Yianis Skopellos facing fresh cruelty charge after video of him beating dog trends on social media

In urging the court not to ban the 33-year-old from owning another dog, his lawyer said he had been ‘under great stress’ and ‘mental strain’ at the time but was ‘much better now’.

Yianis Dimitrios Skopellos leaves the Darwin Local Court where he stands charged with intentionally beating an animal. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A Bakewell man whose pet dog was seized after footage of him repeatedly punching the animal while his partner begged him to stop was circulated on social media has again been charged with animal cruelty.

Yianis Dimitrios Skopellos returned to the Darwin Local Court last week charged with intentionally beating an animal following his earlier conviction in January last year.

On that occasion, the 33-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty after his partner recorded him punching his dog Drax “with his fists a number of times” in 2020.

Court documents obtained by the NT News reveal Mr Skopellos’ partner — who is not accused of any wrongdoing — “was pleading with (him) to stop” while he “continued assaulting the dog” before the video was posted to Facebook.

His lawyer at the time, Luke McLaughlin, told the court “the offending was a manifestation of a man at the time labouring under profound mental distress” who was “now in a better place”.

In urging the court not to ban Mr Skopellos from owning another dog, Mr McLaughlin said he had been “under great stress” and “mental strain” at the time but was “much better now”.

“To then deprive him of his dog and ban him from seeing animals or owning animals for another 12 months is heavy handed and just not necessary in the circumstances,” he said.

“This will not happen again and he can be a safe, productive and good dog owner and your honour doesn’t have to have any concerns moving into the future.”

Yianis Dimitrios Skopellos has previously pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after video emerged of him repeatedly punching his dog Drax. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

In handing him a 12-month good behaviour bond while ordering Drax to be surrendered to foster carers, Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris said Skopellos’ actions on the day were “brutal, fast and cruel”.

“It would have been very painful for the dog and nothing that the dog had done or was alleged to have done should have resulted in the dog being assaulted in the way that Ms Skopellos did,” she said.

“Since that time, of course, Mr Skopellos has been subject to social media dismay and he has been threatened and his actions and the publication of those actions in the broader media have meant that he has for the last couple of years, it would seem, lost many friends.

“He intends to move out and away from the NT and it has been very difficult for him particularly after the footage was first published.”

But Ms Morris stopped short of banning Mr Skopellos from future pet ownership in the following 12 months.

“I note that it is more than two years since the commission of this offence,” she said

“It’s not been alleged that Mr Skopellos has had any other animal, or problems with any other animal, in that period of time.”

Skopellos did not enter a plea on the fresh charge and will return to court on July 29.