A dog owner faces a court bill of more than £1,500 after her huskies chased and attacked a flock of sheep.

Cristina Charterjee’s two dogs worried the 67 animals on a North Yorkshire farm for 20 minutes despite the efforts of four adults trying to stop them, said Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting.

Four of the sheep were injured and the farmer told police sheep worrying can lead to longer term impacts including miscarriages and stress leading to death, York magistrates heard.

It was the latest in a series of incidents where Charterjee’s huskies have chased sheep on the same farm, the farmer said in her court statement. She had called the police out three times over the problem, the statement added.

Charterjee, 50, of Bromley Lane, Newby north of Northallerton,  was not in court. She pleaded guilty to sheep worrying in a letter in which she explained why she couldn’t attend court. She lives close to the farm. 

The incident happened on October 27, during the period when sheep farmers run tups, or male sheep, with ewes to get them pregnant.

The maximum sentence for sheep worrying is a £1,000 fine.

Magistrates said it was a serious incident and there appeared to have been previous incidents.

They imposed the maximum fine, with a statutory reduction of a third for Charterjee’s guilty plea, making the sentence a £660 fine. Charterjee must also pay £500 compensation to the farmer, a £264 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs, making a total of £1,509.

Ms Ibbotson said sheep worrying has a "large impact" on the farmer's livelihood, as well as the financial and emotional impact.

The flock contained 65 ewes and two tups. The farmer and her son tried to get the dogs off the sheep as did Charterjee and her partner.

The dogs had climbed over a fence into the field. Afterwards, the farmer found two of the ewes had blood on them and two ewes had puncture bite marks. She paid £120.38 for medical care and treatment is ongoing. 

Interviewed by police, Charterjee said the farmer and her son had made it more difficult to get the dogs away from the sheep because they were shouting and waving pitchforks.

The dogs had escaped from her premises and she invited police to see changes she said she had made to prevent the dogs escaping again.