A Hartselle man who pleaded guilty last year to killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison.

James Jaron Whitley, 46, was arrested April 13, 2021 on charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to WHNT.

Whitley entered a blind guilty plea last August. On March 6, he was sentenced to 120 months, with credit for time served. It’s a split sentence with 24 months in department of corrections custody, followed by 60 months of probation.

According to WAFF, Whitley’s ex-girlfriend said Whitley told detectives he beat her dog Jax with a wrench, put his body in a duffle bag and abandoned him on a Hartselle roadside.