CONVICTED (2022) | Jake Francis Atkin, born 6 January 1998, of Chestnut Avenue, Queens Road, Hull HU5 2RH – beat a puppy unconscious and threatened to kill him. Jake Atkin claimed he had no recollection of almost beating a defencess puppy to death. Atkin, previously of Pitt Street, west Hull, flew into a rage after the eight-week-old whippet named Blaze urinated on his leg, He then subjected the puppy to a savage beating, causing life-threatening injuries. The steroid-addicted thug had only owned Blaze for four weeks but in that short time had already taken him to the vet twice before: once for “walking into a door” and on another occasion for “accidentally eating chocolate”. Philip Brown, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, outlined the horrific events of November 27, 2021. He said: “That day a friend of the defendant returned Blaze to him after looking after him for a while. Later she called him and they were talking and then the phone went dead. “She called him back and he was in an exceptionally agitated state because he said ‘the dog had p****d on his leg. She lost contact again and when she got hold of him again he was still very angry and told her that if she did not collect the puppy he would ‘kill it’. “She went over to the defendant’s home as quickly as possible. She found the puppy unconscious and he was taken to the PDSA. The vet examined him and found he had life-threatening injuries and he remained unconscious until the next day. “The injuries included blood to his right eye and extensive swelling to his head. The vet concluded the injuries were not caused accidentally but by blunt force trauma.” Fortunately, Blaze had made a recovery but due to his very young age it is not clear whether the injuries he sustained will have a long-lasting impact. Mr Brown said: “Blaze has been rehomed and is recovering from his ordeal. This was a serious situation and he suffered significant pain. “The defendant said he had a blackout and could not explain how the animal came by its injuries. It is clear he lost all self-control. He suffers from bi-polar and was taking steroids which led to his anger issues.” Ben Hibbert, mitigating, urged magistrates to accept the recommendation of the pre-sentence report which suggested a community sentence. He said his client was not opposed to a ban on owning a dog which he accepted “was too much to take on”. But Mr Hibbert said his client may want to own a reptile in the future and asked for the ban not to cover all animals. Thankfully, this request was declined. Sentencing | 12-month community order with six-month mental health treatment requirement; £495 costs and surcharge. Banned from owning any animal for a minimum period of five years. Hull Live