A district judge had blasted Wiltshire Police over its handling of a dog attack in Corsham.
It came as Charmaine Paul, 34, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog that whilst dangerously out of control caused an injury to a postwoman on 10 August last year.
Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard that the defendant’s child open the front door of their home in Pockeridge Road in excitement – as she was expecting an Amazon delivery.
The dog, a Shar Pei crossed with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Prince, ran out of the house and attacked the Royal Mail worker, leaving her with a punctured wound to her stomach.
Kate Prince, prosecuting, said that the pet had remained with the family after police conducted checks and decided not to seize it.
In response, District Judge Joanna Dickens angered: “I’m really concerned about that, this is actually quite a serious incident and quite honestly, I’m appalled. It should have been seized pending the outcome of the hearing.”
The court heard that the 46-year-old victim suffered nightmares following the attack and is now scared of dogs – despite having no issue with dogs in the past. Even a dog’s bark causes her great anxiety.
Defence solicitor Mark Glendenning said his client bought the dog during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, and it “did not have the opportunity of proper socialisation”.
He added that Paul usually puts the dog into a different room when she answers the door to visitors or postal workers, however on this occasion, her child had rushed to open the door without putting Prince away.
Ahead of sentencing, Judge Dickens said: “I’m very surprised, I’m not happy with how the police have dealt with it at all. They should have taken the dog away initially until it came to court.
“It’s not just a miniature poodle or something, you chose to bring that dog into your house. It’s a large and powerful dog and you seem to accept in your interview that it can ‘go a bit mental’ when people come to the door.
“You have extra responsibilities to ensure people are safe. We hear all the time, every day there are tragic incidents where people are killed; you don’t need me to tell you that this could have been a lot more serious.
“Post men and women risk this kind of thing every day, dogs are high risk to postal workers. For her, it was very, very frightening and it will have a long-term effect.”
Judge Dickens imposed a contingent destruction order, which will remain in place for the dog’s lifetime. Any future incidents will likely result in Prince being put to sleep.
The terms of the order include that Prince should be:
- Walked on a short lead of no more than 1.5 metres and that is non-extendable
- Muzzled in public
- Kept within an enclosed space within the home (a crate or locked room) when there are visitors – including when somebody knocks on the door
- Insured for all risks, including humans and other animals
The order also states that Paul must install a postbox away from her front door so that postal workers do not need to access her property to deliver mail or parcels and install dog warning signs.
Paul was fined £300 and told to pay a surcharge of £120 and court costs of £85. No compensation was awarded to the victim due to the insurance company dealing with a claim.
A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “This case is a clear lesson that dogs must be kept under control at all times even inside homes.
“The postwoman fortunately didn’t suffer any long-standing injuries but the incident could have been a lot worse.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to remind dog owners that even the most lovable dogs can be unpredictable when people come to the door, such as postal workers.
“Please keep dogs secure and out of the way before opening the door.”
