A Stirling dog owner had to put his pet into a headlock to stop it from continuing a savage attack on a neighbour.
The woman received multiple cuts to her arm during the incident which took place in Riverside on June 30, 2020.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, named Blue, was put down 48 hours after the attack.
Its owner, 33-year-old Martyn Hall, of Cask Crescent, had admitted a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 whereby the animal was dangerously out of control, biting the complainer to her severe injury, permanent impairment and permanent disfigurement.
Fiscal depute Amy Sneddon told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday Hall’s neighbour had issues with Blue, since it had been aggressive towards her and her dog before the June 30 attack.
At 5.30pm that day the woman took her small dog out for a walk. She noticed Blue sitting in the accused’s garden a short distance away.
Blue ran towards her, jumped up, and bit her on her left arm and swung her around before pulling her to the ground where the dog continued biting her arm.
A nearby witness heard screaming from the street within her living room. On looking out she saw Blue attacking the witness, knocking her over.
Blue let go of the woman, but as she got to her feet the dog began to bite her on her left arm again. The witness could see that the complainer’s arm was bleeding heavily.
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The accused ran to the scene, Ms Sneddon said, and when he saw what was happening, panicked. He tried to restrain Blue - and had to put the dog into a headlock to prevent it from getting to the woman again.
The neighbour took the victim into her home. The complainer then attended at Stirling minor injuries unit, but her injuries were so severe that she had to go to Forth Valley Royal Hospital where she was found to have multiple 4cm cuts to her left arm.
She received morphine for the pain. Surgery was also carried out and her wounds bandaged.
The court heard that she has permanent scarring on, and weakness in, her arm as well as numbness and a sensitivity to cold weather.
Hall’s agent Ken Dalling told Sheriff William Gilchrist that his client took responsibility for the incident and there were no court matters outstanding.
Sheriff Gilchrist told Hall that the consequences for the victim had been extremely serious given the permanent impairment and disfigurement.
As an alternative to a prison sentence he imposed a Community Payback Order comprising 135 hours’ unpaid work to be completed within 12 months.
Hall was also banned from having a dog for two years.
