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Dog owner Adam Chell has been fined after his pet escaped from his house and attacked another dog and three adults.

The 25-year-old dad-of-two was inflating a paddling pool in his garden when his two dogs, Bruno and Daisy, escaped through an insecure safety gate.

They approached another dog near Burslem Police Station and Daisy – a Staffie Bullweiler – bit the animal.

Its owner tried to prize them apart but was bitten and scratched and a motorist got out of his car and punched Daisy several times but she continued to attack the other dog.

A police officer was eventually able to free the other dog by striking Daisy with his baton.

The defendant was very apologetic and immediately decided to have Daisy put down.

Now Chell has been hit with a £932 court bill at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.

Prosecutor Nick Hughes said the defendant was putting up a child’s paddling pool in the front garden of his home in Norris Road, Stanfield, when his two dogs escaped at 3.30pm on July 25.

Mr Hughes said: “He left the front door open. He had a safety gate to stop his two dogs from exiting the house. He is unsure if he properly secured the gate.

“Somehow it was opened and the dogs escaped. Bruno and Daisy – a Staffordshire Bull terrier and Rottweiler cross – both ran on the street out of site. The defendant immediately got on a bike and gave chase.

“The injured party was looking after her dog, Alfie, when Daisy and Bruno approached. Daisy began to attack Alfie taking multiple bites. Alfie required an operation which cost the PDSA charity £235.

“Daisy also attacked Alfie’s owner biting her upper arm.

“Another witness saw Daisy clasped on to Alfie. He ran over to try and separate them. He punched Daisy numerous times with no effect. He received a bite to his left hand.

“A police officer came out of Burslem Police Station. He initially tried to intervene by kicking the dog but was not successful. He hit Daisy four times to the head with his baton, which eventually proved successful. He received a bite to his finger. Another officer got on top of Daisy.

“The defendant found Bruno near the entrance to the police station. He was very upset and apologetic and offered to compensate Alfie’s owner and anybody injured.”

The defendant took the decision to have Daisy destroyed.

Chell, of Marshall Street, Burslem, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control and injured three people.

Kate Preston, mitigating, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, has learning difficulties.

She said: “This is a tragic set of events, not in any way foreseen by this defendant.

“Daisy was living with this defendant and his family for well over a year. They were aware she had been mistreated by the previous owner. She had not previously displayed any violent tendancies.

“It was the hottest day of the year. The defendant was inflating a paddling pool for the children who were in the house. He believes his child had learnt to undo the gate but can’t say for certain whether he pulled it so it did not clasp.

“Both dogs got out. Bare foot, he went after the dogs. He arrived to find his dog being restrained by police. Out of his sight, Daisy had attacked another dog.

“This was completely unexpected by the defendant. It caused him a good deal of distress. He made a very difficult decision there and then to have her put down – the actions of a responsible dog owner and perhaps why Staffordshire Police are not asking for a disqualification from owning dogs in this case.

“He has done everything in his power to right his wrongs and has demonstrated a good insight, remorse and empathy to the situation.”

Magistrates fined Chell £120 and ordered him to pay £300 compensation to Alfie’s owner; £100 to each of the injured men; and £100 to the PDSA. He was also ordered to pay £180 costs and a £32 surcharge.

Chairman of the bench, Geoffrey Askew said: “You were probably lucky other people were not injured.

“In future you should not have a dog of that nature and you should get it from a reliable source to make sure the dog is not capable of doing these things.”

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