A man's banned pet dog bit two other dogs in a park, a court heard. Jordan Moseley bought 'Bella' off of selling website Gumtree, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Though he thought she was an American Bulldog she was actually a prohibited Pitbull-type. And when Bella and her daughter Peanut, a cross-breed, were off their leads they set about another pet and Bella attacked another dog later, the court was told.
Moseley, 32, of Shrubbery Walk West, Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. He admitted having a dog dangerously out of control which caused injury, and being in possession of a prohibited breed of dog.
Read more: Bristol teen denies importing cocaine
The recorder Miss Suzanne Chalmers handed Moseley 12 months' prison, suspended for 18 months. She told him: "There's work that you must do. You already walk the dogs separately, but I have concerns about having two large dogs in a two bedroom flat."
Both dogs were made the subject of a life-long Contingent Destruction Order stating they should be walked on a lead and muzzled. Moseley was handed 120 hours' unpaid work, rehabilitation and ordered to pay £350 compensation each to the owners of each attacked dog, and court costs of £400.
Alistair Haggerty, prosecuting, said in November 2020, at a park off Shrubbery Avenue, Peanut bit another dog from behind and Bella bit the dog's head. A man with the offending animals, who was said to look intoxicated, thumped Bella.
Mr Haggerty said: "The owner of the attacked dog had to throw her into a children's play area. The two other dogs encircled the play area and tried to get in."
The court heard the owner of the attacked dog suffered injuries to her hand in the incident. Her dog had to have stitches to its left ear and sustained bites to its head.
In a second incident in December 2020, in the same location, Bella was not on a lead again when she bit and injured two other dogs, the court heard. The owner of the attacked dog was hurt after falling over and the man with the attacking dogs said nothing.
When Moseley was identified as Bella's owner he was interviewed in January last year. He told police another man was walking Bella and Peanut in the first incident and he couldn't recall the second incident but took full responsibility.
Rhianna Fricker, defending, said experts who tested Bella with a stuffed dog, and by bumping into her and taking her food, found she showed no aggression. She said her client had no previous animal-related convictions but may have needed guidance at the time and now realised the consequences of walking his dogs without leads and muzzles.
Sign up for our new Bristol's Court Insider newsletter for the latest court and crime news - from arrests to trials and sentencings
