Girl, eight, bitten five or six times in Norwich dog attack.
A girl needed plastic surgery after being bitten five or six times by a dog that dragged her around on the floor while she cried for help, according to court documents.
The youngster, then eight, was playing on a common green in Vanguard Chase, Costessey, off Dereham Road, when she was attacked by Elvis, a New English Bulldog.
The 15-month-old dog had escaped its house in neighbouring Triumph Court when owner Lisa O’Neill unlocked the door to take out the trash.
The animal was then observed “running and panting” between the flats before approaching the girl, biting her on the leg and dragging her away.
Beth Walsh photographed a New English Bulldog. As she yelled, a brave neighbour went to her rescue, but was bitten on the arm while trying to shelter her.
Another resident ran to assist the couple before O’Neill caught up with the dog and dragged it away, but not before it attacked other people in the vicinity.
The girl wet herself in fright while being taken around Vanguard Chase’s green, according to Norwich Crown Court.
Prosecutor Richard Paterson said the child, who is now nine but cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported seeing the dog “running and panting and stuff”.
She said: “I didn’t touch it, it came for me.”
Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
The dog attacked her on the thigh before dragging her away, and she was bitten five or six times before being rescued by a neighbour who “bravely intervened”. Mr Paterson stated that he had been “rolling around on the floor trying to shield her from the dog”.
Another neighbour attempted to restrain the dog, but it escaped and attacked others until being apprehended by 43-year-old O’Neill. Mr Paterson stated that the girl sustained “frankly horrific injuries” as a result of the attack on July 17, last year.
The girl was bitten on the face, cheek, back, and back of her leg, with four teeth marks found. As a result of the incident, she had plastic surgery and continues to experience psychological troubles.
The court heard the dog was destroyed following the incident.
Vanguard Chase, Costessey (Image: Google)
O’Neill, of Triumph Court, Costessey, appeared in court on Thursday (September 4), admitting to two counts of being the owner of a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public area.
Judge Katharine Moore stated, “It was a terrifying ordeal for that little girl.” She said that the girl was “out playing as she was perfectly entitled to do” when she sustained the injuries. And “to his great credit,” a neighbour came to the girl’s help and “did everything he could to protect her.”
Judge Moore imposed a four-month community order after accepting that the dog’s behaviour was “uncharacteristic” and there was no evidence that the owner had failed to respond to earlier occurrences. She went on to say that the occurrence was not foreseeable.
In his mitigation, John Morgans stated that what occurred was “every parent’s worst nightmare”. “Miss O’Neill is herself a parent and is so very sorry for what happened,” according to him.
The barrister stated that she had “insight and empathy” for what occurred, but that there was “nothing anyone can do to make things better”.
Mr Morgans claimed that what happened was a “momentary lapse” in which the dog escaped as she put out the trash, and that there had been “nothing at all in his short life” that showed any violence.
He also stated that O’Neill “gets there as soon as she can” in an incident that occurred “very, very quickly,” but it was “too late.”
Lisa O’Neill outside court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
When questioned by police, Mr Morgans alleged that O’Neill “immediately signed the dog destruction order”. He stated that she “did everything she could” in a “completely unforeseen” situation.
He added that she wanted to “apologise for the lapse” and was “dreadfully sorry for what occurred”. O’Neill was also subjected to an electronically monitored curfew for four months, from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and ordered to pay £100 in costs.
Judge Katharine Moore (Image: Newsquest)
THE NEW ENGLISH BULLDOG
The New English Bulldog, descended from the English Bulldog, is more compact and agile, dating back to the nineteenth century.
They were originally bred for bull-baiting, which has since been banned, and their broad, flat faces reflect this background.
They are recognised for their short, easy-to-maintain coats that require little maintenance, and the breed is frequently described as kind and friendly.
New English Bulldogs (Image: Newsquest)
Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.