A man accused of a vicious attack on a pet pig last year has been sentenced in Effingham County Superior Court.

Benjamin Fullwood received a 10-year sentence, with five years to serve in a state facility, Thursday from Judge John R. Turner. He pled guilty in March to charges of animal cruelty for a March 2013 attack on Oliver, a domesticated pig.

“It was just a cruel act. You really can’t find any reason for it,” Assistant District Attorney Brian Deal said following the sentencing. “You can’t really wrap your mind around it. It was just a cruel act for the sake of being cruel.”

Sheriff’s deputies said Fullwood incited two pit bull terriers to attack the pig, which had gotten away from its owner’s property on Courthouse Road and wandered into a nearby mobile home park.

As residents of the mobile home park tried to find the pig’s owner, Fullwood released two pit bulls on the pig and then stabbed it nearly two dozen times as bystanders, including children, watched. Fullwood’s attack was video recorded by neighbors.

“We showed the video to the judge and he would not watch it all,” Deal said. “That shows you how bad it was.”

Oliver the pig survived his wounds and has been a constant presence at local parades.

Fullwood’s co-defendant, Clyde McFearin, has asked for a bench trial rather than a jury trial. If convicted, his maximum sentence is 15 years.

Fullwood and McFearin were indicted last June. Fullwood was charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and two counts of making false statements.

McFearin is charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, one count of making a false statement and one count of obstructing a law enforcement officer.