Dartford man in court after Staffordshire Bull Terrier bites neighbour (From News Shopper)

Dartford man in court after Staffordshire Bull Terrier bites neighbour

1:30pm Friday 10th February 2012 in News By Kelly Smale

Dartford man in court after Staffordshire Bull Terrier bites neighbour

A 48-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court after his Staffordshire Bull Terrier bit his neighbour.

Paul Coney, of Milestone Road, Dartford, pleaded guilty to owning a dog which caused injury in a private place at Dartford Magistrates today (February 10).

On September 20 at 1.45pm Derek Fox was hoovering a car outside his mechanics shop in an alleyway behind Milestone Road.

The dog, named Tilly, had managed to get free from the garden and growled and barked at Mr Fox before biting him on his left calf.

Mr Fox and his colleague tried shouting at the dog and spraying it with water to scare it away but to no success.

Kirsty Randall, prosecuting, said: "Only when a fire extinguisher was aimed at the dog that it ran away up the alleyway."

Mike Arnsby, defending, said Tilly was a family pet who had not bitten anyone before.

He also claimed the dog did not like vacuum cleaners and this could be why she took a dislike to Mr Fox.

Coney was given a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £100 compensation and £85 prosecution costs.

A contingent destruction order was also made for the dog, stating it must be muzzled at all times when out in public.