A THUG beat who his new puppy to death before dumping its body in Poole woodland has been jailed.

Jon-Luc McLoughlin, 26, subjected 11-month old Alsatian Lexi to a barbaric beating.

When the pet died, he attempted to cover his tracks by leaving it in the woods near his home.

However, Lexi’s body was found by a group of schoolchildren. The youngsters were left “traumatised” by the find.

McLoughlin had only owned Lexi for a month before he beat the puppy to death.

On Thursday, at Poole Magistrates’ Court he was jailed for 16 weeks after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

In a previous hearing, the court heard that a post-mortem carried out on Lexi’s body found the dog had suffered ‘blunt force trauma’, including a laceration to its liver.

The puppy also had blood in its abdomen and a stomach tear.

During a police interview McLaughlin initially tried to put the injuries down to a road traffic collision.

However, he later confessed to the killing, telling officers: “I get very angry and I don’t know what came over me.”

The death was reported to the RSPCA, which led the prosecution against the defendant.

Matthew Knight, prosecuting, said: “He punched or kicked the dog to death and dumped the body in some trees near his home.

“It was found by locals and upset local children who saw it.

“She had a laceration to her liver, blood in her abdomen and a stomach tear.

“It is likely that the dog did not survive for long.”

James Moore, mitigating for McLoughlin, said the defendant was under “significant stress” as he was acting as a carer for his ill father at the time of the incident.

“This episode of blind rage is where stress has got the better of him,” Mr Moore said.

“This is not just some violent thug who thinks it is okay to treat his own pet poorly.”

McLoughlin was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody and a lifetime disqualification for owning animals, which cannot be lifted for ten years.

He was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge.

In jailing him district judge Stephen Nichols said: "Taking everything into account this warrants an immediate custodial sentence.

"This was a savage attack on Lexi."