A court has fined a dog owner and ordered her to keep her animal muzzled after it was involved in an attack - where she was the victim.

Irina Zureiqi, of Lees Road, East Brabourne, was injured by her own staffordshire bull terrier Jack after it became involved in a fight with another dog in the village in November 2016.

She has been found guilty of being unable to control it after the incident, which left her with injuries to her legs and face, and warned her dog could be put down if she does not follow the court's instructions.

Mrs Zureiqi and Jack

Mrs Zureiqi had just finished walking Jack and her great dane Angelina when they met another dog called Oscar.

Holding her pets on a lead, she was then dragged along the ground as Jack rushed forward and grabbed hold of Oscar’s ear.

Mrs Zureiqi denied the offence but was found guilty at Canterbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday of failing to control Jack.

The 45-year-old told the court: “We had finished the walk and I put the dogs on the lead and made them sit.

“I was cleaning mud off my shoe when suddenly I was pulled by Angelina - Jack had to move as well because they were on one lead.

“I was being dragged along; I tensed up to make myself heavier and harder to pull.

“Numerous times I tried to prevent the encounter - I shouted to the other dog walker about five times as I was on the ground.”

Jack was said to have been 'dangerously out of control'

Prosecutor Alban Brahimi said Mrs Zureiqi was trying to place all of the blame on her great dane rather than Jack.

He said: “Five times you shouted ‘run’ to the other dog walker and let strangers put rope around Jack’s head to choke him, allowed him to be smacked and have water thrown over him.

“In this case, the dog was so dangerous and out of control it has caused its own owner injury.”

Mrs Zureiqi’s defence lawyer, Chiddy Umez, labelled the case strange.

He said: “This is a bizarre case in that the victim is also the defendant.

“The prosecution has tried turning on the victim even though she is the only one who can say what she experienced.

“The law is to stop dogs biting people - it is not an offence for dogs to fight each other.

“No witnesses said they saw Jack cause injury to a person.”

Magistrates ordered Mrs Zureiqi pay a £770 fine and set a contingent destruction order where Jack must be muzzled and kept on a lead while in public otherwise he will be put down.

Angelina has been rehomed since the incident, while Jack is now back home living with Mrs Zureiqi, who said she plans to appeal.

She added: "Jack didn't cause me these injuries, I didn't let go of the lead and chose to be dragged so it is self-inflicted."