A judge has ordered the destruction of a dangerous dog after it attacked a neighbour of its owner. Mark Mayo’s pit bull-type pet had already once bitten a delivery driver before the second incident outside his home on Stanhope Street, Long Eaton, on January 23.
As reported by Derbyshire Live, the Champagne-coloured animal escaped out of the front door of his property and bit the wrist and stomach of the victim during the most recent attack. Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how the defendant failed to call it off as the victim was being attacked, and then when a police officer arrived, the dog “lunged” at him as well,
Handing the 43-year-old a 12-month community order, District Judge Jonathan Taaffe said: “The offence is a serious one because injuries have been caused to this gentleman. If there had been any suggestion this dog had been used as a weapon you would be going to prison.
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“But this was not a deliberate attempt to injure the victim but this dog is a danger to the public. I understand there is no challenge to the destruction order?”
Defending himself, the defendant replied: “No, the dog had attacked a delivery driver before but it is not a vicious dog, he just surprised him and this (second) incident has been blown out of all proportion. But I realise it is the second time it has attacked somebody and it could have been a young child.”
The judge said: “It is quite clear this dog has a temperament problem.”
Mayo replied: “It is properly exercised, I get up at 6am and walk it and work two minutes away and come home on every break.”
Rosie McDaid, prosecuting, said the defendant had been living at his address for around a year and on that day the victim was walking to his address when the dog escaped out of the front door and attacked him. The prosecutor said: “In his statement he said ‘it came out running towards me, I ran but it caught me up and bit my trousers and my leg’. I was trying my best to get the dog off my leg when it bit my left wrist.
“‘I could see a male was walking slowly towards me, he was not even trying to get the dog off and it then bit my stomach. He then grabbed the dog and started to drag him away’.”
Miss McDaid said the victim rang his brother and father and an ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital for treatment. She said when the police arrived, the dog lunged towards one of the officers.
Mayo pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control and which caused injury. He has no previous convictions.
The defendant told the hearing that on that day the victim had locked himself out of his own property, they exchanged words outside their respective addresses and the victim followed him to his front door.
As part of the community order, Judge Taaffe ordered Mayo to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and to attend 15 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service. He also ordered him to pay £800 in kennelling costs to Derbyshire police where the dog has been staying since the incident and £200 compensation to the neighbour.
He ordered the animal to be destroyed.
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