North Somerset Courthouse

A DOG had to be tasered by a police officer after it attacked a rottweiler in Weston, a court was told.

Garthy Donnelly, aged 18, admitted allowing the Staffordshire bull terrier he was looking after to go out of control and set upon Simon King’s 11-month-old rottweiler in Raglan Place.

North Somerset Courthouse was told Mr King suffered several bites to his hand as he tried to separate the pair of warring dogs following the unprovoked attack on March 2 at 4.30pm.

Ian Jackson, prosecuting, said Mr King punched and kicked the bull terrier in a bid to free the rottweiler but to no avail. Donnelly was similarly unsuccessful when he caught up with his dog, which had not been put on a lead.

Two police officers were in the area and one used his taser on the terrier to free the rottweiler, which suffered injuries to its neck and required veterinary treatment.

Mr King told police officers he did not know for certain which dog had bitten him while he wrestled to free his pet, but said he would have been surprised had it been his.

Donnelly, of Queen’s Road, Weston, denied the bull terrier was responsible during his first court appearance in May.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control, as the prosecution could not prove the bull terrier was responsible for Mr King’s injuries.

Paul Light, defending, said the dog did not belong to Donnelly, but one he had taken in because he was a dog lover.

The bull terrier was led away by an unknown woman and has never been found. If it had been found, Mr Jackson said it could have been put down.

Nasor Ali, chair of the bench, handed the teenager a two-year conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £491 – including £200 to Mr King and £91 to cover the vet bills.