TWO brothers who "tortured" and killed a hedgehog after kicking it like a football are behind bars.

Adam and Christopher Andrew Hoar, 23 and 31 respectively, appeared before Peterlee magistrates today where they pleaded guilty to kicking a wild mammal with intent to inflict unnecessary suffering.

Denise Jackman, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the brothers were captured on CCTV repeatedly kicking the animal just after midnight on July 7, at Dalton Park retail park, in Murton.

The attack left the hedgehog with broken ribs, a broken pelvis and ruptured liver and it died in the hand of a witness while a vet was unable to carry out an initial post-mortem examination because it had sustained so many injuries.

"The vet said when the animal was presented to her it was dead and in rigor mortis," she said. "It was partially curled."

Ms Jackman said the men were recognised by security staff who said one of them used to work for the McDonald's restaurant at the retail park.

However, they initially denied knowing it was a hedgehog they had been kicking when interviewed by police.

Ms Jackman added: "Adam was trying to suggest it was a case that they thought it was a football and they did not realise but then they did admit they did realise it was a hedgehog and were quite remorseful.

“They agreed it would have hurt but did not realise it would have died.

“Christopher claimed to be disgusted by the hedgehog’s injuries; he said he felt horrible about it because he has a child.”

Nick Musgrove, mitigating, asked District Judge Kristina Harrison to suspend any custodial sentence saying his clients name would now be “mud”.

He said the younger brother, of Malvern Crescent, Seaham, was in poor health as he has Huntington's Disease which had killed his father while the older brother, of Woods Terrace, Murton, was in full time work as a baker.

Judge Harrison said: "I cannot see how anybody their size was doing anything other than torturing the hedgehog by kicking it around the place, using it as a football."

Sentencing them both to six weeks in prison, she told them: "This is a horrible case where you have tortured an animal who has hurt absolutely nobody and whose numbers in the wild are rapidly dwindling.

"If people feel horrified by the case, quite frankly they are absolutely right to do so."

Judge Harrison also made the brothers pay £250 compensation each, saying: "I have no truck with animal cruelty cases."

RSPCA investigating officer Helen Nedley, who attended court, welcomed the sentences.

She said: "This was a horrible case of cruelty to a completely defenceless animal who did nothing but have the misfortune to cross paths with these brothers.

"The hedgehog was kicked about five times by each man. At one point it was kicked with such force it was propelled into the air and one of the men's shoes flew off.

"The injuries sustained by this poor creature were horrendous including broken ribs, a broken pelvis and ruptured liver, and it died in the hand of one of the witnesses.

"This kind of cruelty is abhorrent and I am glad that this was taken so seriously by the court today."