A 49-year-old Castletown man has been given an order to keep his dog under proper control.

Stewart Gray appeared before Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood, admitting the allegation, which is a civil matter rather than a criminal one.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that the complainant was walking a Lakeland Terrier called Sam on July 27 last year.

They said that Gray’s Bulldog Crossbreed had jumped over a gate and gripped Sam by the neck.

The owner said that they tried to protect their dog, but fell onto the road, and Gray then took his dog away.

Sam was taken to a vet, and the treatment was said to have cost £248.

Gray was interviewed by police about the incident and claimed that the Terrier had aggression issues and had been snapping at his dog.

He said that his dog, called Kendrix, was a mixed breed Bulldog, and not an XL Bully.

Gray said that the animal was an 18-month-old assistance dog, had never attacked another dog, and had not jumped over the gate.

He claimed that Sam had chased Kendrix and had latched onto his face, and that it had been almost comical seeing the little dog chasing the bigger one.

Gray described it as a ‘silly little scuffle between dogs’.

Defence advocate Paul Glover asked the court to deal with the incident by way of a control order, saying that there had been no previous matters involving the dog, and no further incidents.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood issued the control order and also ordered Gray, who lives at James Road, to pay £248 compensation to Sam’s owner and £50 prosecution costs.

He will pay those amounts at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.