Pack of dogs attacked man walking home from work in Mansfield street

The dogs, owned by Andrew Patrick Turner, ran down the street after escaping from his home in Gunthorpe Court, barking and “acting like a pack”.

One of the dogs then jumped up and bit the man’s hand, while another sunk its teeth into his leg, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Friday, January 17.

Prosecuting, Marianne Connally said that the victim had not been able to establish which of the five dogs had bitten him.

She said: “The victim says he was walking home from work when he saw five large alsatians. As he walked down the road, they ran at him barking, and one of them jumped up and nipped his hand, while another bit his leg. He doesn’t know which dogs it was.

“He says he saw the defendant come out of his house and start shouting commands to the dogs and he found the whole experience very intimidating.

Other neighbours spoke about the animals, following the incident on May 7 last year, one saying that she thought the dogs had been chasing her cat.

Mitigating, Simon King said that Turner, 52, had since rehomed one of the dogs and hoped to soon have three.

He added that the two older dogs were the parents of the younger three and, when they were born he had given them to family members, but they had been returned for different reasons.

Turner admitted being the person in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control, causing injury.

Magistrates ruled that the dogs must be muzzled and kept on a lead in any public place, and that Turner was only allowed to walk any two at a time. Police had also said that he should be restricted to a maximum of three dogs, once the older one dies.

He was also fined £180, and ordered to pay £100 in compensation, £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.