Man ‘can’t own dog bigger than a terrier’

Court makes ruling after he set canines on woman

A JUDGE has told a man who set two large dogs on a woman that he cannot own any dogs bigger than a terrier in the future.

Daniel Molloy, 28, was found guilty last month of assaulting Ellen Colgan, causing her harm, on Eccles Street in Dublin.

His trial heard that on December 17, 2017, Ms Colgan was out walking her two dogs when she passed Molloy pushing a trolley and walking three dogs.

She told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the man seemed to be being dragged towards her by the animals.

She asked the man if he was ‘okay’ to hold onto the dogs, and said he replied: ‘Go away you stupid b***h or I’ll let them eat you.’

She said she told the man there was no need to be childish and walked on.

Ms Colgan said the man came behind her with the dogs, before he and the dogs were on top of her. She grabbed the collar of the biggest dog, which she estimated weighed about 40kg.

She said this dog had his mouth around the back of the neck and head of her dog, and that she heard a voice say: ‘I told you, ya b***h.’

Ms Colgan said she lifted the dog up and managed to fling him away. She ran into the reception area of a nearby hospital, but was told to leave, the court heard.

She asked for help and explained that she was being attacked, but she was still not allowed to stay, the court was told. She said that by the time she left the hospital, the man had gone.

The court heard she suffered a bite mark to the back of her leg and needed to get a tetanus injection, while her dog had two puncture wounds and needed an operation. She said her leg was painful and that the bruising was sore, but the ‘emotional side of things is worse’.

After a trial last month, a jury convicted Molloy, with an address at Kevin Barry House, Dublin, of assaulting Ms Colgan, causing her harm. He had denied the charge.

Judge Martin Nolan said that he had no doubt Ms Colgan’s enjoyment of life has decreased considerably as a result of the attack.

He said that Molloy had led a blameless life up to this offence and had a difficult background. He suspended a prison term of three years, on condition that Molloy stay out of trouble for that period and obey the instructions of the Probation Services for one year. The court heard that the dog that bit the victim was taken into a dogs’ home and later died.

The judge told Molloy he could keep the two bull terrier mongrels he still owns. He ordered that when these dogs eventually die, Molloy cannot replace them with ‘anything bigger than a terrier’.

He said he was not going to order the disposal of these dogs.