A TRANENT man kicked and punched a dog and challenged a man to fight with him during a neighbour dispute.

Mark Robertson grabbed the animal and proceeded to strike it after it ran into his garden when he was engaged in an argument with neighbours over him playing loud music in the early hours.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that two neighbours were woken up by the music coming from Robertson’s then home at the town’s Muirpark Road at about 5.30am.

The male neighbour shouted at Robertson’s former co-accused Angela Reid to turn the volume down but Robertson overheard his comments and became enraged.

The 40-year-old exited his property and challenged the man to come down and fight with him; it was during this exchange the neighbour’s dog ran into Robertson’s garden.

The court was told that Robertson, currently of Coal Neuk Court, proceeded to grab the animal and punch and kick it to the head.

The female neighbour ran outside to collect the animal and take it back inside her home and called the police following the incident on December 13 last year.

Robertson was subsequently arrested and taken to Dalkeith Police Station.

Reid, 45, had faced a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour but her not guilty plea was accepted.

Sheriff Alistair Noble said that “custody was still an option” and deferred sentence on Robertson to next month for social work reports to be prepared.

Robertson pleaded guilty to causing an animal unnecessary cruelty by striking it at Muirpark Road, Tranent, on December 13 last year.

He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence, and challenging a man to fight on the same date.