Attack dog owner let off 'scot free' and told to muzzle pet

Sharron Singer had to undergo four hours of surgery and skin grafts to repair muscles, tendons, nerves and ligament damage in her arms

A man whose dog attacked a postwoman has been ordered to pay £1,000 to the victim and was given a community order.

Sharron Singer needed reconstructive surgery on her arms and legs after she was bitten by a Doberman while on her round in Wrangle, near Boston, in July.

Julian Palfreyman, 49, of Goldfen Bank, Wrangle, was sentenced at Boston Magistrates' Court after he admitted a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Mrs Singer's husband, Dave, said he was "disappointed" with the sentence.

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Palfreyman, who pleaded guilty to owning a dog that was dangerously out of control, was told to keep his pet muzzled while in public places and take measures to protect visitors in the area around his home.

He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work when he was sentenced on Wednesday.

Mr Singer, who is also a postal worker, said: "I am extremely disappointed with the judge's decision - I just think he values the dog's life more than my wife's."

"He [the defendant] has got off scot-free," he added.

The 47-year-old postal worker was left with "significant" injuries when she was mauled by Palfreyman's black dog, called Mezzie, while making a delivery to his home on 4 July.

She had to undergo "months" of surgery and skin grafts to repair muscles, tendons, nerves and ligament damage to her arm, her husband said.

The postwoman suffered "significant" injuries to her arms and legs

Mr Singer said his wife was having an operation in London for nerve damage to her arm.

Both are currently off work, and Mr Singer said he was suffering from post-traumatic shock.

He said his children, aged 10 and 11, have had nightmares about what happened to their mother, and despite having two dogs in the family, he said the ordeal had left him cautious of strange dogs.

At the time of the attack, both Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) union appealed for "all dog owners to be more responsible and to control and restrain" their pets during deliveries.