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A dog walker and her pet were attacked on a village green when an irresponsible owner let loose three Pit Bull Terriers without their muzzles on.

The banned dogs, owned by father-of-two Declan Squires, were "aggressive and snarling" as they raced over to the woman with her Border Collie, called Cloud, which was recovering from an operation.

Elizabeth Dodds, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court: "One of the Pit Bull Terriers, Tucker, attacked the Collie's back legs.

"The owner, whilst screaming for help, tried to intervene by getting between them and received a bite on her hand from Tucker.

"Another dog tried to attack the Collie as the victim moved it away by kicking out with her feet."

The 29-year-old defendant was attempting to calling his dogs away, but one of them clamped their teeth onto the Collie's side, causing a nasty injury needing stitches, the court heard.

The Collie wriggled from its collar and also bit its owner while fleeing from the attack, before both went home bleeding from their injuries.

The victim's daughter then spoke to the defendant who apologised, handed over his business card to identify himself, accompanied her to the vet's with the Collie and paid £200 in lieu of the cost.

One dog put down, two others to follow

The Collie's owner had medical treatment, including a tetanus jab, for puncture wounds on her hand caused by Tucker, which has since been put down.

In court, the judge made a destruction order regarding the other two Pit Bull Terriers, which will now also be put to sleep.

Judge Philip Head said it was unclear which of the two, Rocko or Tyra, had bitten the Collie's side, but both behaved aggressively.

A dog expert also described both dogs as aggressive, after inspecting them in kennels, and recommended they be put down.

Squires, of Homefield Road, Sileby, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing a fighting dog and one of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog, on May 10.

Miss Dodds said the incident happened at 8am shortly after the victim and her Collie went for a walk in an enclosed green area off Greedon Rise, Sileby.

"She was walking around the green and heard the gate being closed before seeing three large dogs (the Pit Bull Terriers) and a smaller blue/grey French Bulldog running towards her," said Miss Dodds.

The French Bulldog, belonging to the defendant's partner, did not actively take part in the attack.

'Gross disregard for safety of people and animals'

Judge Philip Head told Squires: "On May 10 you went out with three prohibited dogs and a fourth dog that wasn't prohibited.

"The three Pit Bulls should have been muzzled and on leads when you went onto a green area

"You made an assumption there was no-one in the vicinity and, unbelievably, you took off the their muzzles and leads.

"Pause to think, even if no one was there at the time, it doesn't mean that other people, children or animals, might arrive after you went there.

"There was clearly gross disregard for the safety of people and animals.

"This, mercifully, was an isolated incident.

"I give you credit for the degree of responsibility you showed afterwards.

"You didn't try to hide your identity and belatedly took steps to undo some of the harm that you'd done.

"In 2014 you acquired two of the dogs, Tucker and Rocko.

"It didn't occur to you what they were, or whether they were prohibited.

"It took a member of the public (who queried the dogs' breed with the police) to start the process of identifying them and managing the risk.

"An exemption order was made in respect of those two dogs, which was effectively a suspended sentence, with three conditions: they should be muzzled; and on a lead in public; and be insured.

"It was a grotesque irresponsibility to ignore the regulations.

"In 2016 you acquired a third dog, Tyra, and I'm told it didn't occur to you it fell into that same category.

"I find it inexcusable you didn't make reasonable inquiries to establish the breed and therefore the possession of Tyra was unlawful (because no application for an exemption order was ever made regarding that dog)."

The judge said Squires also let the required insurance cover lapse on the two "known prohibited dogs" Tucker and Rocko.

Judge Head told Squires "You also exposed your own children to those dogs at home."

He added: "I accept you've shown a degree of remorse and cooperated generally (with the inquiry) from the outset."

Dogs were good-natured around Squires' young children, court told

Priya Bakshi, mitigating, said that in 2014 Squires inherited Tucker and Rocko from his late father, who had also not appreciated they were Pit Bulls until they were made aware of the situation shortly before his father died.

She said Squires had wrongly believed Tyra was not a banned breed, thinking it was a legally permitted Staffordshire Bull Terrier as she "presented differently" to the other two.

Miss Bakshi said Squires was an "animal lover" and the dogs had been good-natured at home with his two children, aged three and nine, displaying no cause for concern.

"On May 10, he went to the local recreational area," she told the court.

"The dogs were sometimes uncomfortable in their muzzles and would claw at them."

"He entered the gated area and didn't see any people or animals around and foolishly, in spite of the regulations, he let them off the muzzles and leads," she added.

Miss Bakshi said that once Squires, a self-employed engineer, realised what had happened, he repeatedly apologised, went to assist and continued to try to help afterwards by going to the vet and paying money to the complainant.

She said: "He cooperated with the police, who seized the three dogs, and he provided as much assistance as he could.

"The £25 annual insurance lapsed because he did not receive renewal letters. It wasn't intentional."

Miss Bakshi said references from many people described the dogs as having a lovely nature, especially at home.

There had been no other incidents involving the dogs before May 10, she said.

Squires was given a 14 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was ordered to do 210 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,200 in compensation to the dog walker for her hand injury.

Squires will also have to pay £670 court costs.

He was disqualified from owning a dog for five years.

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