A convicted criminal left a woman bleeding from the face after a dog attack because he was under police curfew.
Jamie Cassidy appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court after a woman was viciously savaged by his dog. The XL Bully was being walked on the lead by convicted criminal Cassidy when it suddenly jumped up and attacked the woman.
The 64-year-old woman, described in court as vulnerable, suffered bite injuries to her face by her left eye. Cassidy, on licence from prison, did not check on her injuries as he only had four minutes to get to his nearby home because he was under a curfew with an electronic tag.
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Judge District Hatton told the 27-year-old that he had just been trying to "save your own skin". Cassidy only contacted the police three days later when a CCTV image of him was put out in an appeal by the Liverpool ECHO.
Cassidy, who was not legally represented, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog which caused injury. Cassidy told the judge he was sorry. But the judge told him: "You say you have expressed remorse, that remorse I do not accept as genuine."
The court heard the victim had suffered significant injuries needing multiple stitches. The judge said: "There is evidence of ongoing psychological affects on her. She is afraid of dogs, even dogs on TV because of her distress and anxiety."
Michael O’Kane, prosecuting, told Liverpool Magistrates' Court that the incident happened around 7pm on July 11 this year in Lower House Lane, Norris Green. Mr O'Kane played CCTV footage from the scene which showed Cassidy walking the dog, Zula, to a shop. When he left the shop and was distracted by talking over his shoulder to two men standing by a car the attack happened.
The victim was walking towards him when the dog leapt up and bit her on the face. The court heard she was injured over and below her left eye and on the chin.
Members of the public helped the distressed woman while Cassidy went into the shop before leaving the scene. The victim was taken to Aintree Hospital - which she did not leave until 5am the next day - and had stiches and a tetanus injection. Mr O'Kane said: "She was advised the scars are permanent."
Cassidy, of Colesborne Road, Norris Green, attended a voluntary police interview following an appeal in the Liverpool Echo with CCTV footage.
In a victim statement in court, the 64-year-old woman said she is now nervous about dogs. She added: "It could have been a baby, it could have been a pensioner who might not have survived."
Cassidy told the court : "I’m willing to accept any punishment and I’m sorry. I had to go because I was on curfew at the time and it was just before 7pm. I’m deeply sorry, I’ve had sleepless nights, I can’t stop thinking about it."
Questioned by Judge Hatton the defendant said he had just four minutes to get home before his curfew. Explaining why he was out just before his curfew he replied that he had gone to the shop “to buy milk for the baby and dog food and a bottle of coke.” Cassidy added he told staff the woman was bleeding and needed help.
He described the dog as a family pet who had never shown any signs of aggression and said "the kids used to play with it over the last three years." Asked about applications to destroy the dog, which was seized by police, and to ban him from keeping a dog, he said he had no observations to make.
Cassidy was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog which caused injury. Judge Hatton ordered the destruction of the dog and banned Cassidy from owning a dog for ten years.
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