A DOG killed two sheep and a goat in two attacks five days apart, a court heard yesterday.

The 15-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier killed a Swaledale ewe and a ram on a farm at Brompton-on-Swale, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, on September 5.

On September 10, it killed a pygmy goat on a nearby farm.

Yesterday, Northallerton Magistrates' Court heard that the owner of the goat killed the dog by hitting it on the back of the neck with a lump of wood, because he feared it was also going to attack him after he tried to stop it getting to a Shetland pony in a neighbouring field.

The dog's owners, Gemma White, 20, of Shakespeare Close, Brompton-on-Swale, and Michael Anderson, 23, of Somme Barracks, Catterick Garrison, both admitted one charge of being the owner of a dog worrying livestock, Anderson in connection with the sheep incident and White in connection with the goat incident.

In mitigation, Anderson said the first incident happened after the dog had run away the previous day. He said they were not aware of it having attacked the sheep until the police got in touch.

Both he and White were fined £75 and ordered to pay £35 costs and £140 compensation to the owner of the sheep.