A man who subjected his neighbours to seven years of torment after being unable to stop his dogs from barking had narrowly avoided being jailed.
John Laveric,48, was banned from keeping dogs as a result of the noise in what was previously described as "one of the worst cases ever".
However, Laveric continued his ownership of his pets Wilma, Daphne, Tia and Tormand. This forced the occupants of nearby properties to resort to drastic measures, including sleeping in their cars and having to wear pairs of ear defenders when sitting in their own gardens.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that complaints concerning the dogs began to flood in from residents of Eric Street in Widnes during 2017, resulting in Halton Borough Council serving a noise abatement notice on Laveric.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk