A man pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 11 at Hatfield Remand Court having been charged with an offence of cruelty to an animal and a public order offence which occurred in Potters Bar.

Police had been called to a fitness centre on Mount Grace Road at around 4.15pm on Saturday, April 9 to reports a man had verbally threatened a member of staff.

He then left and walked to the High Street where he approached a woman and kicked her 14 year old Yorkshire terrier several times. The dog suffered serious bruising which required treatment.

Chris Andrews, who is 24 years old, was arrested at his home in Beechwood Avenue later that day and subsequently charged with cruelty to an animal and a section 4 public order offence. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, six weeks for each charge, and ordered to pay compensation to the dog owner and member of staff.

PC Paul Francis said: “These were unprovoked incidents affecting not only the victims but others who witnessed what happened.

In the case of the offence against the dog this was totally senseless and understandably distressing for her owner.”