Castle owner’s labradors to be put down after nipping postie’s bottom
TWO labradors belonging to a wealthy castle owner face being put down after one bit a postman on the buttocks and another snapped at a young waiter and a jogger.
Robert Hay, 71, yesterday admitted letting Doublee and Rona run wild in the grounds of Bickleigh Castle in Devon.
In 2015, Doublee bruised the nose of a 15-year-old waiter working at the castle, leaving him with a 1cmdeep cut to the face, and snapped at a jogger running along a lane next to the grounds.
Under an order issued in January 2016, Doublee was supposed to be muzzled following the attack on the waiter, who required a rabies jab as a precaution. In October last year, Rona sank her teeth into the buttocks of postman Mark Peters when he attempted to make a delivery to the castle. The attack left him with bruising and tooth marks across his backside.
Hay, a property agent, had failed to comply with the order on Doublee, Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard. He and his wife Sarah, 65, always claimed the dog had not intended to attack the waiter, merely that he ‘excitedly jumped up’ and struck him on the nose.
Hay said at the time: ‘I think he saw someone coming out of the kitchen and jumped up to see if there was anything for him’.
He added that the ‘unfortunate’ incident was effectively a ‘death sentence’ for his dog.
Previously, Mrs Hay said of Doublee: ‘Three thousand people have been here and Doublee has never had a single incident like this. When you look at him, he just wouldn’t hurt anyone.’
In February, Simon Morgan, Hay’s solicitor, told magistrates the injury to the postman was ‘not the most serious,’ although he conceded it may have been ‘uncomfortable’.
Yesterday, Hay admitted two charges of letting his dogs run dangerously out of control, and a third charge of failing to muzzle Doublee in public areas.
Prosecutor Shaun Tipton said the police were seeking destruction orders against both pets and an order banning Hay from keeping other dogs. However, professional assessments are to be carried out on the extent and severity of their behavioural problems before a final decision is made.
Mr Tipton said rehoming the dogs, particularly Doublee, the older labrador, may cause the animal distress, and in both cases only move the problem to another area.
Police told the court the dogs ‘cannot remain at the castle’.
Bickleigh Castle in Tiverton, Devon, dates back to the 11th century and the chapel is believed to be even older, possibly from the 6th century. Charles I’s queen Henrietta Maria stayed there before fleeing to France in 1644 during the Civil War. The buildings fell into disrepair before they were restored early in the 20th century.
The castle and its grounds, which lie alongside the River Exe, are now used to host lavish five-star wedding ceremonies, with Hay and his wife hosting hundreds of events since they bought the castle more than 10 years ago. Wedding packages for a weekend start at £12,000.
‘Bruising and tooth marks’