A woman laughed and walked away after her "out of control" dog bit a passer-by during a walk in the park.
Linda Mcaloon appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, February 14, charged with being in charge of a dog, namely a brown Jack Russell Terrier named Hugo, which was dangerously out of control and injured someone on two separate occasions.
Mcaloon pleaded not guilty to the first of these offences but did not show up to her trial on September 23. She was found guilty in her absence and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
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The 48-year-old's dog then attacked a police officer carrying out the warrant for her arrest on September 28. At her trial on September 29, Mcaloon pleaded guilty to this offence and failing to surrender.
Andrew Page, prosecuting, detailed that on June 15, 2022, at around 5pm, Sylvia Pieciak and Pietr Maslow were walking their dog, Novi. Mcaloon, of Mosscraig, Little Moss Hey, Liverpool, was out walking her dog Hugo at the same time. Ms Pieciak, recognising Mcaloon and hger dog Hugo from "previous incidents", picked up her dog as they approached.
The Jack Russell attacked Ms Pieciak, biting her hard at the top of her left leg, and was unable to get the dog off her. Mr Maslo intervened and put his fingers into the dog’s mouth to try and get him to release his grip, which he eventually did.
The entire incident lasted around two minutes. Mr Page told the court that Ms Pieciak recalled Mcaloon laughing and walking away immediately after the incident.
The victim visited Whiston Hospital and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics for the bite. In a victim personal statement given by Ms Pieciak ten weeks after the attack, read by the prosecution, she detailed the pain caused by the bite, and how she is now nervous when walking her dog for fear of being attacked again.
She also said her dog has been massively adversely affected by the attack, and has become more aggressive towards other dogs that come close to her. Mcaloon never attended a voluntary interview with police following this incident, and did not attend her trial on September 23, so a warrant for her arrest was ordered.
Mr Page then detailed the second charge, which took place on 28 September. When PC Whatling attended Mcaloon’s home, carrying out a warrant for her arrest, she found the 48-year-old in the shared area of the property, trying to leave down another staircase.
Mcaloon initially gave false details upon her arrest but eventually gave her real name and asked officers if she could go and feed her dog. Once inside the property, the dog behaved aggressively towards officers, showed his teeth, growled and barked at them.
Mcaloon also began behaving aggressively, including by waving her hands in the air, and the dog's behaviour worsened at this. Officers attempted to handcuff Mcaloon, but the dog then jumped at PC Whatling and bit her on the leg for around three seconds but did not break the skin.
Police then removed the handcuffs in the hope Mcaloon could calm the dog, but he then bit her. Hugo remained dangling from Mcaloon's arm for several seconds before she eventually managed to throw him into the kitchen. Mcaloon was then arrested and interviewed by police, where she denied her dog was dangerously out of control and said he was just protecting her.
George White, defending, detailed that within a week of the first incident, Mcaloon had the dog put down at the PDSA, and said she denied laughing after the dog attacked Ms Pieciak. He also said that this was a Jack Russell, not a banned breed, and his client had only had the dog for four months as its last owner had passed away.
Mcaloon was sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £500 in compensation to Ms Pieciak and £100 to PC Whatling.
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