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Irresponsible Laura Morse has been banned from keeping dogs - after her Staffordshire Bull Terrier savaged two smaller pooches and injured their owners in a three-day reign of terror.

Police were first alerted when out-of-control Winston killed bichon frise cross, Peggy, in a ‘frenzied’ attack on Carlton Avenue, Chell.

But just three days later the 29-year-old allowed Winston to get free again to leave another small dog, Bailey, with serious injuries.

Both smaller dogs were being walked on leads by their owners, who were also bitten by Winston as they tried to protect their beloved pets.

Now a judge has ordered that Winston is destroyed and banned single-mum Morse from having a dog for the next five years.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Morse had only had Winston for two weeks when he carried out the attacks.

Prosecutor Ian Ball said: “At around 9pm Peggy was being walked by her owner who saw a large dog on its own, with no collar or lead. It started running towards him. The owner’s response was to pick up Peggy to protect her. The other dog grabbed at Peggy’s rear end and snatched her out of his arms.

“The big dog was shaking Peggy. Peggy was screaming and the other dog was going wild.”

The court heard the owner managed to get Peggy away from Winston and he was bitten in the process. He threw Peggy over a fence and she tried to run away, but the larger dog caught up with her and continued the attack.

Members of the public stepped in to help and the owner eventually managed to retrieve Peggy who was already dead. She died of shock and blood loss.

The court heard Winston then savaged 12-month-old Bailey on September 13 – close to the scene of the first incident.

Mr Ball added: “Bailey’s owner saw Winston run across the road. He picked Bailey up and the larger dog jumped up and bit Bailey on the rear. Its jaw was clamped around Bailey’s back leg and it managed to pull Bailey out of his arms.”

Again, the owner tried to wrestle his pet away from the bigger dog and was bitten as a result. He described it as a ‘frenzied attack’.

Members of the public again intervened and helped to fight off the dog, and Bailey’s owner managed to get his pet away. A passing motorist stopped and offered to take them to a vet, where Bailey was treated for a broken leg and puncture wounds. The owner later received medical treatment for injuries to his hands.

Morse, of Rother Walk, Burslem, pleaded guilty to two charges of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

Mark Moore, mitigating, said Morse had known Winston since he was a puppy.

He said: “On the first occasion a third party had opened the gate at her property and the dog escaped. She was aware of the first incident and concedes that should have heightened her watchfulness when she went to the shop and the gate was left open. Following the second incident the dog was taken away.”

Judge David Fletcher described the attacks as ‘harrowing’. He handed Morse, who was tearful throughout the sentencing hearing, an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 140 hours unpaid work. She must pay £250 compensation to each victim.

Judge Fletcher said: “The circumstances of what happened are harrowing because of the completely unnecessary death of one dog, the serious injuries to another and the injuries to the two owners.

“What’s more harrowing is the frenzied behaviour of your dog – the sheer persistence with which the dog continued with the attacks.

“What would have happened if it had been a child walking their dog doesn’t bear thinking about.”