Schoolgirl thought she would die in dog attack

Owner faces charge that Akita was dangerously out of control in Methil

A Fife schoolgirl told a court she “thought she was going to die” during a savage attack by an American Akita dog.

The teenager, who was just 13 at the time, said she was playing in the garden of her Methil home on July 20 last year when the incident took place.

The dog’s owner, Brian Ralph, faces a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act which claims he was the owner of an animal which was “dangerously out of control”.

The 24-year-old went on trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday where he maintained his not guilty plea.

The young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told how the dog chewed through a fence to get into the garden. She said the dog wandered around then began biting holes in the trampoline which she and her little cousin were playing on.

The girl said: “He came up and jumped on top of me. He put his paw right down my back .

“I landed on my back and the dog was trying to bite me on my face. I put my hands up to protect myself and he started biting my arms repeatedly.

“I ended up with 13 bites on my left arm and three on my right. I was screaming and shouting for help. My upstairs neighbour looked out the window and shouted ‘Oh my God’. Her partner came down and got a broom to corner him up against the fence.”

The girl, now 14, added: “I thought I was going to die – I felt like I couldn’t breathe. When I took my jumper off all I could see was bitemarks and blood everywhere.

“I had to have two operations to clean and stitch and bandage the wounds.”

The trial, before Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist, heard from a neighbour who said he witnessed the attack.

David Soutar said he ran to the girl’s aid. He said: “She was in quite a bad state.

“I got between the dog and her and moved it back.

“I got it corralled in the corner and managed to get it back through the fence.”

The dog is now being held in a kennels. The trial was adjourned until June 15.

Brian Ralph outside court, and his American Akita dog which attacked a Fife schoolgirl in Methil.