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A man who repeatedly kicked his girlfriend's dog before sending her videos of the attack, has been jailed.

Peter Mongan, 23, of Maureen Avenue, Londonderry, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog called Bobby.

He was jailed for seven months.

Mongan, who has 54 previous convictions, also admitted harassing his girlfriend and sending her a mobile phone message with the intention of causing her anxiety.

A solicitor for the Public Prosecution Service told Londonderry Magistrate's Court Mongan sent his partner numerous text messages, two of which showed him harming the dog.

The offences took place on 29 May.

"She said he sent the text messages in a bid to coax her to stay the night with him, which she refused to do," the solicitor said.

The court was told at the time of the offending, Mongan was under a restraining order in relation to the same woman.

It expires in August 2020, the court heard.

Footage of the attack on the dog was shown to deputy district judge Laura Ievers prior to sentencing.

Defence barrister Eoghan Devlin said Mongan accepted that custody was inevitable.

"They are ugly offences and there is no getting away from that", he said.