Staffordshire Bull Terrier bit two passersby on street
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier (for illustration purposes only)
A MAN who took in his friend’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier but who subsequently couldn’t control him came before Carlow District Court last week after the dog bit two passersby on the street.
Kenneth Joyce, Burrin Arcade, Carlow pleaded guilty to not having control of a dog, to having a dog unmuzzled in public and to not having a dog licence. The offences arose after his Staffordshire Bull Terrier attacked people on two separate occasions within five days of each other.
Sergeant Hud Kelly told the court that the first incident occurred on 28 October 2023, when gardaí were called to Burrin Street after a man was attacked by the dog. He said that the injured party was bitten on the hand and his clothes were torn. He added that the dog hadn’t been muzzled and that it attacked the injured party without any provocation.
Sgt Kelly continued that the second incident occurred just five days later, on 2 November, when Mr Joyce was on Tullow Street with the dog. He said that the dog, which was on a lead, jumped up and bit a passerby on the thigh and that the attack was caught on CCTV. He said that Mr Joyce admitted responsibility and that he could not control the dog.
The court heard that the dog was destroyed shortly after the second attack.
Solicitor Joe Farrell told Judge Geraldine Carthy that the incidents were “unfortunate because of recent events”. He said that Mr Joyce fully accepted responsibility for what happened and that he had been very worried about the court case.
He continued that the dog had been owned by Mr Joyce’s friend, who wanted to get rid of it, and that 29-year-old Mr Joyce took it in “with the best of intentions”. Mr Farrell continued that his client lived in an apartment and so had to take the dog out for walks and that he admitted to not being able to control him.
Judge Carthy said that she took on board the mitigation by Mr Farrell but that she had a problem with it because of the second incident occurring. She ordered a probation report to be prepared and adjourned the matter until 25 September.
