A WOMAN starved her boyfriend’s five dogs after he was taken into custody for alleged violence against her, a court heard.

Two died and the others were found to be “malnourished, emaciated and suffering” after being left in the care of 21-year-old Natasha Longman, Bournemouth magistrates’ court was told.

When Andrew Cousin was released from custody in January this year he found Staffordshire Bull Terrier Honey dead in a bin and Cain Corsa cross Sacha close to death.

Vintage bulldog Sam was less than half his original bodyweight and Nick, another Staffy, was painfully thin. The body of the fifth dog has never been found.

“At best it is a case of wilful neglect with serious consequences, at worst intentional neglect motivated by revenge,” said Matthew Knight, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA.

Mr Knight told the court that the alleged violence case against Mr Cousin, of Wilkinson Drive, Townsend, Bournemouth, was dropped and he has not been convicted of an offence. He spent around two months in custody.

Deputy district judge Champion, sitting at Bournemouth, heard that RSPCA inspectors were called to the flat by Mr Cousin, whose mother had given Natasha Longman £20 per week to look after the dogs. Mr Cousin told an inspector: “I did not recognise my own dogs – I could see their bones. “I burst into tears, I could not believe they had been starved. “There was no dog food in the house at all.”

A post mortem examination carried out on Honey revealed she had swallowed ladies’ underwear and a vet said: “In my opinion this dog suffered a painful and distressing death.”

Photographs of Honey are too distressing to be printed in the Daily Echo.

Longman, who now lives at Maclean Road, admitted two charges of failing to provide an adequate diet sufficient for the needs of the dogs and two charges of failing to provide adequate veterinary care and attention for their declining condition.

Her defence case was not read out in court after the judge agreed to go along with the recommendations of a probation report.

Sentencing, he told her: “Your case contains unusual features” and gave her a 12-month community order, to include supervision by the probation service and 25 days’ attendance on an employment and training course.

She was also banned from keeping dogs for five years, although the RSPCA had requested a ban on keeping all animals.

Speaking after the case, the charity’s inspector Graham Hammond said: “Two dogs died. “We hope cases like this will act as a deterrent to other people.”