Man 'beat girlfriend with his pet alligator'

A man was arrested in Florida yesterday after allegedly beating his girlfriend with a pet alligator which he kept in the bath.

A man was arrested in Florida yesterday after allegedly beating his girlfriend with a pet alligator which he kept in the bath.

David Havenner, 41, faces misdemeanour charges of battery and possession of an alligator. His girlfriend, Nancy Monico, 39, claims he hurled empty beer bottles at her, used his fists to beat her and then hit her with his 3ft pet reptile as she tried to escape from their mobile home in Port Orange, central Florida.

"He threw it at me," Ms Monico said on ABC News. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. He was just throwing it at me."

But Mr Havenner's version of the story differed. He told investigators that Ms Monico bit his hand because she was upset they had run out of alcohol.

The alligator was handed over to state wildlife officials.

Florida has had 12 fatal alligator attacks since 1948. Last month, 12-year-old Brian Griffin died when he was dragged underwater and mauled by a 10ft alligator central Florida.