A MAN whose “out of control” English Staffordshire Bull terrier escaped his house before savaging a dog belonging to his neighbour has been fined £600.
Alexandre Torcato Macedo Rodrigues (45) was found liable for the attack, which took place in the parish of St Martin last year on 19 December.
The incident led to his neighbour’s dog requiring veterinary treatment after sustaining four puncture wounds to the back.
Rodrigues appeared at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to plead guilty to a single count of having a dog dangerously out of control.
Legal advisor Kerry Grieve, prosecuting, said the incident began when the defendant’s neighbour decided to take his dog out for a walk on a lead attached to a harness.
“Just as [the complainant] came to the end of his driveway, he noticed another dog was sprinting towards him – it was approximately 15 to 20 metres away at that point.
“He observed that the dog – who he recognised as Caesar, the defendant’s dog – was on his own and that there was no one around to control him.”
The court heard that the complainant tried to put himself between the two dogs but that “Caesar managed to get between his legs and latched onto his dog who was trying to get away”.
“He grabbed Caesar’s collar and tried to pull him away, however Caesar would not let go,” Ms Grieve said. “At some point during the incident, the complainant says he was bitten by Caesar on his left forearm.
“He described screaming for the defendant to come and get his dog, however he was ultimately assisted by two other neighbours who came to help.
“[The complainant] then held Caesar by the collar and walked him to the defendant’s address and knocked on the door, but there was no answer.”
It was heard that the Staffy was previously seen by neighbours running around the local estate having had escaped “on a handful of other occasions.”
Advocate Rui Tremoceiro, defending, said the dog was “generally of a good temperament” but had become more “physically aggressive” since being attacked by a larger dog “about a year ago”.
He accepted that his client “didn’t foresee every potential way in which the dog could escape” and – as a result – “accepts that he is responsible for the way the dog behaved.”
Advocate Tremoceiro pointed out that Rodrigues’ has cooperated with the police, apologised to the defendant and voluntarily paid the £4,000 veterinary costs.
Relief Magistrate Peter Harris, presiding, fined Rodrigues £600 for the incident and ordered him to keep his dog “under proper control” in the future.
He said that Caesar must now be held “securely on a short non-extendable leash” when taken on walks in a public place.
Addressing Rodrigues, he said: “If there is another incident of this nature, it will be you as the owner who comes to court.
“If you are in breach of the order I’m imposing today, there is a risk that the court might order that Caesar be destroyed.
“Now, you don’t want that to happen, and I know you don’t want anyone’s dog to get bitten or anyone to get injure – therefore, you have to make sure that provisions are in place to prevent that.”
