Girlfriend 'hit with alligator'

A man in the US state of Florida was arrested after he allegedly used his pet alligator to hit his girlfriend.
David Havenner, 41, faces misdemeanour charges of battery and possession of an alligator, said the authorities.

Girlfriend Nancy Monico claimed he beat her with his fists and then grabbed the alligator and swung it at her as she tried to escape, said officials.

The three-foot (one metre) alligator, which had been kept in a bathtub, was handed to Florida wildlife officials.

"He threw [the alligator] at me," 39-year-old Ms Monico said on ABC News. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. He was just throwing it at me."

She also alleged Mr Havenner threw beer bottles at her at their home in Port Orange, central Florida, said the sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson.

Mr Havenner's version of the story differed. According to the Associated Press, he told investigators Ms Monico bit his hand because she was upset they had run out of alcohol.

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