A judge has ordered the destruction of a Wigton man’s pet dog after hearing how it had bitten his girlfriend for the second time.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that Shane Walker’s bull mastiff Lexie had repeatedly shown a tendency to bite people when it was under stress during domestic rows.

The 28-year-old defendant, of Howrigg Bank, Wigton, admitted being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee said that the latest biting incident happened on August 8 when Walker and his girlfriend Claire Coulthard had got into an argument.

The row had continued as they arrived at his mother’s address.

The row led to the couple spending the night separately, said the barrister.

The defendant slept upstairs while Miss Coulthard spent the night downstairs.

“The following morning, the argument reignited,” said Mr McEntee.

Miss Coulthard went upstairs to the defendant’s room and as he and Miss Coulthard rowed, Lexie followed her into the room, and became agitated.

In her statement about what happened, she later said: “He let the dog attack me.

“The dog has attacked me before.”

The court heard that Lexie had bitten Miss Coulthard at least three times on her left thigh, leaving puncture wounds.

She had reacted by threatening to report what had happened to the police.

In her statement, Miss Coulthard said that she had been bitten previously by the dog.

The prosecutor continued: “The defendant’s mother provided a statement saying he had had the dog for six years, having bought it when it was three years old.

“She said that Lexie is known to bite and he has been previously seized by the police.”

The dog reacted badly to shouting, and arguments in domestic settings caused it to become agitated, said the prosecutor.

Mr McEntee went on to describe how Lexie had bitten other people previously during arguments.

There was a report from a teacher in March 2014 of the defendant being aggressive and of his bull mastiff running free and also being aggressive.

The court heard there had also been a Facebook video, made in 2012, featuring another occasion when during an argument Lexie had allegedly bitten.

The court was told about the defendant’s previous convictions.

Walker’s 29 previous offences included assaults, handling stolen goods, and an arson, for which Walker was given four years in a young offenders’ institution.

There were no previous offences linked to owning animals.

Brendan Burke, for Walker, said Lexie was a usually well behaved dog but it was living in a “dysfunctional” environment.

Judge James Adkin noted that Walker and his partner were a couple who appeared to argue from time to time, and on occasions with some ferocity.

But noting the dog’s propensity to bite when stressed, the judge said: “The next time it might be a small child... my duty as a judge is to protect the public.

“It might well be that in company Lexie is a dog of good temperament but she bites when she’s stressed.”

Judge Adkin said he would not jail Walker, given that he now had a job and he did not want to ruin his employment prospects.

But the judge warned Walker that if he ever buys another dog that bites there was a likelihood he would be jailed.

The judge added: “It seems to be a dog unable to cope with stress which bites.

“I take the view that it is inevitable that a destruction order should be made.”

He banned Walker from owning a dog for the next year and imposed a 28-day community order which will include an 8pm to 6am curfew to his mother’s address in Wigton.