DANGEROUS DOG OWNER IS JAILED
Animal that savaged woman’s leg had attacked people FIVE times before
AN ‘EXTREMELY aggressive’ dog – which had attacked people at least five times before – left a woman scarred for life after savaging her leg.
Staffordshire bull terrier Rex dragged the 22-yearold passerby to the ground, repeatedly biting and tearing at her skin.
It gnawed through a rope and squeezed through a broken fence panel before pouncing, Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard.
Its vice-like grip was only released when owner Ian Gough pulled its jaws apart. He dialled 999 then fled with the dog as the victim lay covered in blood.
Now the dog is to be destroyed and 33-year-old Gough is starting a prison sentence after it emerged in court Rex had attacked at least five other people. Prosecutor Richard Davenport said Gough was at a friend’s house in Leek when he tied Rex to a fence at 5.30pm on November 24 last year.
The victim was walking in Garden Street to meet her mum when the dog ran ‘straight at her.’
Mr Davenport said: “She froze. It bit her leg and was shaking its head and bit her again and again until she fell to the floor and the dog was throwing her leg around and she was screaming to get the dog off her.
“The defendant tried to prise its jaws open with his hands and she could feel her skin tearing and she thought her foot would be pulled off. She said it seemed like an age before the attack stopped.”
The court heard Gough phoned the ambulance service then ran off with Rex. The victim was taken to hospital where she received skin grafts. Mr Davenport added: “On November 25 at 6.18pm an acquaintance of the defendant received a text message from him.
“She knew his former partner had been bitten on previous occasions by Rex. He told her this was the fifth person Rex had bitten but he’d bought a muzzle and said he’d got an alibi. She then saw the messages about the attack on Facebook and she contacted the police.”
Mr Davenport said Gough was arrested on November 28, adding: “Officers attended the address and Rex was chained to the stairwell with a muzzle on and was extremely aggressive.”
In his police interview Gough claimed the dog was ‘wellbehaved and wouldn’t have bitten anybody.’
In an impact statement, the victim stated her GP had told her she may have post-traumatic stress disorder. She is no longer confident walking to work as she fears bumping into dog walkers. She also had to leave a pub – and her belongings – when two dogs came in.
Gough, of Bucknall, and formerly of Compton House, Leek, pleaded guilty to owning a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.
Anis Ali, mitigating, said: “He accepts he did little or nothing to check the fence and not realising it was insecure the dog managed to escape.
“Upon realising the gravity of the situation Mr Gough did not shy away he contacted the ambulance for assistant so he made some effort in addressing the situation. He recognises perhaps he could have done more.”
Recorder John Butterfield QC sentenced Gough to 19 months in prison and ordered the destruction of the dog. He was also banned from owning a dog for eight years.