Dog child attack sentence 'joke'

Thomas Miles was snatched from his father's grip by the dog

A woman whose dog attacked a partially-sighted child has been given a three-month suspended jail term.

Fiona Craig, 44, admitted Bruno, a Bullmastiff-cross, was dangerously out of control when he mauled four-year-old Thomas Miles on 24 April.

Craig, from Greenfield, Flintshire, was also told to pay £4,200 compensation.

Four-year-old Thomas' family described the sentence "a joke" and said Thomas was lucky to be alive.

The dog approached them and the next thing that his father recalled is Thomas letting go of his hand. He was on the floor with the dog on top of him. Huw Evans, prosecuting

Flintshire Magistrates' Court at Mold heard Thomas was walking home from a chip shop with his father Stephen, who is also partially sighted, when Bruno attacked.

Huw Evans, prosecuting, said the dog snatched Thomas out of his father's hand, and started savaging him.

He said: "The dog approached them and the next thing that his father recalled is Thomas letting go of his hand. He was on the floor with the dog on top of him.

"He had his right upper arm in his mouth and was moving his body around as he was lying on the ground."

Owner Fiona Craig was said to be devastated by the attack

He said Mr Miles punched the dog and grabbed at it, forcing it to let go of his son. He then picked up his son but the dog then locked its jaws on his right upper leg.

Mr Evans said: "Stephen started punching the dog and it let go."

The court heard Mr Miles then ran up the street in the Tan y Felin estate carrying his son, with the dog snapping at his legs.

Mr Miles banged on the door of an off-duty police officer, David Anthony Jones, who pulled the pair into his house and went out to tell Craig to take the dog home.

But the dog broke free from Craig and bit Mr Jones on the thigh, arm and hand.

Craig was eventually able to put a lead on her pet but was seen being pulled along by him as they went away.

The court was told Bruno was put down that night after a vet was called.

Nic Parry, defending, said the dog had escaped from the house after being startled by a jar of coffee smashing after it had fallen from a bag of shopping.

But for the way Stephen and the off-duty police officer acted, he might not be here today. Thomas' aunt Caroline Miles

He said the dog had run out just as Mr Miles and his son were passing with food.

Mr Parry said that his client had been devastated by what had happened, her remorse was genuine, and stressed that the dog had never shown any sign of aggression previously and had been in the house with her grandchildren.

He said the family had invested in a secure pen for him, he was never off the lead and had a walks routine.

He added that the defendant was a woman of no previous convictions, who ran her own business for 20 years.

He said she had repeatedly apologised and had fully co-operated with the police over the "tragic accident and horrible consequences".

Thomas' aunt, Caroline Miles, who attended the court hearing, said she had expected Craig would be jailed.

She said: "But for the way Stephen and the off-duty police officer acted, he might not be here today.

"That was irresponsible in the first place to have the dog loose in the house, so that it could just run out."

Craig was ordered to pay £3,000 compensation to Thomas, £200 compensation to his father and £1,000 compensation to Mr Jones.

Her sentence was suspended for two years and was banned from keeping dogs for the next 10 years as well as being ordered to pay £55 costs.