A man who tied a dog to a tree in Kirkcaldy and burned it to death has been jailed for nearly four years.
Alastair Graham was jailed for 45 months and banned from owning an animal for life.
Graham, 23, snapped after the Staffordshire bull terrier, called Bruno, bit his finger. He tied the animal to a tree in Dunnikier Woods where he initially attempted to slit its throat and stab it to death.
When he failed, Graham went to a nearby petrol station and filled up a jerry can before pouring it over the terrified dog. He then set the dog alight causing horrific full thickness burns to the animal.
Under the terms of the Animal Health and Welfare Act Graham could only be jailed for a maximum of a year for killing Bruno.
Sheriff James Williamson sentenced him to nine months for the murder of the dog, with Graham receiving a discount because of an early guilty plea.
Sheriff Williamson, who had labelled the attack a “grotesque act of savagery”, told Graham: “I’ve no doubt the public are frankly appalled. They are no doubt astounded in terms of the maximum legal sentence I can impose in terms of this offence.”
However, Graham received a further three years in jail after also admitting an attempted knife robbery carried out days after he killed Bruno.
Depute fiscal Susan Dickson told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court that a post-mortem on Bruno revealed he had still been alive when Graham had set him alight.
She added: “He said he had tried to cut an artery but it didn’t work. Footage from the BP petrol station showed the accused filling up a container with petrol on the day in question a similar container was found melted beside the dog.”
Graham, 23, a prisoner at Perth, pleaded guilty to causing Bruno unnecessary suffering by causing his death in the fire on April 24 or 25.
He further admitted an attempted knife robbery committed alongside Steven Gourdie, committed on May 2 at High Street, Leven.
Gourdie had his sentence deferred until next month for the preparation of social work reports.
For more on this story, including reaction from the dog’s owners, see Saturday’s Courier.