A DOG owner was caught on CCTV repeatedly punching and kicking his pet in a drunken rage on Weymouth seafront.

Christopher James Herbert, 28, admitted inflicting pain and suffering on his Stafford-shire bull terrier called Max, after the dog apparently bit him, a court heard.

Herbert, of Lower Putton Lane, Chickerell, was captured on camera walking along The Esplanade, Weymouth, in the early hours of September 27, attacking the dog over a 20-minute period.

Prosecuting, Matthew Knight told Weymouth Magistrates’ Court that Herbert inflicted ‘deliberate ill-treatment’. Mr Knight said: “He was caught on CCTV punching, kicking, possibly headbutting and maltreating his dog.”

Vet David Holah, of Lynwood Vets, Wareham, prepared a report on the CCTV footage. The report read out in court said: “The behaviour of the dog shows this dog has become conditioned to accept this treatment as normal.”

Mr Knight said Herbert, who admitted having a few drinks that night, admitted punching the dog because it bit him earlier and knew it would cause pain.

“He said he thought it was the correct way to chastise him,” he added. This is not a suitable way to train or chastise a dog.”

Mr Knight said Max has been seized by the RSPCA but not signed over. “That means the RSPCA makes an application for the dog to be transferred into ownership of the RSPCA to be re-homed with an owner who will hope-fully treat it better,” he added.

In mitigation, Lee Christmas said: “Mr Herbert is appalled by his abhorrent behaviour. He is mortified when he sees that CCTV and he can’t believe what he did.

“There had been an incident shortly beforehand and he saw a couple arguing and he intervened. For the first time ever, the dog bit him. He was shocked by it and continued walking into town in a drunken daze and when he got into town he commited the crime.”

Mr Christmas said Herbert, an unemployed builder, has been ‘devastated’ by what happened because the dog has been a member of his family since he took it on as a puppy three years ago.

He added: “He doesn’t accept the dog is conditioned to this type of treatment – this dog has never been beaten before.”

Magistrate Janet Cridland asked for a pre-sentence report. She said: “The attack on the dog was intermittent and sustained and from what we could see, for no reason.”

Herbert is due to be sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on January 21.

Weymouth and Portland dog warden Ian Lewis said: “It was one of the worst cases of cruelty I have ever seen. It was 20 minutes of sustained unadulterated violence on a helpless animal. I hope he is banned from keeping dogs for life.”

The case was brought by RSPCA inspector Ken Snook, who was in court to oversee proceedings and said the organisation would prosecute anyone suspected of cruelty.