​A teenager left his “skeletal” dog shut inside an excessively hot room, surrounded by his own faeces and urine and bleeding from open head sores.

The severely emaciated and dehydrated animal, a bulldog-type named Caesar, was discovered by police when they went to Harvey Jackson's home in Wouldham, near Rochester, last year.

Footage of the moment PC Lee Collins was greeted by the pitiful sight of the brown and white six-year-old pet was played at Jackson's sentencing hearing on Monday (March 24).

It showed the malnourished dog lying on a mattress without food or water in the almost bare room.

His blood was smeared on the wall behind him and a pile of faeces and urine lay just a few feet away.

The animal did not initially react to the officer opening the door but was eventually able to get to his feet and walk over to immediately drink from a bowl.

However, Maidstone Crown Court heard Caesar had to later be euthanised as a result of seizures, although these were said to be unrelated to his neglect.

Jackson, who was just 19 at the time, had left the dog in the care of his mother, Tanya Alabaf, while he had been in prison.

But he accepted that on his release from custody he had not sought treatment for his pet, and subsequently pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

Prosecutor James Harrison told the court the now 20-year-old had shown a “deliberate disregard” for the dog's welfare.

“There was a substantial level of pain suffered, indicated by the poor state the animal was in when the officer arrived,” he added.

PC Collins had gone to the home that unemployed Jackson shared with mum-of-eight Ms Alabaf in the High Street on May 23.

"Inside the property, a dog named Caesar was shut in an excessively hot room without food or water, surrounded by its own faeces and urine," said Mr Harrison.

There was blood on the wall and he (Caesar) had a number of open sores on his head as a result of his skin condition

"There was blood on the wall and he [Caesar] had a number of open sores on his head as a result of his skin condition.

"The officer asked about his condition and Mr Jackson said the dog had been in a fight. The officer advised he should have taken him to a vet.

"The dog was able to walk over to the door and was given food and water by the officer. He was quite a skeletal animal and malnourished."

The court heard Jackson told PC Collins he had been unable to take Caesar to a vet.

Having then been seized by police, the animal was assessed at Bearsted Veterinary Surgery.

He was described as being severely emaciated, dehydrated and with a severe skin infection including visible ulcerations and open wounds, as well as alopecia.

"That was a consequence of the inadequate care he had received in the preceding three months, reflective of the time Mr Jackson had been out of custody," said Mr Harrison.

Detailing Caesar's fate, he told the court the bulldog-type had had to be put to sleep due to a "totally unrelated" and previously undiagnosed condition.

Mr Harrison also confirmed that although Jackson had mentioned his pet had been in a fight, there was no evidence that Caesar had been used as a fighting dog.

Although the animal was Jackson's, the court was told Ms Alabaf had been registered as the owner as her son was under 18 when they acquired him.

The 42-year-old was also charged with causing unnecessary suffering to Caesar, which she admitted at a separate hearing before Medway magistrates.

"Tanya Alabaf confirmed she had responsibility while Mr Jackson was in custody, and had then had joint responsibility since his release in March last year," explained the prosecutor.

Jackson, whose spell behind bars was in relation to a 15-month sentence imposed for conspiracy to steal, later told a probation officer that he did not feel able to have a dog ever again.

Joe Hingston, defending, told the court it was "important to emphasise" that Caesar's poor state resulted from "neglect rather than deliberate cruelty".

He said Jackson had only been out of prison for eight weeks and was living in "chaotic circumstances" when police arrived at the family home.

Explaining how Caesar had ended up in the care of Ms Alabaf, the lawyer said: "Mr Jackson had been on remand awaiting serious charges at the Central Criminal Court and was originally remanded to Feltham [young offenders' institution].

"At the age of 18, he was transferred to Belmarsh [prison] and during that time the dog was left in the care of his mother.

"Having been released from Belmarsh, his circumstances were very much upside down. Caesar was already unwell and the prosecution expert takes the view that his poor condition had persisted for at least three months."

But he added that Jackson accepted he "did not take the appropriate steps to ensure Caesar got well again" after he was freed from custody.

Mr Hingston also told the court that the reference to Caesar having been in a fight was "volunteered by Mr Jackson when he was at a loss to explain why the dog was ill".

Imposing a two-year community order, Recorder Christine Wilson told Jackson that he had neglected Caesar rather than "set out to be cruel" to him.

"You had been released from prison and, as you said to the probation officer, you were trying to get your life together," she said.

"You also believed your mother would be caring for Caesar more than she was.

"Caesar was severely dehydrated and you can see from the video how emaciated he was."

Recorder Wilson accepted the need for the dog to be put down was not related "to what he did or failed to do", and acknowledged he had shown empathy and remorse.

But although Jackson had himself stated he did not want responsibility for another dog in the future, she handed him a lifetime ban from owning or keeping one.

He was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work, complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirements (RAR), and pay £240 towards prosecution costs at a rate of £20 a month.

The judge also made an order that £3,522 be paid out of central criminal funds to cover the cost of the RSPCA prosecution.

Ms Alabaf was handed a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and 10 RAR at her sentencing hearing in January. She was also given a life ban from owning and keeping dogs.

However, an application for their bans to be lifted can be made after five years.