Guard dog at Yorkshire car garage attacked three people - including a PCSO

Two previous attacks on male customers visiting Worth Valley Garage on Worth Way in 2018 and 2019 had not resulted in prosecutions, but the business owner David Moore had been given advice about measures he could take to stop further incidents.

But the dog named Buddy attacked again in March 2020 when an on-duty female police community support officer went into the garage yard through the open entrance gate to investigate a possible burglary.

Bradford Crown Court heard how the officer described seeing “a white blur” as she walked towards the side of the building where Buddy was being kept on a long chain as a deterrent to would-be diesel thieves.

The five-year-old dog jumped up at the officer and bit her on both arms causing her to fall to the ground where she feared she might die.

Prosecutor Richard Holland said the terrified officer used her radio to alert colleagues who arrived on the scene and rescued her by using PAVA spray to scare the dog off.

The court heard the officer, herself a dog owner, had to undergo surgery to treat a deep bite wound to her left arm and had now been left with permanent scarring.

In a victim statement she gave to the court the officer said she never felt more alone or unprotected as she lay on the ground and added:”I thought I was going to die an horrendous death”.

In an interview after the incident Moore, 63, of Dorothy Street, Keighley, said Buddy had been “a lovely and gentle dog” who had initially been a family pet.

The court heard that after the dog was suspected of killing a sheep near Moore’s home he had moved him to the garage premises to act as a guard dog.

Signs had installed at the premises warning of the presence of a guard dog, but issues with the movement of lorries and vehicles meant that Buddy was not kept away from the public by means of a secure fence.

On the day of his trial last November Moore pleaded guilty to a charge of owning a dog which was dangerously out of control causing injury to the PCSO.

Today he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for a year, and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work for the community and comply with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

The court heard that after Buddy was taken into kennels Moore suffered further thefts from his garage premises and had subsequently closed his business.

Moore suffered serious burns when an oil drum exploded as he cleared out the premises and he was now unemployed and living on benefits.

Sentencing Moore Recorder Felicity Davies referred to character references which showed a positive side to him.

She said the legislation indicated that the court “shall” make a destruction order unless the court was satisfied that the dog did not constitute a danger to public safety.

Recorder Davies said Buddy had attacked and injured three people on three separate occasions and she noted that experienced staff at the kernels no longer took him out of the kennels because they considered him unsafe to handle.

“Of course I recognise the order the court must make will be extremely upsetting for you (Moore), and indeed the complainant, but I’m satisfied that I have no alternative but to order a destruction order as the prosecution have applied for it,” said Recorder Davies.

“My public duty requires me to follow the law and accordingly there will be a destruction order.”

The judge also banned Moore from owning a dog for two years.