An elderly couple offered a neighbour £10 for a taxi to hospital and a box of tissues after she was mauled and left scarred for life by their pet dog.

Former solder James Bridge, 67, handed the woman the bank note after she was bitten on the hand and suffered a ruptured artery.

Bridge and his wife have now been ordered to pay the victim £1,000 in compensation.

The woman, who had stopped to tie her shoelaces, was left bleeding heavily in the street after the Staffordshire Bull Terrier pounced.

It was let loose in Mr Bridge's front garden by 71-year old wife Catherine.

Binmen on their rounds attempted to bandage the woman's wounds.

(Image: Cavendish Press Manchester)

She later underwent reconstructive surgery, spending a total of four days in her hospital.

The Bridges, who have been married for 31 years and live in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, were charged under Dangerous Dog offences, but were allowed to keep the animal.

In a statement, the victim said: "I have lost the feeling in all my fingers on that hand. The feelings are slowly coming back, but don’t know how long this will take. There is now a large scar on the palm of my hand.

"Everyday tasks like washing my hair are difficult. The dog still sits in the front garden and each time I walk past, it barks and makes me jump. I suffer from anxiety and this makes it worse."

Ex-railway worker Mr Bridge, who served in Royal Army Medical Corps, and his wife faced having their pet destroyed after they admitted having a dangerous dog out of control.

But the judge ruled the animal was 'not a danger to public safety'.

(Image: Cavendish Press Manchester)

Probation officers said the Bridges, who have children and grandchildren, were 'responsible and respectable owners'.

The judge ordered that the animal be muzzled and tethered to a lead whenever the Bridges let it out into their front garden, under the terms of a contingency destruction order.

The couple initially denied wrongdoing, claiming the woman's injury was caused by putting her hand on a nail as she leaned on their fence to steady herself.

The incident happened on June 2 last year after the victim was walking passed the couple's home on her way to meet her boyfriend.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting said: "Her shoelace came undone and she stopped outside their front garden and as she did so she placed her hand on the fence.

"She then saw the dog jump up and bite her hand. It went all the way through breaking the skin and rupturing an artery.

"She said once she had been bitten the dog continued to bark and she looked at her hand and it appeared to be bruised but when she turned it over, blood squirted in her face.

"Local binmen noticed the blood and they tried to help and attempted to wrap bandages. At the time she was bleeding heavily, dizzy and shocked.

(Image: Cavendish Press Manchester)

"Mr Bridge was looking out of the top window and the binmen asked him to come out.

"He was told by the victim the dog had just bitten her and he went to get some tissue and gave her a £10 note to get a taxi to the hospital. She was in shock, losing blood and couldn’t think straight.

"She then began to feel dizzy and described how she felt like her body was 'slowing down'."

The woman was taken to Tameside Hospital after another neighbour offered to help. She was later transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital for specialist surgery.

A plastic surgeon who treated her confirmed she would have a permanent scar.

Mr Hughes added: "Police left the dog with the Bridges and it has been with the Bridges since the incident although police did suggest dog to be muzzled, and not to be allowed in the front garden, never to be left unsupervised and always under the control of a person responsible and able to have control over the dog."

A report by a probation officer read to the court said: "Mr and Mrs Bridge are both responsible owners to the animal. Mrs Bridge was in charge of the dog at the time and was actually at the front garden at the time.

"She was desperate to go to the toilet and did look but saw nobody was around and felt she could quickly nip in the house and come back again. Unfortunately during that time the incident happened.

"Mr Bridge looked out and heard shouting outside. He went outside and saw there had been an incident, shouted at the dog to go back in the house and went to get some tissues.

(Image: M.E.N.)

"When going back into the house Mrs Bridge secured the dog inside the house. Mr Bridge said when he saw the injury he then went back outside and offered to ring an ambulance or give her money for a taxi.

"She said she couldn’t wait around as she had to meet her boyfriend. He is remorseful for what had happened. he was in the Royal Army medical corp and would not want to see harm come to anybody.

"The dog has been a family pet for four years and and had never acted in this way to anybody. Mrs Bridge said he’s a family dog and good around grandchildren.

"She said if she had an inkling the dog was vicious she would have euthanised it herself. Mr Bridge suffers with epilepsy and Mrs Bridge has had cancer.

"They’re sorry to be in court today and both adamant this will be the last time.

"They are both retired they have lived in this address for 31 years and now fully own the three bedroom property.

"He served 22 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps and was worked for seven years on the railways. He has suffered three stroke and uses a hearing aid. They have been respectable owners and they are sorry this has happened.

"They are aware [the victim] did suffer some injuries and did look very serious.

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"They have put in safe measures since it happens, complied with conditions and now the dog doesn’t go outside the front without a muzzle or lead and the front door is continually locked when it is not in use.

"They are obviously worried about the outcome and destruction order for their pet. These are exceptional circumstances.''

In mitigation, defence lawyer Ian Ridgeway said the couple's back garden had a six foot high fence whilst the front garden had a three foot high fence and the dog could not access the front garden from the rear of the property.

He said: "Its an unusual set of circumstances as the dog never got out of the garden. They are responsible pet owners."

The couple were also each fined £500 and ordered to pay £300 costs.

District judge Mark Hadfield said: ''This was a very serious offence and the complainant suffered very severe injuries to her hand which resulted in permanent scaring and a period of time with difficulties in using her hand.

"But I’m willing to accept you are otherwise responsible dog owners. This was an unfortunate incident in which the lady had her hand on the fence, but she can’t be criticised for doing that. the consequence was the dog jumped up and bit her it was an isolated incident.

"I'm not told about any previous problems of the dog and I am satisfied the dog does not consider a danger to public safety.''

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