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A woman has been fined after her American Bulldog-cross bit a food delivery driver on the back.

Dawn Leadbitter’s dog was in her garden when the victim pulled up to drop off groceries at her address. A court heard the animal jumped up a 4ft fence and sunk his teeth into the man’s torso.

Leadbitter, 41, was arrested after the victim, who suffered wounds to his “flank”, reported the attack to police in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear.

The defendant appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to admit having a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.

But she was spared jail and instead fined £300, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £120 victim surcharge, Chronicle Live reports.

District Judge Paul Currer said: “You have pleaded guilty to what is a serious offence. The starting point for such an offence, when applying the guidelines, is six months in custody.

“However, that’s not what I’m considering with you. It is a serious offence because a dog, especially a powerful dog like yours, being so out of control and injuring somebody is serious. I’m confident you have done a lot since. You have taken steps to make sure such an incident won’t happen again and I’m heartened by that.”

The court heard Leadbitter, from Whitley Bay, has since put in place a number of measures to make sure something similar never happens again.

The dog was made the subject of a contingent destruction order, where it must be kept muzzled and on a lead at all times in public or risk being put to sleep.

Speaking of the July 18 incident, James Long, prosecuting, said: “As he walked past the fence, which was 4ft high, to go towards the defendant’s property, a dog jumped up, reached over the fence and bit him on the right side of his torso, causing bite marks on his flank.”

The court heard the dog had been recused from an adoption centre and had never behaved in such a manner before. Mark Harrison, defending, said Leadbitter had since put in place a number of measures to make sure something similar never happened again.

Mr Harrison continued: “The delivery driver was walking past the fence carrying the very appetising smelling food.

“The dog was excited by the delivery driver’s presence but we think he jumped up in order to get the food he had in his hands.”

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