ROBERT BLACK'S CRUELTY IN NEWBURY: DOG PUNCHING INCIDENT LEADS TO JAIL AND 10-YEAR ANIMAL BAN

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Newbury, Robert Black, a known career criminal with a long history of offenses, was caught on CCTV viciously attacking his own dog in Victoria Park. The incident, which took place in December 2019, showed Black repeatedly punching the animal in the face, striking it a total of five times before calmly attaching a lead to the dog and walking away from the scene.

Black, born on August 29, 1968, and residing at Parsons Close, Newbury RG14 5LU, has a criminal record that includes numerous convictions for shoplifting, burglary, theft, battery, and public disorder. His latest act of cruelty was captured on surveillance footage, which prompted immediate police action. Officers responded swiftly after being alerted to the incident, and Black was arrested at the scene.

Following his arrest, authorities took both of Black’s dogs into custody under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The animals were subsequently rehomed, ensuring they were no longer in Black’s care. Fortunately, the dog that was punched did not sustain any injuries during the attack, but the incident raised serious concerns about Black’s treatment of animals.

Investigating officer PC David Burleigh expressed his disapproval of Black’s actions, stating, “Black demonstrated significant cruelty to his dog by punching it several times in the face, with no concern for its welfare. This behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable for a pet owner and I am pleased that not only has he received a prison sentence for his actions, but that he has been banned from owning animals for the next 10 years.”

Black was initially sentenced to 22 weeks in prison and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115. Additionally, he was prohibited from owning any animals for a decade, with the ban set to expire in November 2029. The case drew widespread attention, highlighting the importance of animal welfare and the consequences of cruelty.

However, in a subsequent development, Black’s legal representation challenged the length of his custodial sentence. His lawyer, Steve Molloy of Charles Hoile Solicitors in Newbury, argued that Black’s behaviour was a clumsy attempt to separate the dogs and emphasized that there was no evidence suggesting the animals were routinely mistreated or undernourished. Molloy described the incident as a one-off and not comparable to more severe forms of animal cruelty such as dogfighting or baiting.

He further contended that the district judge had erred in law by categorizing the offence as having higher culpability. Molloy acknowledged that Black was serving a suspended sentence for an unrelated offence at the time but maintained that Black had already served a custodial period and that the appropriate sentence should be time served, allowing him to avoid further imprisonment and spend Christmas with his partner, who was present at court.

Despite these arguments, Judge Richard Wheeler pointed to Black’s extensive criminal record, which includes 288 previous convictions for various offences, including battery, burglary, theft, and being drunk and disorderly. The judge emphasized that Black’s recent actions violated the terms of his suspended sentence and justified activating it. He explained, “I’m perfectly satisfied it was correct in law to activate the five-week suspended sentence and to add a consecutive sentence for the current offence.”

Judge Wheeler also acknowledged that while the blows inflicted on the dog were deliberate and gratuitous, they did not cause prolonged suffering or greater harm. As a result, he adjusted the sentence, reducing the total imprisonment from 22 weeks to 17 weeks by ordering 12 weeks to be served consecutively after the five-week suspended sentence. Black’s appeal was thus partially successful, but the overall sentence remained severe, reflecting the seriousness of his conduct and his criminal history.