Lechlade man found guilty of having sex with bull mastiff dog

Lechlade man Nicholas Saunders, 46, has been found guilty of having sex with his ex-wife’s bull mastiff dog.

Kelly Thacker told Gloucester Crown Court she was shocked to discover her ex-husband Saunders, in her bed having intercourse with the animal on January 15 last year.

During the two-day trial Ms Thacker told the court she had spurned Saunder’s advances towards her after he had a fight with his girlfriend and had visted his ex-wife at her home.

It was soon afterwards she found him having sex with her female dog, Sasha.

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Saunders denied the charge and claimed his ex-wife had seen him merely “climbing over the dog” to get out of bed to use the toilet.

The jury of five men and seven women returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Recorder Stewart Patterson adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports to be completed.

Speaking directly to Saunders, of Lechlade, Gloucestershire, the judge said: “The jury have found you guilty. It is an unusual offence and unusual behaviour.

“I want to know more about you and the offence so I am going to adjourn this matter for pre-sentence reports until the 27th July.”

Ms Thacker told the court she had seen Saunders having intercourse with the dog as she climbed the stairs at her house.

“It was just utter shock, you don’t think anything like this could happen,” she said.

During the trial Saunders told the court it was him who spurned Ms Thacker’s advances and that she had made up the allegation against him.

“The allegation is a total lie,” he told the court.

But following his arrest Saunders was asked to provide an “intimate sample” which, following forensic examinations, showed a 100% match to the DNA of a domestic dog.

Frank Abbott, prosecuting, said it would have been an “incredible coincidence” that DNA was found on a “fairly inaccessible” part of Saunders, backing up what Ms Thacker told the court she had seen.

Ms Thacker, 40, was not in court to hear the verdict, but later said she was glad the case was now over.

“It’s been the most stressful time of my life, not just the last week but the last year and a half.

“I don’t really care what happens to him now. I got what I wanted, which was a guilty verdict.”