Man who set his dogs on woman told the biggest he can now own is a terrier

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

A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month convicted Daniel Molloy (28), with an address at Kevin Barry House, Dublin, of assaulting Ellen Colgan, causing her harm on Eccles Street, Dublin.

The 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 the trial that it seemed he was being dragged towards her by the animals.

She asked the man if he was “OK” to hold onto the dogs and said he replied: “Go away you stupid bitch or I’ll let them eat you.” She told him there was no need to be childish and she walked on.

She said the man came behind her with the dogs and the biggest dog, which she estimated weighed about 40kg, had its mouth around the back of the neck and head of her dog. Ms Colgan said she heard a voice say: “I told you ya, bitch.” She suffered a bite mark to the back of her leg and her dog needed an operation.

Judge Martin Nolan said Molloy had a difficult background and suspended a three-year prison term. He told him he could keep the two bull terrier mongrels he still owns, but ordered that when they eventually die he cannot replace them with “anything bigger than a terrier”.

The dog that bit the victim was taken into a dog’s home and later died.