MATTHEW BENJAMIN SENTENCED IN CHEPSTOW FOR CRUELTY TO DOG AND MULTIPLE OFFENSES

Matthew David Benjamin, born on 18 May 1982, of Yew Tree Bungalow, Earlswood, Shirenewton, Chepstow (NP16 6AN), was convicted of repeatedly kicking his pet dog, Diesel, causing its death in severe pain and distress.

Diesel, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier believed to be between one and two years old, was attacked in the early hours of December 4, 2019, at the home Benjamin shared with his housemate, Phillip Moseley. The incident was described in a witness statement read in court by prosecutor Paul Ricketts. Moseley recounted hearing Benjamin enter the house and call the dog in a gentle tone three or four times. Diesel then came out of Moseley's bedroom, and Moseley heard the dog and Benjamin go into the kitchen.

According to Moseley, he heard claws on the floor and then a sudden scream. He described hearing Benjamin shout, “stop pissing on the f***ing floor,” followed by the dog’s yelping and screaming. Moseley was so distressed by the noise that he became physically ill. He attempted to open the kitchen door but was unable to do so. He then heard Benjamin say, “This f***ing thing is going to die,” and believed Benjamin had kicked Diesel more than one hundred times.

Following the attack, police were called, and Benjamin was arrested. Moseley expressed his anguish, saying, “It is so upsetting to think about the suffering the dog went through. It was a lovely dog and it was defenseless.”

A veterinarian report revealed Diesel sustained injuries including wounds to his head and shoulders, lacerations to his face, and blunt trauma to his abdomen and head, which led to his death. The court learned that Benjamin kept Diesel in a cage within a filthy environment.

During sentencing, Judge David Parsons described the act as a “cowardly and vicious attack on a harmless animal” and commented that Benjamin showed “no empathy for its suffering.” Benjamin admitted to police that he had “completely lost his head” during the incident, describing a “red mist” descending upon him.

Andrew Twomlow of Twomlows Solicitors, representing Benjamin, acknowledged in court that his client had kicked Diesel six or seven times—an account supported by the court. In his probation report, Benjamin stated he was under stress and expressed remorse, saying, “the dog didn’t deserve to die.”

The case attracted significant social media attention, and images showed the aftermath of the attack, including scenes of devastation in Benjamin’s kitchen. His solicitor highlighted that Benjamin’s property and vehicle had been damaged in the wake of the incident, and that Benjamin had faced vilification.

Benjamin had only recently acquired Diesel, just five weeks prior, after being given the dog by a friend. He admitted to not knowing how to properly train him and complained that Diesel had destroyed property. Despite difficulties, Benjamin described Diesel as “quite pleasant,” and noted he took the dog to work.

Benjamin, who reportedly regularly uses cocaine, received a sentence of 17 weeks’ imprisonment for the cruelty to Diesel, along with a £122 surcharge, a lifetime ban on keeping animals, and his imprisonment was to start immediately.

Additional updates include Benjamin’s subsequent criminal behavior. In May 2021, he received a nine-month sentence for dangerous driving. In a further incident on 31 January 2022, he was jailed again after setting fire to a family’s garage and damaging their BMW with a crowbar, plead guilty to arson, burglary, criminal damage, drink-driving, and driving while banned. He had been banned from driving four months prior for dangerous driving.

During questioning, Benjamin claimed he was unaware of how the fire started, stating only that he had been smoking in the garage and dropped his cigarette butt there. The criminal damage and theft cost the family £1,254 in total. Benjamin, who has nine previous convictions including causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and reckless endangerment, was remanded in custody for these latest offenses.

His legal representative explained that alcohol misuse contributed to his behavior; Benjamin reportedly drank 10 to 15 pints daily and faced personal hardships, including the murder of his ex-partner by her new partner in 2017, followed by her suicide, and a bankruptcy in 2018. Despite these difficulties, Benjamin earned praise for his conduct at HMP Swansea in recent months, participating actively in skills courses.

The judge rejected the advocacy for a suspended sentence, citing the seriousness of his revenge attack and its impact on victims. She sentenced Benjamin to a further 1 year and 10 months in prison, a three-year and 11-month driving ban, and ordered him to pay £1,254 in compensation to the victims.