An Amazon delivery driver was mauled by a mastiff whose owner could now be jailed over the attack.
Steffan Emerton, who is self-employed, was delivering a package on behalf of the retail giant to the home address of Gemma Saunders in School View, Pontypool, on May 11, 2022.
As he approached the property he noticed two large dogs through the window. One of them – a Dogue de Bordeaux, also known as a French Mastiff – managed to escape from the house and went outside where Mr Emerton was trying to deliver the package.
During a trial at Swansea Crown Court prosecutor Cat Jones said the dog, named Gucci, was “dangerously out of control” and attacked the delivery driver resulting in him being “badly injured”.
The court heard that at around 3pm on the day in question Gucci ran towards Mr Emerton and bit him – clamping his jaw around his wrist and refusing to let go.
Despite his attempts to escape Gucci continued to attack him while he was on the floor, reports Wales Online.
Owner Saunders, 39, saw the incident but was unable to get the dog under control while her daughter also made an unsuccessful attempt to calm Gucci. Finally Saunders’ son was able to restrain the dog and took him back into the house.
As a result of the incident Mr Emerton sustained lacerations to his wrist, hand, and knuckle and suffered an injury to the top of his thumb.
Miss Jones told the court that Mr Emerton made his own way to hospital following the attack because there were no ambulances available in the area and that the dog was “still barking and acting aggressively” when police officers arrived at the property. She added that “at no point” did Mr Emerton enter the house.
“I accept that Miss Saunders put a sign up at the back of her house which would suggest that she perhaps knew that her dog was a risk,” said Miss Jones. “If that sign was intended as a control measure it was totally inefficient. She failed to do anything that effectively controlled Gucci.
"Miss Saunders must take responsibility for what took place on her property. It was perfectly lawful for a delivery driver to come onto someone’s land and deliver a parcel. If it was illegal to do that then we would never get a delivery.”
Saunders denied being the owner of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control and did not accept that Gucci, who was described in court as “a four-year-old softie”, was able to make his way out of the closed French door at the rear of the property.
Her defence barrister Hannah Friedman argued that Mr Emerton must have opened the door, telling the court: “We are not talking about a flimsy door – we are talking about a proper French door with a locking handle. Miss Saunders had no reason to be apprehensive that day with regards to Gucci.
"There is nothing more she could or should have done considering how Gucci normally was. This was a delivery she was not expecting.
"She put up a sign on the back door which asked people to go to the front door for parcels and to beware of the dogs. She also had her patio doors closed and semi-locked."
Prosecution barrister Miss Jones said it was “entirely possible” that a large dog such as Gucci could have pressed down on the handle and caused the French door to open. She added: “We are talking about serious injury and serious wounding. It was not one nick – it was a series of sharp bites.”
After the evidence was summed up by the judge the jury was sent out to deliberate and returned to court after three hours and 10 minutes to deliver its verdict.
They found Saunders guilty of being the owner of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control. Sentencing was adjourned to a later date with the judge, Recorder Christian Jowett, warning Saunders a custodial sentence was a possibility.
