PUPPY killer Nathan Thompson faces a maximum of 18 months in prison over animal cruelty charges stemming from him brutally bashing to death nine animals with a brick.
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Thompson was sentenced to 12 months without parole on Monday afternoon.
Thompson had admitted to the horrific deaths at Kurri Kurri in March and had already been banned from having anything to do with animals for the rest of his life.
He arrived at Newcastle Local Court on Monday for sentencing after it had already been moved from East Maitland District Court to the more secure Newcastle courthouse because of widespread public outrage.
Thompson had already pleaded to nine animal cruelty charges - one for each of the nine puppies he bashed to death in bushland.
He also previously pleaded guilty to causing prolonged suffering to the surviving puppy, Lucky, and resisting arrest.
The pups were first advertised for sale on March 5 on the classifieds website Gumtree.
When they had not sold by March 11, the owner took the animals to Mr Thompson at his home because he had sold puppies in the past, court documents stated.
Thompson put the 11 puppies in the back seat of his car about 4.45pm and drove to McLeod Road at Kurri Kurri.
He drove some way down a dirt track and found a large brick in nearby scrub.
He removed the first puppy from the rear of his vehicle and began striking it in the head with the brick.
The puppy died from its injuries and Thompson threw it into the bush, before repeating the process on the others.
As Thompson continued to bludgeon the puppies, a witness walking his own dogs heard a number of them yelping.
‘‘[The witness] has observed the accused holding one of the puppies down with his left hand while repeatedly bludgeoning it with a brick held in his right hand,’’ court documents stated.
‘‘[The witness] momentarily watched in horror as the accused removed yet another puppy from his car and proceeded to strike the animal four times in the head.
‘‘At this point [the witness] has run towards the accused, trying to coax his own dogs away from the massacre.’’
Once Thompson noticed the witness he threw the puppy into the bush and drove off at high speed, court documents stated.
He took off with five of the puppies still alive and later told police he killed four of them in bushland off Northcote Street at Kurri Kurri. The remaining living puppy was given away to a family at Cessnock.