A man once described as a “monster” will be allowed contact with domestic animals while in prison, despite being found guilty of torturing a woman’s pets.
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Jacob Kevin Scott Riley-McDonald will likely be jailed later this month for killing his ex-partner’s dog Ruby and tormenting her cat.
He will also be sentenced for assaulting and emotionally abusing her, in attacks that saw him burn her with an oxy torch and pipe, and threaten her with rape.
Last year, after learning that the woman had been texting her ex-boyfriend, Riley-McDonald poured a fluid down Ruby’s throat, put carpet cleaner in the animal’s eyes, as well as punched, kicked and hit Ruby with a golf club.
The dog eventually died.
Riley-McDonald also threw the cat against a table leg three times.
The victim requested and was granted a five-year restraining order against Riley-McDonald on Thursday.
But the Launceston Magistrates Court heard that Riley-McDonald will be allowed contact with dogs and cats in prison to assist him with his rehabilitation.
“I would ask your honour to foster his rehabilitation,” Riley-McDonald’s lawyer James Oxley said.
“Ultimately, your honour, he is not someone who is beyond rehabilitation.”
The 25-year-old Launceston man was expected to be sentenced on Thursday, but delayed pre-sentencing information held up the process.
Mr Oxley took the opportunity to tell Magistrate Reg Marron that Riley-McDonald had made significant progress in his recovery from drug addiction in the last year.
Mr Oxley said Riley-McDonald was now more in tune with his emotions as well, after giving a “heart-warming speech” at a rehabilitation facility recently.
Prior to the speech, Riley-McDonald could not feel basic human emotions like sadness, Mr Oxley said.
After completing the rehab program in prison, Riley-McDonald was classified as a minimum security prisoner for the first time.
As a result, he will now be allowed to handle domestic animals.
The court heard of Riley-McDonald’s “extraordinarily difficult upbringing” that saw him lose his mother to an overdose.
His grandfather was also jailed for murder and Riley-McDonald was bullied because of it.
He will be sentenced on November 25.
