Dog beater back in court

5:05pm Wednesday 1st October 2008

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A TEENAGER who beat his dog after a 'night on the lash' failed to turn up for community service because of heavy rain, a court heard.

Jamie Edwards, 19, of Islington in Trowbridge, appeared before a judge at Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday, after breaching an order imposed for growing cannabis and having it to supply to others. He admitted the offence.

Edwards was told to do an additional seven hours of unpaid work and warned he could be jailed if he failed to comply with the order.

Earlier this year Edwards was ordered to do 200 hours of community service for the drugs offences with a further 250 hours added for animal cruelty at a hearing in August.

The teenager admitted producing cannabis between Friday June 1 and Saturday September 15 last year and possession with intent to supply on Friday September 14.

The probation service started breach proceedings against him after he refused to do his community service because of heavy rain.

Alex Daymond, defending, asked the court to give his client a second chance.

He said his client had 49 hours left on the drugs order and 236 hours on a second order imposed at another court.

Judge William Hart said: "I am going to give you a chance to comply with the order. I am adding a further seven hours. That is something of a drop in the ocean to what you are doing in all."

In the animal cruelty incident Edwards was ruled to have caused the injuries that led to his Staffordshire bull terrier Snoop suffering ruptures to the liver in ten places.

Although he denied a charge of animal cruelty he was convicted and disqualified from owning an animal for 10 years.