A MAN who strangled his partner’s dog during a domestic dispute has been jailed.
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The man faced Armidale Local Court on Monday to plead guilty to committing an act of cruelty on an animal and two charges of common assault.
The court heard the man had accused his partner of sleeping with his friend during an assault in which he grabbed her by the throat and suspended her above the floor, grabbed her hair and pushed her.
He also strangled her Chihuahua-cross dog until it went limp before throwing it to the floor.
Defence solicitor Clive Sharkey said the man had been drinking to cope with recent family problems and was heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Magistrate Michael Holmes said he believed imprisonment was the only option given the circumstances.
“There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence in this town,” he said.
“What you have done is totally unacceptable and cannot be condoned.”
Magistrate Holmes also censured the man for animal cruelty.
“Domestic violence itself must be stamped out, as must cruelty to animals,” he said.
“Animals cannot look out for themselves and should not be treated in such a way.”
The man received two 12-month sentences with six-month non-parole periods for the common assaults and a three-month sentence for the animal cruelty charge.
All charges will be served concurrently.