5 days ago
Owner of 'dangerously out of control' dog jailed as judge orders pet to be destroyed
Members of a family were left heartbroken after their beloved dog was attacked by a labrador - before they had to make the horrific decision to put their pet down.
Jean and David Scott went to pick up their two dogs from a groomers in Openshaw in July last year when they saw a bigger animal running towards them.
The dog, Chico, had escaped from a nearby garden. It grabbed one of the Scotts' dogs - Yorkshire Terrier Bosley - and shook it until it went limp.
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Chico's owner, Callum Bridge-Banks, 32, was heard shouting: "Let go." The Scotts desperately tried to help their pet.
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Vet bills of around £10,000 - and the possibility Bosley would not survive in any event - meant Jean and David had to make the terrible decision to put their pet down.
Bridge-Banks was jailed for a year and four months at Manchester Crown Court having earlier pleaded guilty to being an owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury.
Prosecuting, Chloe Fordham earlier told the court the drama unfolded on June 19, 2024. "Both Mrs Scott and her husband tried to stop the attack, as did the dog groomer, by kicking and punching the dog," she added.
Jean was left with a wound to her arm, bruising and thumb injuries. She said in a statement she had been left 'heartbroken and devastated', adding: "I don't think I'll ever be the same again. No sentence I can make can explain how much of a wonderful dog he was."
Husband David added: "When we take our dogs out we are constantly looking for other dogs. We get flashbacks of the incident."
The court heard that in February 2023, Bridge-Banks was handed a caution after Chico attacked another dog and bit its owner.
The dog was not muzzled, and when officers went to the defendant's house, they found there was no secure area for the pet, meaning it was able to escape the property.
When officers returned to arrest Bridge-Banks, they found the front gate was tied off with a piece of rope. The court heard he has 27 previous convictions for 65 offences.
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Georgia Faulke, defending, said her client struggled with anxiety and depression and had suffered with substance abuse.
She said he would 'not be happy' if Chico was put down and said the animal was only aggressive with other dogs because it had been attacked as a puppy.
Recorder Sarah Griffin said: "These offences demonstrate that you are an irresponsible dog owner." Bridge-Banks, of Wycombe Avenue, was jailed for a year and four months months. He must pay £500 compensation.
Chico was ordered to be destroyed and Bridge-Banks was banned from owning dogs for five years.
