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| Man pleads guilty to swinging chihuahua around in the air by its lead | Man pleads guilty to swinging chihuahua around in the air by its lead |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man who claims to love dogs has pleaded guilty to swinging a chihuahua around in the air by its lead. | A man who claims to love dogs has pleaded guilty to swinging a chihuahua around in the air by its lead. |
| Alfie Loft, 19, "felt disgusted" with himself after the incident on Thursday, his solicitor told Hatfield magistrates court. | |
| He was banned from keeping animals for two years and given a curfew by a judge after admitting causing unlawful suffering to an animal. | He was banned from keeping animals for two years and given a curfew by a judge after admitting causing unlawful suffering to an animal. |
| Loft was arrested after a video of him repeatedly swinging the small dog around his head was handed to police and uploaded to the internet. | Loft was arrested after a video of him repeatedly swinging the small dog around his head was handed to police and uploaded to the internet. |
| The dog belonged to a women he had just met while drinking with friends at a pub in Stevenage. She asked him to take the dog for a walk while he and three friends went to a nearby shop to buy more alcohol. | The dog belonged to a women he had just met while drinking with friends at a pub in Stevenage. She asked him to take the dog for a walk while he and three friends went to a nearby shop to buy more alcohol. |
| Loft's lawyer, Natasha Patel, said her client was trying to encourage the dog to walk by pulling on its lead when it lifted in to the air for the first time. | |
| "The people he was with began laughing at the incident and that has almost egged him on," she said. "He knows that was wrong. He doesn't remember much of what happened." | "The people he was with began laughing at the incident and that has almost egged him on," she said. "He knows that was wrong. He doesn't remember much of what happened." |
| She added: "He's disgusted at himself, they were his own words to me. He feels humiliated that this incident has occurred. He has also said he would like to write a letter to apologise to the owner of the dog to show that he is truly sorry. | |
| "He does love dogs himself, although he doesn't own any himself." | "He does love dogs himself, although he doesn't own any himself." |
| Although the dog was not injured, its owner said it was distressed and was acting out of character. She was told about what happened by a witness. | Although the dog was not injured, its owner said it was distressed and was acting out of character. She was told about what happened by a witness. |
| Loft, who was kept in custody over the weekend, is signed off work with depression. | Loft, who was kept in custody over the weekend, is signed off work with depression. |
| District judge Carolyn Mellanby said she accepted his "genuine remorse" and added: "He did this in a very public way which was distressing and alarming for members of the public to observe." | |
| She said the 12-week curfew between 9pm and 6am at his mother's home was to stop him from drinking alcohol. | She said the 12-week curfew between 9pm and 6am at his mother's home was to stop him from drinking alcohol. |
| Loft, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the owner of the dog, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. |