A man’s two Pitbull terriers savaged a seven-year-old girl as he and his fiancée were walking them around the boundary of his rural cricket club.
Wicketkeeper Robert Parsons, 27, faces years behind bars after the hounds slipped through their leads and pounced on the youngster as her dad was cleaning the pavilion following a children’s party.
During the attack, on October 23 last year, the Pitbulls, named Reggie and Barney, grabbed the girl’s leg, with one refusing to let go despite her father intervening and grabbing the animal by its mouth.
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The victim was rushed to hospital where she underwent surgery for her ‘serious’ wounds. She also had plastic surgery and physiotherapy following the incident.
Parsons, who is also an opening batsman at the picturesque Micklehurst Cricket Club in Mossley, was detained by police at the pitch side along with his 26-year old fiancée Harriet Wallace. Both were later charged with dangerous dog offences and the animals were destroyed.
At Tameside Magistrates’ Court on August 30, Parsons of Knott Hill Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to two charges of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury and two charges of possessing or having custody of a fighting dog.
The maximum sentence for the offences are five years in jail. Dangerous dogs charges against Wallace, who lives with her husband-to-be, were withdrawn.
The incident occurred on October 23 last year after the girl, – who cannot be named – went to the club with her father to clear up after a party a held a few days earlier.
Nick Smart, prosecuting, said: “He was aware of one of the players walking his dogs in the company of his girlfriend. While taking some rubbish out of the bins, his daughter has run out to a pitch behind him.
“But both the dogs ran over to her and one jumped up on her and knocked her to the floor before biting her. Mr Parsons shouted at the dog and went over, apparently not knowing the severity of the incident. But as the girl’s father reached his daughter one dog had a hold of her leg and would not let go.
”It did not have a collar on and the girl’s father had to grab hold of the dog around the mouth and pressed his body weight on to the dog in hope it would release its grip. Initially it would not do so, but it did eventually.
“He then picked up the girl and went into the cricket club. She had leggings on and was seen to be bleeding. She was taken to Manchester Children’s Hospital. She has gone for surgery and later plastic surgery and also physiotherapy. The two dog owners stayed at the scene and then they were arrested and taken to the local police station.”
“Regarding the circumstances, it is right to say that this clearly caused a great deal of distress to both parties concerned in this particular case. The girl received some very serious injuries.”
Parsons who had no previous offences on his record gave a ‘no comment’ interview on the first occasion but gave a statement when interviewed on a second occasion when assisted by solicitor who is a specialist in dangerous dog offences.
His lawyer Steve Langton said: “The dogs have slipped their leads, They have slipped their leads and harnesses and pulled away, that is how they got to the child. But there is no question that they are very serious injuries.”
The magistrates refused jurisdiction and sent the case to the crown court for sentencing. Parsons was granted unconditional bail and told to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court for sentence on September 27.
