HANNAH Bennett claims that she would not have kicked her elderly dog so hard that it sustained internal injuries had she not been drunk.

 When I was first appointed to the Bench nearly 20 years ago, being drunk was considered to be an aggravating factor to offending behaviour.

Now, time and again we see drunkenness being offered in mitigation. The poor dog is now, fortunately being looked after by the RSPCA where it is receiving medication for the physical injuries it sustained.

Ms Bennett, who received a suspended sentence and will be entitled, in five years time, to own another animal is meanwhile at liberty to spend her afternoons getting drunk.

Why does society endlessly protect people’s right to drink to the point of ceasing to be responsible for their actions yet accept that this has contributed to generating a culture in which it is the norm to abuse others, whether human or animal?

COLIN PIPE, Durley Gardens, Bournemouth