A WOMAN who refused to go to bed with her ex-husband was shocked to find him having sex with her dog soon afterwards, a jury heard today.

Kelly Thacker could not believe her eyes when she went upstairs to her bedroom and saw her naked ex husband Nicholas Saunders trying to penetrate her bull mastiff Sasha, it was alleged.

"Ms Thacker just couldn't believe what she was seeing to start off with so she looked away and then looked again,” said prosecutor Frank Abbott at Gloucester crown court.

Mr Abbott said that by that stage Mr Saunders was having full sexual intercourse with the dog.

Ms Thacker ordered Mr Saunders 'in no uncertain terms' to leave the house, Mr Abbott said. At first Saunders protested that he was tired and wanted to stay but eventually he did leave - although he later returned saying he wanted to talk to her.

Mr Abbott said Saunders, 46, of Bell Lane, Lechlade, Glos, had been at her house that night because he had called on her after being thrown out by his new girlfriend following a row.

Ms Thacker agreed to let him stay the night - but made it plain she would not be having sex with him and went downstairs, leaving him in her bedroom, Mr Abbott said.

The couple's two daughters were asleep in their rooms in the house at the time.

When Saunders was arrested after she found him having sex with Sasha he agreed to give an intimate sample and dog's DNA was found, added Mr Abbott.

Mr Saunders has pleaded not guilty to having sex with a female dog on Jan 15th last year.

Mr Abbott told the jury of seven women and five men at the start of the trial that they must not let feelings of revulsion or amusement about the case affect their judgement.

"This is a fairly rare occurrence - it's like the world turned around when we find ourselves in a crown court listening to, and contemplating, an allegation of a man having sexual intercourse with a dog," said Mr Abbott.

"It is not only something unusual but it is also something which you might find repulsive.

"But one cannot blind oneself to the possibility that we might from time to time also find it something which makes a small chuckle come to us because it is unusual and in a way so unnatural.

"It is something which of course is wrong and criminal to all right thinking people.

"You must not in any way be influenced by being offended and you must not have any sympathy one way or another for the persons giving evidence , or indeed the defendant.

"We have to keep our feet on the ground and at all times remain composed and careful about listening to the evidence."

Mr Abbott said that on the night of the alleged offence Mr Saunders and his girlfriend had a 'disagreement' and she threw him out.

"He went to see his ex wife because at that stage they were on reasonably good terms. He went around effectively for a bit of sympathy from her.

"It may be that perhaps he thought he was going to have a little bit more, in that it might be more intimate because they were certainly quite close.

"Well, she let him in and the first thing he said was 'I've been used again.

I can't believe she's done this to me.' He was referring to his girlfriend.

"After half an hour of discussions they both went upstairs, she to sit on the bed and he effectively to watch television and then to go to bed.

"He got undressed. She saw he had some boxer shorts on. She thought it was a little unusual in the circumstances.

"He had been to her house before as a friend after they had separated.

"While she was sitting on the bed one of her dogs, Sasha, came upstairs and laid on the bed. He said to the dog 'You've just ruined my chances.'

"You may think that he had rather hoped to have sex with his ex wife and the dog getting on the bed had got in the way.

"She made it perfectly clear that she was not going to sleep with him and she went downstairs to sleep in the lounge."

Mr Abbott said Ms Thacker then heard noises of furniture being moved upstairs and she went to investigate. She found that furniture had been placed against the door of their daughters' room and that Mr Saunders was smoking.

She asked him to smoke outside but he said he would do so through the open window of the bedroom.

"She went back downstairs and then heard him whistling the dogs to go upstairs. They went upstairs, including Sasha, and we say she got on the bed with the defendant.

"Ms Thacker was curious about this and went upstairs."

It was then, he said that she saw her ex husband having sex with the dog.

When she told Saunders to leave he told her "I've got nowhere to go" and he later returned, banged on the door and said he needed to talk. Later he phoned, again saying he wanted to talk.

Mr Abbott said when Saunders was arrested he told police the dog had got on the bed when he was naked and she had woken him up by licking his face.

"He said no indecent act had occurred," said Mr Abbott.

Saunders then agreed to have a swab taken from inside the penis - and dog DNA was found by a forensic scientist.

Saunders then refused to make any comment to police.

Mr Abbott said the jury would be hearing from forensic scientists for the prosecution and defence.

"You may be asked to consider that the dog had deposited some DNA on the bed covers and as he rolled over on the bed he got it lodged in his penis," Mr Abbott told the jury.

The trial continues.