Woman's finger bitten off in attack on her dog

Kieran Vaughan's dog, Gypsy, attacked Mary Pugh's Jack Russell as she walked through the Trehafren estates in Newtown on April 17 before biting the top of her right index finger off.

Vaughan, 24, of Lon Gwern, Newtown, admited at Welshpool Magistrates Court yesterday to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control in a public place.

As well as the compensation he must pay 63-year-old Mrs Pugh, who was rushed to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for surgery, Vaughan was fined £160 and ordered to pay £85 costs, a £15 victim surcharge and a £107.35 vet bill run up by Mrs Pugh's dog.

Mr Stephen Davies, prosecuting, said Mrs Pugh was walking her dog through the estate during the mid afternoon when she was approached by two dogs. He said: "One of the dogs was a Staffordshire bull terrier which began biting her dog on the neck. It wouldn't let go and so Mrs Pugh struck it with her hand to its head. It still wouldn't release its grip, so a man who saw what was happening ran over and started hitting it, too.

"Eventually the bull terrier released its grip on the Jack Russell and Mrs Pugh realised that the top of one of her fingers had been bitten off." He added: "When the police arrived at the scene, Vaughan had put the dog into his van and was on the way to the vets to have it euthanised. The police assisted in taking the dog to the vets' and she was destroyed."

Mr Paul Inns, for Vaughan, said Gypsy had been a much loved family pet for eight years, but her behaviour had become more unpredictable and Vaughan had her put down immediately following the incident."