Woman whose dog bit postman escapes jail

Enzo, who will now be put to sleep, is a pitbull

A woman whose dog attacked two people, including a postman, has escaped jail.

Katie Craig, 32, appeared before Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday, having previously pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control on two occasions.

In May last year her pitbull, Enzo, bit two men in the Hyde Park area in separate incidents.

Ms Craig was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and banned from owning a dog for five years, with His Honour Judge Alex Menary also ordering the animal's destruction.

'Persistent nightmares'

Prosecutor Hana Ahmed told the court that Enzo had continued "showing aggressive behaviour" in the police kennels where he was being held after leaving postal worker Phillip Luxford with "significant permanent scarring".

Mr Luxford had been on his round when he was bitten on 20 May and had to jump onto a wall to escape the dog.

Twelve days previously, Enzo had bitten Mohammad Rauf as he returned home from the mosque.

The court heard Mr Rauf had to take time off work for his injuries and had since developed an anxiety around dogs.

Meanwhile, Mr Luxford suffered "multiple puncture wounds" in the mauling and had experienced "persistent nightmares" in which he was chased by dogs, Ms Ahmed said.

Ms Craig, of Holdforth Gardens, New Wortley, did not check Mr Rauf was OK after pulling her dog off him, Ms Ahmed added.

After receiving a verbal warning about the dog from police, she pleaded with Mr Luxford not to report the incident to the authorities after he was chased and bitten.

Defending her, Leila Taleb said her client, who has 24 convictions for 35 offences, had experienced a "chaotic upbringing", having been in and out of care since the age of 13.

She had owned the dog for about three weeks prior to the first attack, added Ms Taleb, who argued that its destruction "should be a last resort".

"At the time this dog was only eight months old," she said.

Posts from Craig's Facebook page in the month following the attacks appealed for help to train aggression out of the dog after it "started turning on anyone".

Judge Menary said he had "very serious concerns that the dog would constitute a danger to public safety", however.

The cost of keeping the dog in the kennels had been £9,086, Ms Ahmed said.

Judge Menary said an order for compensation was "not appropriate in these circumstances, bearing in mind the means of the defendant".

The hearing was told Ms Craig was in receipt of Personal Independence Payment.

Ms Craig, who has 24 convictions for 35 offences, was also ordered to complete rehabilitation activity requirement days.

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