A puppy became dehydrated and very thin after a prisoner “did nothing” for her when he began a custodial sentence, a Court heard.

Tyrone Jackman, 36, was banned from keeping animals for five years after he admitted failing to ensure the needs were met of a Staffordshire bull terrier puppy called Caitlin and failing to provide “adequate environmental enrichment” for her, from March 22 to April 8, the date she was found by the RSPCA.

Jackman, of Westcroft Road, Great Horton, who gave his address to Bradford Magistrates’ Court yesterday as HMP Hatfield, also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog between April 1 and 8, after a vet confirmed she would have suffered for at least a week.

Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Nigel Monaghan said the dog was found in a “very thin and dehydrated condition” after inspectors were alerted by housing company support workers who found her.

The prosecutor said: “If they hadn’t gone to the premises it clearly would have died. It would have starved to death.”

The court was told Caitlin has now made a good recovery and she is believed to have been rehomed.

Chairman of the magistrates’ bench, Audrey Nossig, sentenced Jackman to a 12-month conditional discharge and banned him from keeping any animal for five years.

Mitigating for Jackman, Mohammed Arif told the court his client had “other things on his mind” when he left the dog.

He had been confused at the time and had thought officers would be going to be visiting his home and that they would find her.