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A thug jailed for beating up his former girlfriend had his time in prison extended for snapping a puppy’s legs in a horrific attack.

Experts believe Stefan McCormick picked pet dog Ty up by his front legs and ripped them apart.

The Staffy’s injuries were so bad he “screamed” when examined by a vet, who was left with no option but to put him down.

McCormick, of Devonshire Road in Birkenhead, appeared in court via video link after being sent behind bars last week.

Chris Murphy, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, told the court how officers from the animal welfare organisation were called to the 23-year-old’s home last Christmas after a report a dog had been hit by a car.

Mr Murphy said: “[The dog was] on a couch inside the flat. It was covered in a blanket soaked in urine. The defendant said the dog was found outside the flat near to the grassy area of the roadside.”

But the court was told the officer who attended quickly concluded something more sinister had happened.

On examination, the officer said “the dog was clearly in pain - it was unable to get on to its forelimbs. Its paws were bent over and it tried to bunny hop but screamed.”

Vets said the injuries, which included fractures to Ty’s forelimbs, suggested the dog had its legs ripped apart, with one reporting: “The injuries were consistent with a person pulling a puppy by its forelimbs using undue force.”

McCormick is already serving a 20-month jail term for common assault and breach of a non-molestation order following a vicious alcohol-fuelled attack on a former partner in Hoylake.

Sarah Ferguson, defending, said: “He doesn’t seek to justify his actions at all. He says he fully accepts the prosecution case against him, he says he has no recollection of what happened but accepts his actions led to the injuries.”

Sentencing him for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal - to which McCormick pleaded guilty in August - chair of the bench David Kelly handed him a 24-week jail sentence to run consecutively to the term he is already serving.

For details about the work of the RSPCA, or to support the animal welfare charity, visit: www.rspca.org.uk

He is the sixth man from Wirral to be jailed for animal cruelty this year.

RSPCA chief Anthony Joynes satisfied with sentence for man who snapped puppy's legs - watch below