A PORT man who openly defied a court order by failing to muzzle his pet has been banned from keeping dogs.

David Sharpe, 41, will not be allowed to keep a dog for five years after flouting the notice in Port Glasgow town centre THREE times.

He was forced to muzzle Barney, his collie, and keep it on a lead after it allegedly attacked a dog belonging to local councillor Jim MacLeod.

Sharpe, of John Wood Street, stood trial accused of three charges of failing to comply with a dog control notice.

In his evidence, Councillor MacLeod, 53, said he spotted Sharpe in the town on two occasions last year when his dog was unmuzzled.

The first time was on 8 July when he was in his parked car in King Street.

He said: “I heard a dog barking loudly then saw the accused with the dog. The dog has an order on it. I emailed the council official to let him know that Mr Sharpe was not obeying the order.” On 20 August he again saw the unmuzzled dog with Mr Sharpe, this time in Fore Street.

When asked by solicitor Laurie Houston if he knew Mr Sharpe he replied: “Not personally, but my dog has.

“There was an issue when my dog was attacked by his dog twice.

“On one occasion it cost £90 to treat my dog after the assault on it.” A witness with Mr MacLeod on both occasions also said the dog was unmuzzled each time.

Another witness told the court, pictured, that she saw Mr Sharpe with his black and white collie while in Bay Street and Court Road on 29 June.

The 63-year-old said: “Mr Sharpe was on his mobile phone and the dog was loose around him.

“As soon as Mr Sharpe saw me — he knows me — he automatically called the dog and ran to a close where his brother stays.” Sharpe was made subject to a dog control notice in August 2012. It ordered him to have Barney on a lead and wearing a muzzle in public areas.

He denied having the dog unleashed on 29 June last year at Bay Street and Court Road, unmuzzled in King Street on 8 July last year and without a lead or muzzle on Fore Street on 20 August last year.

But he was found guilty of all charges, received a £225 fine and was given seven days to rehouse Barney.

Following the trial, Mr MacLeod said: “All we were asking for was the man to keep his dog under proper control.

“Certain conditions had been put to him regarding the lead and the muzzle and it was him who chose not to fulfill those.”