Dog jumped fence to attack South Tyneside man - owner prosecuted even though she was on holiday
Dog jumped fence to attack South Tyneside neighbour - owner prosecuted even though she was away when the incident happened.
A South Tyneside mum whose dog jumped a fence and attacked a neighbour has been prosecuted even though she was away on holiday.
Lauren Henderson, 31, was nowhere near Kyffin View, at the Nook, South Shields, when her Staffordshire bull terrier struck, a court heard.
Dog left with a friend while owner was on holiday
Henderson, now of Russell Avenue, also the Nook, had left the pooch, named Bella, with a friend who was under strict orders to watch it when outside.
But it leapt a 3ft high rear fence into a garden where a couple were entertaining friends on Friday, May 9 last year.
The man saw it approach and ushered his wife away, fearing it was a threat, prosecutor Laura Croft said.
As he did so, Bella latched onto him, leaving a cut which required hospital treatment, but he was uncertain if it had bitten or just clawed.
He told police the dog had previously bitten his son-in-law in similar circumstances – an alleged incident Henderson could not recall.
But she did concede Bella had sunk her teeth into another neighbour about five years before, though no prosecution had followed.
At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, the mum-of-four pleaded guilty to being the owner in charge of a dangerously out of control dog which caused injury.
Magistrates told Henderson, who has no previous convictions, they could have Bella destroyed but instead imposed strict conditions on her when out and about.
Ms Croft said: “The complainant was the next-door neighbour of the defendant. He describes that he and his wife were in the back garden with other friends.
“He was aware that the defendant’s dog had jumped the fence. The dog was barking.
“He says that he thought the dog was approaching his wife and he was concerned that his wife was going to be attacked, so he ushered her into the house.
“The dog latched onto his leg. He wasn’t sure if with its teeth or claws. He shook his leg to get it off. It ran off into the next-door garden.
“They both referred to a previous incident around one year ago where their son-in-law had been bitten by the same dog.”
Of the latest incident, Ms Croft added: “The defendant wasn’t present and had left her dog in the care of a friend.
“She says that she told her friend that the dog wasn’t to be left alone in the garden.
“She said there had been an incident with another neighbour when the fence had not been in place.
“I would concede that they are relatively minor injuries, but the complainant did attend hospital and was prescribed antibiotics for a cut to the leg.”
Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said: “This is a slightly unusual case – she was away on holiday.
“She was aware that the dog had bitten another neighbour about five years previously. There was no prosecution from that.
“She had left a friend with very particular instructions not to leave the dog outside.
“She was away but she is the owner and is responsible and there has been an incident. The hospital said it looked like claw marks.”
Magistrates ordered Henderson to pay £250 compensation and fined her £162, with a £65 victim surcharge. There were no court costs.
They imposed a Contingent Destruction Order, which carries conditions which include Bella being secured to a cable when in her garden and muzzled in public.