FATHER-OF-THREE Nicholas Saunders has been convicted of having sex with his ex-wife's giant bull mastiff dog.

Fencing contractor Saunders, 46, of Manor Avenue, Lechlade, showed no emotion other than to shake his head slightly as the jury unanimously found him guilty on Thursday, June 28, after a three day trial at Gloucester Crown Court.

Saunders had denied ex wife Kelly Thacker's allegation that she saw him having intercourse with four-year-old Sasha, the bull mastiff, on her bed.

Ms Thacker told how Saunders had propositioned her for sex first but when she turned him down he whistled for the dog and had intercourse with Sasha instead.

But Saunders claimed the allegation was a 'total lie' - made up by Ms Thacker because he had refused to have sex with her.

Crucial evidence in the case came from a forensic scientist who found dog DNA on a swab taken from Saunders’ genitals.

When the jury of five men and seven women returned their guilty verdict, the judge, recorder Stewart Patterson bailed Saunders for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

"It is an unusual offence and unusual behaviour and I want to know more about it and about you before I pass sentence," said Judge Patterson.

"I am adjourning so that the probation service can enquire into it."

He said Saunders could have bail on condition he does not contact his ex wife and family but warned him that all sentencing options are still open.

He also ordered Saunders to sign the sex offenders register.

Sarah Jenkins, defending, had asked for sentencing to be passed immediately, suggesting that a community order would be sufficient punishment, but the judge refused and asked Mrs Jenkins to assess whether Saunders needed help.

Prosecutor Frank Abbott said the case had caused 'considerable distress' to Saunders' ex wife and the couple's sixteen-year-old-twin daughters.

"There has been some dispute within the families and the local community, who have taken sides in this matter," he said.

"It has been something of an ordeal for the family."

At the start of the trial the jury heard Saunders and Ms Thacker married in 1999 before having the twin daughters, now aged 16.

They separated in 2002 but later rekindled their relationship on friendly terms.

On January 15 last year, Saunders turned up at her home in Fairford after calling to say his girlfriend had thrown him out and he had nowhere to stay.

Ms Thacker agreed to let him stay the night and they went to her bedroom to watch TV.

The jury heard that Ms Thacker later went downstairs, leaving Saunders to sleep in her bed.

She alleged that while in the bedroom, Saunders made it clear he wanted sex with her and that when Sasha jumped on the bed he said the dog had ‘ruined’ his chances with her.

Shortly after going downstairs she said she heard bumping upstairs and then heard Saunders whistling for the dog.

She claimed she went upstairs to see what was happening and saw Saunders in the act of having sex with Sasha on the bed.

"I think I must have hit some sort of shock," she told the court.

"I hid back a little bit because he started moving and I did not want him to see me."

She confronted him and ordered him to leave before reporting the incident to police the next morning following discussions with her daughters.

Saunders, who pleaded not guilty, told the jury his ex-wife's allegations were lies.

"When they told me they had found dog DNA I said nothing more to the police because I was in total shock," he said.

He told the jury that he and Ms Thacker watched TV together for 10 -15 minutes before she left to go downstairs.

He said he stripped naked and settled down to sleep before being woken around two hours by the dog licking his face.

"I pushed her away because I do not particularly like that," he said.

He added that left the house in the middle of the night after getting into an row with Ms Thacker and spent the rest of the night sleeping in his van parked up the road near her home.

Two forensic scientists - one instructed by the prosecution and one by the defence - both said that canine DNA could have got onto Saunders’ genitals from him touching himself after touching the dog.

Defence expert Claire Stangoe said it would also have been possible for Saunders to have come into contact with the dog's DNA from the bedcover while he was lying in it naked.

Saunders suggested the transfer could have occurred while he used the toilet before leaving.

Despite this, the jury returned its unanimous guilty verdict after a retirement of just over three hours.

Saunders will be sentenced on July 27.