Judge shamed for dragging dog walker through the dirt

A RETIRED judge has been forced to apologise after he falsely shamed a villager whom he accused of failing to “pick up” after her dog.

The disagreement began when David Griffiths was told a woman from a dog training school had left animal faeces on Chilbolton Cow Common, Hants.

Mr Griffiths, the Chilbolton parish council chairman, who retired as a circuit judge in 2009, reacted by writing a critical article in a community magazine about the alleged incident.

But he has had to “unreservedly” apologise for his comments in the latest edition of the Chilbolton and Wherwell Community pamphlet following a conversation with Pasca Nicholson, the owner of Zip’s Dog School.

Ms Nicholson, 21, stressed she had picked up “one bag of dog poo” after walking three dogs, half-anhour after she was seen supposedly leaving it.

She explained she was on the phone to a client at the time she was spotted by a villager and that she was unable to pick up the dog dirt until the call finished because one of her arms was in a sling.

She said: “We are talking about one bag of dog poo, which was picked up after 30 minutes. It (what has happened) is what you would get in a primary school playground. It was very childish.

“It was a false allegation. It was really unpleasant and I complained to Mr Griffiths – I rang him. There was no evidence against me. It was not a very nice article that was written. This could well have affected my business.

“The point is the villager who contacted Mr Griffiths never saw the whole incident.

“I had worked my heart out for my business and this happens. I was watching and in control of the three dogs at all times.”

On Tuesday, Mr Griffiths said: “I am not prepared to discuss this.

“I have discussed it with Pasca, she agreed to accept the apology. The apology has gone in and that is the end of the matter.”