A "TROUBLED" man has been banned from owning dogs after his "out of control" pet bit a labourer and a police officer.

Stephen Moroney, 68, was at home when his dog Nala, a Dogue De Bordeaux crossed with a Rottweiler, struck. 

A court heard Moroney had employed a labourer to clean his garden.

When the man arrived, accompanied by his wife, Nala and her pup, Red, were jumping up the window and Moroney, a retired butcher, was asked to keep them inside.

However, when the worker went to the rear of the property Nala ran towards him leaving him “petrified”. 

The man turned to escape but the dog bit his elbow before he and his wife ran to their car.

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Red also darted out and got through the gate lunging at the couple as they got into the car.

The victim then rang the police despite Moroney offering him money not to tell anyone what had happened.

An officer arrived to inspect the animals but he too was bit by Nala just as her owner tried to demonstrate she was not aggressive.

Both the labourer and the officer had to attend hospital for a tetanus injection and to have their wounds cleaned and dressed.

Moroney's dogs were seized by police, prompting the pensioner to contact the worker accusing him of letting himself in to his garden.

"Nice one. My dogs are gone. I’m going to make sure I [mess] with your business," he told him.

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Moroney, of Summertrees Court in New Milton, spent most of his life living in London.

He has previous convictions the majority of which date back to the 1970s.

His barrister, Ruba Huleihel, told Southampton Crown Court Moroney has a number of health conditions including sleep apnoea, depression and type two diabetes.

She went on to describe him as a “troubled man” who “struggles with his mental health”.

“He sees his dogs as his main companion other than his son.”

The defendant described the threats to the victim as “shouting his mouth off”.

After pleading guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, Moroney was given a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also disqualified from owning dogs for the next three years.

Judge Christopher Parker KC said: “These are large dogs that when out of control are dangerous to humans whether adult of child.

“You had no control over [Nala] inside your own home. It is not the dog that is at fault. It is the training.”

An order was not made for destruction of Red as it was felt that she could be trained and rehomed.

Nala has already died from natural causes.