Overview

• Simon Elliott, 45, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court by Judge Stuart Rafferty KC and received a 10-year animal ownership ban.
• He earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, with the court noting previous alcohol-related convictions.
• The dogs had been left in his care by friends who were on holiday when a neighbour entered his flat and found a scene described as abhorrent and barbaric.
• Rosie, a beagle, was found dead after being stabbed through the heart, while Sabre, a Staffie, suffered multiple stab wounds.
• The case was prosecuted with RSPCA involvement, and the owners attended as their victim impact statement was read to the court.