A woman who had a 'distinguished' career in British intelligence was spared a prison sentence today after her two dogs killed 35 sheep and injured 14 others.

Linda Lawrence, 66, was said to be unable to control her 'large and powerful' German Shepherds which went on a killing spree after escaping from her home.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how farmer Tom Biela was taking civil action against her and seeking up to £136,000 for the damage to his flock and future losses.

Lawrence had been previously warned by a judge that she faced being jailed after she admitted criminal damage and being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog.

But she was shown mercy by Recorder Elroy Claxton who gave her an 18-month community order with a requirement for 20 days rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

She was also disqualified from keeping dogs until further notice, and ordered to pay £1,224 compensation to Mr Biela which was the amount he was able to provide invoices for.

Lawrence tried to hide behind her pink handbag to avoid being photographed as she went into court and covered her face in a green patterned scarf as she left.

The court heard how her ten-month-old pets had initially escaped and killed one sheep belonging to shepherd Tom Biela and injured another on June 18 last year.

She admitted responsibility for the incident and agreed to compensate Mr Biela in a community resolution organised by Suffolk Police.

Lawrence, of Assington Green near Sudbury, Suffolk, was also give a dog incident form, requiring her to keep her dogs under control in future.

But the court heard how they escaped again a month later and attacked sheep from the same flock after 'chewing through a wire fence' in Stansfield.

Prosecutor Harry Piercy said that Mr Biela went to his field at 7pm on July 18 and saw the bodies of 'two or three' of his sheep floating in the river.

He went on to find other dead and injured sheep with the help of a local gamekeeper who had to shoot one of the animals 'out of mercy' because it was so badly injured.

A total of 34 sheep died in the attack, and one more died after treatment, while another 14 were badly injured.

One local resident said he had earlier heard the sounds of dogs barking and Lawrence shouting 'Come back, come back, come back' on the day of the attack, said Mr Piercy.

She later confirmed her dogs 'had been out for a couple of hours' and messaged someone to say they had attacked sheep and she would be having them put down the next day.

Lawrence was arrested and her dogs were taken away by police and euthanised.

A victim impact statement by Mr Biela, which was read out in court, stated that he was left feeling 'numb' after the attack.

He said: 'I remember turning up and my heart was stopping. I felt who, what and why? I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

'These sheep were so important to me. I had built the flock up… There is often a misconception that farmers don't care but that couldn't be further from the truth.

'I feel lost for words. I see these lambs from the moment they are born and I do everything to give them a good life.

'Family and friends think I am crazy. They are not financially profitable. They are my passion. The loss of those sheep is devastating.'

Speaking previously about the incident, he described how some animals had multiple lacerations, while others had had their throats torn out or their legs and heads eaten.

'I arrived to find my sheep upside down, mauled in ditches and everywhere... they just ravaged my sheep, basically,' he said. 

'I have never seen anything like it in my life.' 

The court heard that Mr Biela's flock was insured but he was not covered for damage caused by dogs.

Mr Piercy argued that Lawrence should face 'a higher culpability as she had failed to respond to official warnings' after the earlier attack.

He added: 'No reasonable precautions were taken to prevent this from happening again. She was in charge of big powerful dogs which she was unable to control.'

Mr Piercy also asked for her to be disqualified from owning dogs in the future, due to the likelihood of her not being able to control them.

Nathan Tom, defending, described Lawrence as being of previous good character, and handed in a number of character references to the court.

He said that she was now retired after having 'a distinguished career in British intelligence for 34 years' followed by nine years working in prisons.

Mr Tom added: 'Miss Lawrence had an emotional attachment to the dogs. She is a single woman of some years and they were her companions.

'Understandably, the dogs have been euthanised but it has had an effect on someone who regarded them as family.'

Mr Tom described Lawrence as a former public servant who had worked for the public good but had now found herself being 'scrutinised by the media'.

He added: 'It is a very distressing turn of events for someone in Miss Lawrence's position. It has taken an emotional toll.'

Mr Tom said she accepted the dogs had caused 'catastrophic' damage but she had owned animals previously without any problems.

He added: 'Her dogs were not always aggressive. They were friendly towards people. Their character was not one of constant aggression.

'This was an aberration. Miss Lawrence has learned her lesson about large breeds of dogs. As a result, she caused emotional damage to a member of the community and lost her good character.'

The court heard that Mr Biela - who had 160 ewes in Stansfield before the attack and another 120 elsewhere, as well as looking after 1,000 across East Anglia for other people - had initially assessed the cost of his lost sheep as being up to £15,000.

He later increased the figure to £40,000 and then 'in excess of £100,000' to cover future losses.

Recorder Claxton said he accepted that she had shown remorse but called the attacks by her dogs 'deeply troubling'.

He said the earlier community resolution had placed a 'clear expectation' on her for 'control and management' of her dogs.

But he said that 'matters escalated catastrophically' when the dogs escaped again, causing Mr Biela to make 'the grim discovery of numerous dead or injured sheep'.

He added: 'This was not a single isolated injury to livestock. It was a prolonged piece of devastation carried out on livestock which could not defend themselves.'

Recorder Claxton described her culpability as 'serious'. He also ordered her to pay £1,000 in court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the hearing, Sgt Chris Green, of Suffolk Police's rural and wildlife crime team, described the attack as a serious incident with 'devastating consequences for a close knit rural community' and 'distressing for all involved'.

He added: 'The incident serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact that irresponsible dog ownership can have on livestock, wildlife, residents and the dogs themselves.

'This is a clear warning of the consequences that owners could face if found guilty of these offences.'

Mr Biela who watched from the public gallery left court without commenting.