A Lurgan man has admitted to killing a defenceless 12-week-old puppy in a sickening hammer attack in February 2018.
Kyle Keegan, of Gilpins Manor, had been due to go on trial at Craigavon Crown Court this week but changed his plea at the eleventh hour.
The 24-year-old confessed to the attack at Craigavon Magistrates’ on Tuesday morning.
The charge of causing unnecessary suffering was put to the defendant again on the request of defence solicitor Barry McKenna, to which his client entered a guilty plea.
The case was adjourned to allow for the completion of a pre-sentence probation report.
Keegan was freed on bail until his sentencing hearing on July 4.
Previously, the court heard how the remains of the 12-week-old pup, named Sparky, were uncovered in a bin in the Ailsbury Park area of Lurgan after a house party.
An initial postmortem on the puppy’s remains revealed how it had sustained a number of fractures as well as severe brain trauma.
