Good Samaritan bitten on face by dog after trying to help unconscious owner

09 February 2024 , 05:19

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Luke Evans, 30, of Llain Y Maen, Blaenau Ffestiniog, was jailed for 15 months (Image: North Wales Police)

A kind-hearted man was bitten on the face by a dog when he tried to help its unconscious owner.

The dog's owner, Luke Evans, 30, admitted to breaking a ban on owning animals and having a dangerous dog that caused injury. The Good Samaritan, Huw Hickey, spotted Evans passed out on a bridge and despite being warned about the growling dog, he approached to help. The dog then bit his face, leaving him with a cut on his lower lip and an abrasion near his upper lip.

Evans was later found still unconscious by another passer-by who called the police. Officers helped the intoxicated Evans and his dog to his sister's flat. Evans, from Llain y Maen, Blaenau Ffestiniog, was already banned from owning a dog due to a court order. Later that day, police were called to a dispute where Evans was seen threatening another man with a chair. His lawyer, Rosemary Proctor, explained that Evans struggled with alcohol issues.

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The judge, Mr Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones, reminded Evans of his previous bans from owning a dog in 2018 and 2022, both for five years, which he had violated. The judge said: "(The Good Samaritan) was concerned for you. He was trying to help you and perform a public service. The dog attacked him and bit him on the face."

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"I am entirely satisfied it was pure luck that he did not suffer a serious injury." The judge also mentioned that Evans used a chair as a weapon later that day. "You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for everything that happened that day," he added. The judge noted that this was the second case involving a dangerous dog he had dealt with that week.

"Dogs that are dangerously out of control are a serious problem in society. They kill, they can injure, sometimes seriously, and the owners or the keepers bear a heavy responsibility towards the public if the dog is taken out in public. This dog was not even on a lead. The dangers posed to the public cannot be overstated."

The judge gave Evans a 12-month prison sentence for owning a dangerously out of control dog that caused injury, and an extra three months for another offence. The court will have another hearing next month to decide on compensation and costs, after checks are made on the dog's breed. It's worth noting that while we still don't know the exact breed of the dog, a new law says all XL Bully dogs must be kept on a lead and muzzled in public.

David Powell