A Man found guilty of causing suffering to his German Shepherd has been banned from keeping dogs for ten years.

Damon Blandford, 31, of South Coast Road, Peacehaven, pleaded not guilty to two offences at Brighton Magistrates Court after passers-by found the dead dog on Peacehaven Heights last March.

But the court found him guilty after a trial on both counts of causing unnecessary suffering by not providing adequate nutrition and causing unnecessary suffering by failing to obtain veterinary attention. The dog was totally emaciated and is believed to have died of malnutrition.

It weighed only 17.15kg and the RSPCA said a healthy weight for a dog of this breed and age was 36.5kg.

The animal was also dirty with faecal soiling and overgrown claws.

The dog was tracked to its owner through a microchip on its body but it was established the owner had died and Mr Blandford had taken it into his care.

At Brighton Magistrates Court yesterday Blandford was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order, a 16-week curfew order, a ten-year ban on having custody of dogs and ordered to pay £200 costs.

David Buck, prosecuting, recommended banning Blandford from keeping dogs for life.

Nigel Weller, defending, told the court the dog had had diarrhoea and also had a habit of drinking bleach from the toilet when Blandford was out.

He said Blandford believed this was the reason for the dog being thinner.

The court also heard how Blandford was unable to do unpaid community work due to ill health.

Sussex Inspector for the RSPCA Kirsty Hampton said: "I am disappointed that he hasn't been banned from keeping all animals for life. This was a particularly horrific case of cruelty and I think that would have been a more appropriate sentence.

"However I am pleased with the curfew order and the community rehabilitation order."