Ablett placed McLeod on a community payback order with 133 hours of unpaid work.

McLeod was also disqualified from owning or keeping animals for five years.