Sylvia Baillie, 60, was at a neighbour’s home in Paisley when she was attacked by a Japanese Akita dog, needing so many stitches that docs lost count.
She described how she had stopped by their home after a funeral last Wednesday when the dog suddenly turned on her as she tried to leave.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard the animal also savaged a 72-year-old woman in a separate attack, ripping the flesh from her arm.
The dog, which has been in kennels since being seized by police probing the attacks, faces being put down.
And its owner, Leeanne McHugh, is facing jail after admitting responsibility over the attack.
McHugh, 35, and boyfriend Patrick Maher, 46, appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court today over the attacks.
They struck a deal with prosecutors which saw charges that the dog also attacked a baby and another woman and worried another dog dropped – in exchange for both of them admitting their guilt to a single charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
McHugh admitted being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control when it attacked Baillie and left her badly hurt and scarred for life.
And her partner Maher pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control when it attacked his elderly aunt, Jane Darroch, and left her with “severe injury and permanent disfigurement” to her arm.
Procurator Fiscal Depute Alan Parfery told the court that Sylvia Baillie was attacked at the pair’s home in Paisley on July 13 last year.
He explained: “All parties have, tragically, had to attend a funeral that day and had been drinking during the course of the day at the funeral.
“The 60-year-old [Sylvia Baillie] made to leave the property during the course of the evening and, in the course of waving and saying goodbye, made to wave goodbye to the dog.
“She went to give the dog a kiss and, at that time, the dog bit her on the face. The dog’s jaw locked, for what’s described as a few seconds, before her daughter grabbed the dog and pulled the dog away.
“Neither [McHugh of Maher] did anything during that period of time. They were both in the room and [McHugh], the owner of the dog, did nothing during that time, albeit it was a short time.”
Maher then took the dog out of the living room and told police probing the attack that it ran away. McHugh tried to treat Baillie’s injuries and the police and ambulance were called.
Mr Parfery, prosecuting, added: “When emergency services arrived they found the 60-year-old [Sylvia Baillie] with a wound to the left side of her face.
“She had been attempting to stem some of the blood with toilet paper but ambulance workers had to apply a large pressure pad. The injury was very severe and she is permanently disfigured.
“Doctors are unable to say how many stitches were applied as they were both external – to the face – and inside her mouth.
“There were so many stitches inserted, the doctors could not say.”
Some two weeks earlier, on June 30 last year, the dog had attacked Maher’s elderly aunt, 72-year-old Jane Darroch.
Mr Parfery said Maher had been at his aunt’s home to visit her and had tied the dog up outside – and that it struck when he left.
The prosecutor explained: “It had been tied to a pole at the bottom of an access ramp that led to the front door for about 30 minutes.
“Jane Darroch walked the accused [Maher] out of her home address and began having a conversation with him about what he was going to have for his dinner.
“She had her right hand within her jacket pocket.
“She said to the accused, ‘you better get down the road’ at which time she was bitten around the right wrist by the Akita, who appeared to come from behind her and without anything she would describe as provocation.
“She describes the dog as ‘biting down’ and that the pain was ‘unbearable’. She was able to rip her arm from the mouth of the Akita. She was in a state of distress and her arm was bleeding profusely.
“Maher asked, ‘has the dog ripped your jacket, Auntie Jane?’ and she replied, ‘it’s ripped my arm’. She was able to see the bone.”
Sheriff David Pender called for background reports on Maher and McHugh, deferred sentence until next month and continued their bail.
In July, Sylvia revealed she could no longer bring herself to look in the mirror after the horrific attack.
“I’m distraught. I’ve had flashbacks of the dog launching itself at my face and I can’t sleep. A surgeon told me that he had never seen a dog bite as bad.
“I’d been at the house and as I got up to leave I went to pat the dog on the head when it just jumped at me and bit into my face.”
The animal was throwing her from side-to-side when her daughter rushed into the room and managed to pull the animal off her.
She passed out and needed emergency surgery – during which doctors lost count of the number of stitches used.
(The Sun UK - Jan 12, 2017)
Earlier:
No comments:
Post a Comment