A RESIDENT of Whittingehame Estate has appeared in court accused of failing to keep his large dog under control.

Kevin Martin, of the estate’s Willow Rise, is alleged to have allowed his Turkish Kangal dog to roam the estate on its own and attack dogs belonging to residents of Whittingehame House.

He is also alleged to have assaulted a sheriff officer who was in the course of his employment by driving a vehicle at a fence the man was astride and attempting to punch him to the head.

Mr Martin, 47, stood trial at a part-heard hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week where he denied all the allegations against him.

He s representing himself during the trial in front of Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC.

The court heard from a series of homeowners at Whittingehame House who said they had seen the large Kangal dog roaming on its own or out with just Martin’s children to look after it.

The court was told that a control notice was served on Mr Martin by East Lothian Council dog warden Karl Howman last September 5.

The order stated that Mr Martin had to make sure the dog had to be in the control of a responsible adult at all times and that the animal had to be kept on a short leash.

But it is alleged that he failed to keep the dog under control by allowing it out on its own, where it is said to have attacked other dogs.

Whittingehame residents told of how they witnessed the Turkish Kangal attack their pets on September 14 and October 3 last year.

The dog was also allegedly seen out on the estate grounds unaccompanied by a responsible adult on September 29 and October 29 last year.

At this stage, there has been no evidence led on the assault charge. The summary trial was part-heard and will resume later this year.

Mr Martin denies failing to adhere to a dog control notice and allowing his animal to attack another dog, causing injury, at Whittingehame Estate on September 14 last year. He also denies three further and similar charges relating to controlling his dog and it allegedly attacking other dogs on September 29, October 3 and October 28, all last year at Whittingehame Estate.

Mr Martin is also pleading not guilty to a charge of assaulting sheriff officer Alexander Horne by driving a vehicle at a fence and allegedly colliding with the fence Mr Horne was surmounting on July 16 last year. It is also alleged that Mr Martin attempted to punch Mr Horne to the head.