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A new mum must give up her two Staffordshire bull terriers and pay a four-figure vet bill after her dogs tried to rip cat in two before attacking her neighbour .

Jackie Hicks was set upon in her own back garden by the two out-of-control dogs which belonged to her next door neighbour, Gemma Hearne, Cardiff Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Miss Hicks was in her kitchen when she heard her beloved her cat screeching in pain as the two dogs, Molly and Storm, tried to tear it apart on July 21 last year.

After rushing out to try and prise her eight-year-old cat from their jaws Molly, the larger of the two dogs, latched onto Miss Hicks' arm and refused to let go. It took another neighbour to stab the pure-bred dog in the gums with a screwdriver before it let go of Miss Hicks.

During the attack, described by Suzanne Payne for the prosecution, it was heard how Miss Hicks felt sure she "could have bled to death" as the canine teeth punctured her flesh down to the muscle. Another neighbour described seeing Molly hanging off Miss Hicks' left arm with all four feet off the ground.

Hearne, 38, of Keene Avenue, Rogerstone, Newport , pleaded guilty to two counts of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control and while so out of control injuring Miss Hicks at an earlier hearing at held at Newport Magistrates’ Court.

Ms Payne told the court how neighbours had often seen the dogs escaping through a hole in the unsecured fence between the two gardens. They were described as "aggressive and out of control" on those occasions.

Ms Payne continued: "Molly jumped up and bit Miss Hicks on her left arm. She was chewing her arm and hanging on to her arm with all four feet off the ground. The other dog, Storm, tried to jump up and down to get the cat.

"Miss Hicks thought she was going to die and screamed for help."

Neighbours ran to assist and one grabbed a broom handle to hit Molly over the head but it had no effect. A second neighbour went back to his house to get a screwdriver which he then used to stab the dog in the gums which made it release its grip.

They described the dog as "biting as though trying to pull flesh away".

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Miss Hicks was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital where her wounds were treated and Mrs Payne described how her muscles were visible. She underwent surgery the next day to clean the deep puncture wounds.

Both dogs were seized by Gwent Police and the cat was treated by vets, costing £1,062.

Hearne, who is deaf, saw the commotion in her garden but did not fully understand what was going on. The court heard how one of the dogs had returned to her garden by the time she was aware of the incident and she went to get some wood to fix the hole in her fence.

In a victim impact statement read out in court Miss Hicks said: "After I heard my cat screaming in pain I rushed out to see if it was okay.

"What I did not expect was for my neighbour's dogs to go one step further and attack me.

"I was screaming for help as I was in great pain. I could see a lot of blood coming from my arm and leg. I felt I could have bled to death."

Karl Williams, for the defence, told the court how Hearne, who was heavily pregnant at the time of the attack, had been unable to walk the two dogs as much as she would have liked.

Judge Richard Williams handed Hearne an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for six months, and ordered her to pay compensation to her neighbour to cover the veterinary bills.

Hearne, who is on benefits, was also required to sign a document disclaiming her dogs, who will be re-homed to "competent owners". Judge Williams also made a contingent destruction order and an order that requires Molly to wear a muzzle and for both dogs to be attached to a fixed leash of no more than 1.5m when in public.

Sentencing Hearne, Judge Williams said: "There are dogs and there are dogs. I would be misleading you if I said I didn't have some particular concerns about these dogs.

"There is no evidence of aggression from the dogs before this incident. But when these dogs attacked your neighbour's cat your neighbour did what any pet owner would do and went to try and rescue it.

"You have become a mum since the incident and I would hope that in any event you would think very carefully about what kind of dog you have in your household."

Judge Williams acknowledged that an assistance dog could be a "positive step" for Hearne in the future and therefore did not ban her from keeping a dog again.