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Dog owner jailed after dog attacks postman - 09-05-2008 |
The Communication Workers Union has welcomed the tough sentence handed down to dangerous dog owner Jamal Richards at Sheffield Crown Court, following the savage mauling of Sheffield postal worker Paul Coleman by Richards’s two dogs.
Judge Alan Goldsack QC jailed Richards for nine months after the 19-year-old pleaded guilty to two offences under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act of allowing his animals to be dangerously out of control in a public place and he was also banned from keeping dogs for seven years.
Last December, Paul Coleman was carrying out his deliveries when the two bulldog terriers attacked him. The dogs grabbed a leg each and pulled him to the ground tearing "lumps of flesh" from his legs as they dragged him from the property he was delivering to and into the road where they continued to subject him to a bloody 15-minute mauling.
During the prolonged attack Mr Coleman suffered serious leg, arm and chest injuries and was in hospital for six days, undergoing skin grafts and plastic surgery.
The dogs had escaped before and Richards had already been warned about his animals, but, on the day of the attack neither dog was chained up or controlled.
Neighbours and a passing Parcelforce driver stopped and went to Mr Coleman's assistance. The driver hit the dogs with a metal bar but they continued the attack, while other helpers hit the animals with various weapons including garden tools, a rake and a hammer. One even poured boiling porridge over the hounds.
One of the dogs – was later destroyed, but the other evaded capture.
The court heard that Mr Coleman has permanent scarring and suffers reduced mobility. Further surgery may be required in the future.
At one stage, doctors feared that he could lose his right arm, in which serious nerve and muscle damage occurred, but surgeons managed to save it. Bites on Mr Coleman’s left leg went down to the bone and skin grafts were needed to the front and back of both legs.
Passing sentence, Judge Goldsack told Richards:
"Anyone knows these kinds of dogs can cause very serious injuries if they are not properly controlled.
"The photos show dreadful injuries. Lumps of flesh were literally torn from the victims body and he was in a state of trauma, as, no doubt, were the witnesses and his wife and children."
Speaking after the case, Mr Coleman said
"Hopefully this will show people they can't leave dogs out to cause damage, because they risk jail if they do".
Paul hopes to return to work in six weeks time. He thanked CWU area safety representative Darrell Bennett for his help and support and he has now launched a personal injuries claim for compensation via the union's solicitors.
CWU national health and safety officer Dave Joyce added:
"The union welcomes the seriousness with which the court treated this case and welcomes the decision of Judge in this case to hand down a sentence of two concurrent nine months jail sentences.
“This sends out a clear message to other irresponsible owners of dangerous animals that can inflict such terrible injuries. Imposing custodial sentences is clearly the only deterrent these individuals understand.”
| Communications Workers Union
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