Personal Injury Solicitors

Newcastle Crown Court has handed a three-month suspended sentence to two women who admitted allowing a pair of American Pitbull terriers to be dangerously out of control in a public place.

Elizabeth Mitchell, 43, and Stacey Mielnik, 20, were the owners of the two dogs, which attacked a six-year-old girl as she played on her scooter in the back yard of her home in Ashington, Northumberland on 4 May last year. Ellie May Hall lost part of her ear in the dog attack, as one dog bit into her neck, while the other bit her legs and body.

The Daily Mail reports the little girl sustained multiple injuries in the dog attack and was left with a hole in her arm and bite marks to her thighs, requiring two-and-a-half hours of surgery, skin grafts and 11 stitches in her head. Doctors were unable to re-attach her ear, however.

The court heard that the dogs entered the yard after smelling the scent of Ellie’s own dog – and the little girl believed them to be friendly as they sniffed round the yard. However, in an unprovoked attack, they suddenly turned on Ellie.

A neighbour managed to chase the dogs away – but said they returned. Jason Charlton said that two other men helped him – but he was worried for his own safety as the dogs were so vicious.

“It was a horrific and terrifying incident,” Mr Charlton said in a statement to the court.

“I'm positive if I did not come out when I did the dogs would have continued to attack Ellie. It was clear she had sustained substantial injuries.”

The owners of the dogs had bolts on the back of their gate – but routinely did not use them when the dogs were in the yard. On the day Ellie was attacked, the dogs had escaped into the lane running along the rear of the houses and made their way into the back yard of Ellie’s home.

The court heard that Ellie had suffered “significant psychological effects” as a result of the dog attack – and has problems sleeping. The family has had to rehome its own dog because Ellie has developed a fear of dogs – and she also struggles to visit her grandparents, whose neighbours have dogs.

Both dogs which attacked Ellie were destroyed after the incident.

Mitchell and Mielnik’s defence lawyer told the court the attack came “out of the blue” and neither dog had been aggressive before. The dog’s owners have had to move house as a result of the incident. Mitchell was described as having been a dog owner for 30 years – and her lawyer told the court the incident had “turned her life upside down”, saying that she was “distraught and remorseful” over the attack on Ellie.

“She lives alone with her daughter and has suffered abuse from the local community,” the court was told.

Sentencing Mitchell and Mielnik to a three-month suspended jail sentence, Recorder Anton Lodge QC said:

“The community should realise the punishment for what you have done is reserved to the courts, which are publicly seen and overlooked. I hope the community will not continue to behave in an unpleasant way towards either of you.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Dog Bite Claims

Dog Bite Claims can be made on a no win no fee basis through the civil court – and once a criminal conviction against a dog owner has been obtained, a claim can also be made under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading firms of no win no fee lawyers and can advise those injured in dog attacks on how to claim compensation.

Adults have three years from the date of injury in which to make a no win no fee Dog Bite Claim – and claims for children injured in dog attacks or bitten by a dog can be made up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Dog Bites Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.