A MAN grabbed a dog walker by the throat before exposing himself during a drunken assault.

Alex Brown, of Arpley Street, was handed a nine-month community order at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Monday after pleading guilty to assault by beating, exposure and possession of cannabis.

The court heard how a man was out walking his dog on August 27 at Clearwater Quays, Latchford, when he was approached by a man who was later identified as Brown.

At first Brown seemed friendly but he quickly became abusive towards the dog walker, shouting ‘your mum doesn’t love you anymore’ and sticking his fingers up.

It quickly became clear that Brown was under influence of either drink or drugs as he was struggling to stand up and was ‘foaming at the mouth’.

Brown ran away before returning and grabbing the victim by the throat.

The dog walker was able to push him to the floor before Brown ‘purposely pulled his boxer shorts down’.

The victim told police: “It left me feeling quite shaken.

“I’m a quiet person and I thought I was talking to someone who was interested in dogs. I didn’t expect it to turn out the way it did.”

In interview, Brown admitted to drinking ‘all sorts’ but denied taking drugs.

Gary Schooler, defending, told the court that Brown was a ‘decent man from a good family’ and the exposure was not sexually motivated.

He said: “It is a bizarre case – this young man has no recollection of what has been described today.

“I met him for the first time today and he has a memory of being with friends and taking alcohol.

"He accepts he consumed this to excess but his next memory was waking up in a cell and that was very frightening as he did not know why he was there.”

Brown was also handed a 20-day rehabilitation requirement and must pay £420 in fines and court costs.