Claire Neal, whose Staffordshire bull terrier escaped from her Northumberland home before attack, has been jailed for four years

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A woman has been jailed for four years after her dog ran into a playground and attacked 12 children.

Claire Neal had allowed her Staffordshire bull terrier, Marley, to escape from her home in Blyth, Northumberland, before the attack.

She had previously denied owning a dog that was dangerously out of control, claiming the animal belonged to the courts, as there was a destruction order in place on it after two previous attacks on children.

But after a trial was aborted part way through, she changed her plea to guilty shortly before a second trial commenced.

The prosecutor, Fiona Clancy, told Newcastle crown court that on 18 May 2016 the dog had been let into the front garden with no muzzle or collar and it squeezed under the front gate.

A teenage girl came across it in the street when she was playing with friends and had wanted to take him home so her mother could contact the RSPCA.

But the dog became vicious as they passed the park in Burns Avenue, prompting neighbours to rush from their homes to help.

The court heard how the attack unfolded, with the dog chasing children, jumping on them as they tried to flee and pinning them on the ground.

Statements from the children were read out in court, with one girl saying she fainted after the dog closed its jaws on her.

Another child said he saw a girl being dragged by the dog while screaming. One parent said their child’s leg looked like “Swiss cheese”, with puncture wounds and a gash.

Panicked parents attempted to carry the children to safety, either over the fence or on to the climbing frame, with two men eventually able to tie the dog up.

Jailing Neal, 39, for four years, the judge, Sarah Mallett, said it was a “sustained and repeated attack” and that Neal’s actions were “utterly irresponsible on every level”.

She said Neal had failed to put in place any control measures and the dog had been trained to be aggressive by Neal’s partner.

“It was ridiculous to suggest Marley was not your dog. You were the owner and responsible for her at all times,” she said. “It’s clear from these descriptions there was serious injuries but it is also clear there was significant psychological harm.”

She poured scorn on the argument that it had not actually been her dog, saying it was her fault not that of the police or the animal.

Neal was jailed for owning a dog that was dangerously out of control and banned for life from owning a dog.

The dog was destroyed after the incident.