UNITED KINGDOM -- Gunner, a mastiff-staffy cross, attacked Christophe Egle in Springfield Road on June 15 this year after he tried to retrieve his ladder from dog owner Jordan Khan.
St Albans Magistrates Court heard last Friday (August 30) that Khan had taken the item from Mr Egle’s garden with a friend as he was locked out of his apartment.
When Mr Egle came outside to confront him, the 19 year old placed the ladder and the dog’s lead on the floor. As Mr Egle went to pick up the ladder the dog went for him and clamped its jaws on his forehead, thumb and forearm, causing severe injuries which required plastic surgery.
Khan attempted to remove the dog from Mr Egle and called an ambulance, as well as bringing paper towels to stem the blood flow. But after the victim managed to get back into his house, Khan and his friend walked away and left.
Reading from Mr Egle’s statement, Chaya Colman, prosecuting, said: “I try not to think about the events because it was the most traumatic moment of my life.
“All I remember is the animal ripping chunks of meat from my body.
“I also feel that the two males could have done more to get the dog off me. I feel very strongly that this dog should be put down so that it can’t do this to anyone else.”
A report noted the dog had potentially displayed dominant aggression and perceived Mr Egle taking the ladder back from his owner as a challenge and an invasion in his personal space and territory.
Khan pleaded guilty to allowing his dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place and causing injury.
Defence solicitor, Andrew Hobdell, said the dog owner had no inkling that the pet would attack Mr Egle as he had never done anything like that before and that no-one could have predicted the incident.
He added: “At the scene Mr Khan did as much as he could do to assist in removing the dog, he managed to get as much as he could do in first aid, and then called an ambulance. I don’t think much more could be done.
“Mr Khan left because he took the dog away; there was no way that the injured party would have wanted it there. He did the right thing.”
Sentencing, Chairman of the bench Livsey said: “First of all, I think it’s with a heavy heart that we have to agree to a destruction order, I know that he’s been a good friend to you and I’m sorry.”
He added that the incident was a category two offence: “To your credit you did your best to remove the dog, you called the ambulance service and were cooperative with assisting and you’ve pleaded guilty today, but on the other hand we’ve looked at the facts and it was unfortunate that the incident took place on someone else’s land and you were taking someone else’s property.”
Khan, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to a four week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
(Hertsad UK - Sept 6, 2013)
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