A Perthshire man has appeared in court after he sent his ex-girlfriend a video of himself beating her pet dog.
In the distressing Snapchat clip, Brendan Brown is seen repeatedly punching and slapping his former partner’s terrier Luna.
The 20-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday and admitted sending the clip and making violent threats to his former partner and her mother.
Sheriff Neil Bowie deferred sentenced for background reports and warned Brown not to go near his ex-partner, or her home in Blairgowrie.
Fiscal depute Jill Drummond said the court would consider making a non-harassment order against Brown and would ask the ex-girlfriend for her views before Brown is brought back to court for sentencing next month.
Threats of violence
Solicitor Jim Laverty told the court his client had “difficulties with grief and mental health”.
Brown, of Hay Street, Coupar Angus, admitted a single charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause fear or alarm on April 6.
The charge states that by means of Snapchat messaging, at his home in Hay Street and at the ex-partner’s home, he repeatedly swore at his ex and her mother, repeatedly uttered threats of violence towards them and others and sent his ex a video of him repeatedly punching and slapping her dog.
Brown denied a second charge of causing Luna unnecessary suffering by repeatedly punching and slapping it on the head.
The not guilty plea to this charge was accepted by the Crown.
Released on bail, Brown will be back in court for sentencing on August 18.
The former partner’s family declined to comment on the case.
Social media service Snapchat allows users to share videos of up to 60 seconds duration.
Its servers are automatically designed to automatically delete clips when they have been viewed by all recipients.
