Dog owner Christopher Jones has had his pet Rottweiler taken away after it injured a woman.

The 32-year-old was being evicted from his flat in Newcastle when the incident happened.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard the dog, called Bruno, was running loose outside the block of flats when it jumped up at the victim.

Prosecutor Sara Beddow said: "Mr Jones was evicted on September 3. He took his belongings and his dog Bruno outside the premises, in the public area of Dunkirk Court.

"Police officers had attended due to Mr Jones's demeanour. There were concerns about the dog.

Specialist officers were called to the scene

"He was shouting and swearing. He was reminded by officers of the surroundings but continued to act in that manner.

"The injured party arrived at the location with others. The dog lunged towards her, scratched her to her side and caused her to fall.

"She banged her heard as she fell and momentarily lost consciousness."

The woman was scratched by the dog

In a statement, the victim said Bruno has been 'wound up' by two other dogs that had passed by shortly before the incident.

Jones, who now has no fixed address, was arrested and went on to plead guilty to being the owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. He also admitted a public order offence and breaching a conditional discharge.

Adam Morgan, mitigating, said: "He accepts he should have had control of the dog. In his version of events the dog was being somewhat taunted.

"While he was living at the address drug users took over the flat. He wasn't a mamba user but they put it in his cigarettes. They took advantage of him and he was eventually evicted.

"He was concerned that the dog would be taken away from him."

The Crown Prosecution Service asked magistrates to impose a destruction order on the dog, meaning he would be put down, and to ban Jones from keeping animals.

The bench decided against having seven-year-old Bruno destroyed but ruled that Jones was not a fit and proper person to own him.

Dunkirk Court

Carol Colcough, chair of the bench, told Jones: "You have a chaotic lifestyle with no permanent address. You are a drug user and the dog's needs were not of paramount importance to you.

"We don't think you can look after a dog because you clearly have trouble looking after yourself."

Jones was banned from keeping a dog for three years. An order setting out a number of conditions regarding Bruno was imposed, including a requirement that he is kept on a lead and muzzled while in public.

Jones must also pay a £200 fine plus £300 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
