An ongoing dispute over two puppies, their father and a stud agreement escalated to the courts this week after the stud dog’s owner was accused of assaulting the owner of the puppies.

Stacey Coombes claimed that whilst putting the puppies into a cage in the boot of her car in readiness for their trip to the vets to receive their second jab her neighbour, Niamh Hickey, ran towards her.

“I turned around and saw her running towards me, shouting and screaming,” Stacey Coombes told Haverfordwest magistrates earlier this week.

“I put myself in front of the boot to stop her from getting at the cage because she was shouting ‘They’re my puppies, not yours’. But they were mine”.

Stacey Coombes went on to say that Niamh Hickey then took hold of her left arm, pulled and pushed her and hit her, again to her left arm.

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However this allegation was strongly contested during her cross-examination after Ms Hickey pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault by beating.

“In Ms Coombes’ statement to the police following this incident, there was absolutely no description whatsoever of the assault that has been presented to us today,” said solicitor Tom Lloyd who represented the defendant.

“And the CCTV footage which Miss Coombes has shown us doesn’t show an assault taking place.”

Mr Lloyd went on to say that Miss Coombes had also claimed in her police statement that there was an ongoing dispute between herself and Ms Hickey concerning the ownership of the puppies as a result of the defendant’s dog being the father.

“But once again this is completely different to what has been said today with Ms Coombes saying the dispute had been settled,” said Mr Lloyd.

“There are huge, glaring misrepresentations being made that cast a great shadow of doubt over the Prosecution case. As a result, there is no case for the defendant to answer.”

Following a short adjournment to consider the evidence, magistrates agreed with Mr Lloyd’s representation and the case was dismissed.