A man who brutally beat his ex-girlfriend's dog with a hammer during a campaign of abuse has been warned to expect a prison sentence. Lewis Walker, 33, filmed himself repeatedly kicking the animal as it yelped in pain on the floor. It is understood the dog has since been put down.
Court appearance and guilty plea
Walker, of Cherry Sutton in Widnes, Cheshire, had been accused of 11 charges in relation to his ex-partner and was due to go on trial at Liverpool Crown Court on September 7. The allegations included assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, making threats to kill, making threats with an offensive weapon in a private place, stalking, criminal damage and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by striking the victim's dog with a hammer.
But Walker appeared in the dock on Monday afternoon and admitted one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour. This charge stated that, between November 1 2019 and March 26 2026, he subjected his then girlfriend to assaults, locked her out of her property, damaged her belongings and subjected her to threatening behaviour, as well as "mistreating animals", thereby "causing her serious alarm or distress".
Footage and prosecution response
Footage filmed by Walker himself showed him shouting at and repeatedly kicking his victim's dog while the animal cried out in pain, reports the Liverpool Echo. Oliver Saddington, prosecuting, indicated this guilty plea would be acceptable to the Crown Prosecution Service, with the allegations in the remaining offences to be encompassed "within the factual matrix" of the controlling behaviour count.
Defence counsel Paul Wood told the court: "I say for the record, that plea represents the entirety of the allegations against the defendant. I accept, and the defendant accepts through me, that this is a serious example which is very likely to fall in the top category of the sentencing guidelines. The issue will be length, rather than type of sentence."
Remand and sentencing date
Walker was further remanded into custody to be sentenced on September 28. He gave a thumbs up to the public gallery while being led back to the cells as his supporters told him "love you Lew", "love you bro" and "love you babe". Adjourning the case, Recorder Nicola Daley told him: "I am going to adjourn sentence. There is no application in relation to you, and so you will be remanded into custody until September 28. All sentencing options will remain open. Your barrister has already indicated to me that you are alive to the likely nature of the sentence. The decision on the next occasion will be what length that sentence ought to be. You will be given appropriate credit for the fact that you have pleaded guilty today."
