A jealous man has been spared jail after he flew into unnecessary rage the moment his now ex-girlfriend told him it was over between them.
Benjamin Avill, 36, immediately after his partner of 12 years Jenny Daniels told him it was over, grabbed a bottle of Comfort fabric conditioner and emptied it into an aquarium with about 50 fish, killing all but one of her fish.
Survivor Bob, a bristlenose pleco fish now lives with Miss Daniels in a much smaller tank. Avil pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal at Poole Magistrates’ Court after a prosecution was brought against him for animal cruelty by the RSPCA, Metro Uk reports.
He was handed a 14 week prison term, suspended for 12 months, banned from owning animals for 10 years, and ordered to pay costs of £400.
He will also have to undertake 200 hours unpaid work and attend 20 days of rehabilitation activity. Matthew Knight, prosecuting, said:
‘In the eyes of the general public, if he had done this to 49 dogs the outcry would be significant.
‘However, the act does not differentiate between protected animals. ‘The RSPCA would suggest this is a case for disqualification (of owning animals) given that the attack was unprovoked.’
