A homeless man's dog is set to be destroyed after a woman was bitten in a popular park.

Reece Mooney's pit bull type dog Rex will be put down after it was decided it posed a risk to the public.

Mooney, 24, had been in Brenchley Gardens, Maidstone, in August 2017, when Rex sunk his teeth into Stephanie Sutton, causing two wounds that became infected.

She had been walking her three-year-old Japanese Spitz dog Sunny when the attack happened.

Mooney admitted being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.

Ms Sutton wanted to avoid his dog Rex because of a previous incident in which he bit and injured Sunny.

As she entered the park on August 8, 2017, she walked towards the bandstand, thinking it was safe but then saw Rex run loose from behind a monument.

She picked up Sunny and cradled him, fearing another attack on him.

When police questioned Mooney, 23, he referred to Sunny as “that rat” and claimed he had complete control over his dog.

Ms Sutton said she needed frequent medical attention after the wounds became infected and moved house to get away from the area.

But she added that she did not want the dog to die.

However, during a hearing at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on Tuesday Rex's fate was decided and he must be destroyed.

Rex will be destroyed unless an appeal is lodged in the next 21 days.

The court was unable to be convinced that Rex would not be a danger to the public having taken into account his temperament and his past behaviour.

Magistrates were also unable to be satisfied that Mooney was a fit and proper person to be in charge of the dog. For this reason he was disqualified from owning a dog for five years.

Mooney was handed a community order and must carry out 100 hours of unpaid work within the next twelve months.

He must also cover court costs of £620 and a victim surcharge of £85.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone