A CUMBRIAN man who filmed dogs attacking a sheep on a mobile phone has been jailed.

Dean Quirk was sent to prison for 12 weeks and banned from keeping animals for 10 years after baiting dogs to attack a sheep, in a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspector Will Lamping said: “The footage is distressing to watch.

“You can hear the dogs being encouraged to attack the sheep which is trying to get away but doesn’t stand a chance.

“The sheep is being bitten over and over again. After a couple of minutes, the dogs are ordered off her. We don’t know what happened after that but clearly she was caused unnecessary suffering.”

The Gazette has decided not to publish the video or stills from it because of its distressing nature.

Quirk, 27, Sikemeadow, Barrow appeared at Furness Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon for sentencing.

He was due to stand trial last week but pleaded guilty to two allegations under the Animal Welfare Act instead.

He admitted (1.) on a date between 1 January 2014 and 19 March 2014, at an unknown location, causing unnecessary suffering to a sheep by baiting dogs to attack it and (2.) causing unnecessary suffering to a sheep by failing to remove his dog 'Kenya' from the sheep in a timely fashion, once the dog was attacking it.

The footage was discovered after a warrant was executed on the home of another man on 19 March 2014.

He was jailed for 26 weeks in November after pleading guilty to allegations relating to the sheep attack and a second incident involving dogs being baited to attack a cat.

Inspector Lamping added: “This has been a long investigation involving many man hours but the evidence was overwhelming.

“It’s difficult to imagine why anyone would get pleasure out of deliberately causing unnecessary suffering to defenceless animals in this way, but clearly some people do.

“This was a horrific incident and I am pleased the court viewed this case so seriously.”