A DOG who bit a woman causing her 'immense pain' will be put down, a judge has ruled.
Nathaniel Shaw, of Low White Close, Barrow, was sentenced at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control and caused injury.
Prosecutor Lee Dacre said the 20-year-old defendant was walking his brown Mastiff Cross dog, called ‘Odin’, on Chester Street when it attacked a woman who was walking home from work at around 5:30 pm on March 29 this year.
Mr Dacre said: “The dog came towards her whilst on a harness and leash. She leaned down to touch the dog’s paw and when she went to get up and walk away the dog turned on her.
“It barked, jumped up and latched onto her right forearm, immediately penetrating it. She described being in immense pain and feeling like her arm was on fire.
“The complainant managed to pull her arm away from the dog’s mouth and the defendant smacked the dog to make it stop.”
The court heard the woman suffered a ‘deep laceration’ to her arm and required debridement surgery (to remove damaged, dead, or infected tissue from a wound), a tetanus shot and antibiotics following a five-day stay in hospital.
“She will be scarred for life as a result of the incident,” Mr Dacre said.
“It was quite a severe injury.”
Mr Dacre said the cost of keeping the dog in kennels since the day of the incident had now reached £6,615.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Karen Templeton said her client was given the dog by his father because his partner had recently given birth and no longer had time to look after it.
Ms Templeton said: “He is very remorseful and is a man of previous good character with no previous convictions. As horrendous as this was, these are not the worst injuries I have ever seen.
“He is prepared to put in the work to look after the dog properly. He tells me he has had experience of handling larger dogs when growing up.
“I would ask you to look at making a contingent disruptive order with a criteria of muzzling in public for example."
Ms Templeton added that Shaw's partner was pregnant and that they were currently living separately.
District Judge John Temperley sentenced Shaw to a 12-month community order comprising of 160 hours unpaid work and five rehabilitation requirement days for the offence.
Shaw was also ordered to pay £300 in compensation to the victim. No contribution towards court and kennel costs was made due to the defendant’s ‘lack of means’.
When considering the matter of the dog, Judge Temperley said: “I have my concerns regarding your level of maturity and ability to handle a dog of this nature.
"You will have regular contact with your partner and your child when she gives birth. I also have my concerns on your child with this particular dog.
“I am told you are experienced in looking after dogs.
“However, that experience did not prevent this offence. There is need for extensive training on your behalf and there is a risk to the public.
"I am persuaded it would not be safe to return this dog to your care.”
As a result, Judge Temperley imposed a destruction order.
Shaw has three weeks to appeal the order before Odin is put down.
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