Owner in tears as XL Bully 'son' that bit child ordered to be put to sleep
An "unpredictable" XL Bully that bit two people, including a seven-year-old boy, has been ordered to be put down despite his owner's pleas that the dog was "not dangerous".
Amy Legemah’s XL Bully attacked a teenager just days after he had bitten the boy, a court heard. The dog called Hugo bit the child’s leg near Legemah’s home in Thamesmead, south east London, on March 12 last year, Woolwich Crown Court was told.
Just 11 days later the dog attacked the terrified student after he escaped while on a walk. Legemah’s other dog, a Rottweiler named Luna, also joined in the second attack, the court heard. Legemah, 37, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of being the owner of a dangerously out-of-control dog which caused injury. She appeared in court on Tuesday in an attempt to convince a judge that Hugo should not be put down because he isn’t dangerous. But Judge Anya Lewis KC ruled that the dog does present a risk to the public and should be destroyed.
Legemah cried out "please no, he’s my son" before kicking a rubbish bin down the hall as she left the courtroom. Obi Mgbokwere, prosecuting, told the court that the first attack took place after the seven-year-old boy had been petting Luna near Legemah’s home. When one of the boy’s relatives asked Legemah to bring Hugo out, she brought him out without a collar or leash.
Amy Legemah, pictured leaving court on a previous occasion (News Shopper / SWNS)Mr Mgbokwere said: "The boy was running and playing with another child when the XL Bully went to him without warning, grabbed his leg and bit it." When the boy began to cry Legemah pulled Hugo away and was very apologetic, the court heard. The child was taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries to his leg.
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The second incident took place just 11 days later on March 22 when Legemah tripped and dropped both Hugo and Luna’s leads as she left her flat to take them on a walk. Hugo ran off first, followed by Luna.
An 18-year-old student who was passing the flat said the XL Bully stared at her before launching an attack. He jumped at her, biting her elbow and right knee, before Luna joined in the attack and bit the woman’s ankle. The woman, who was knocked to the ground, said: "The incident made me fear for my life. I was very scared at the time and it has really shaken me up." Legemah ran outside, got her dogs under control and was again very apologetic.
When she was interviewed by police after the second attack, Legemah claimed her dogs weren’t dangerous, but admitted that Hugo can be “unpredictable”. Barrister Nicholas Ferrari, representing Legemah, said: “Ms Legemah had adopted Hugo from a bad home where he had suffered abuse and mistreatment in the past. At the time of these incidents, he was still young and learning about the world. That unpredictability is now a thing of the past and we would say that he doesn’t pose a threat to the public.”
Mr Ferrari urged Judge Lewis not to order the destruction of the dogs. He said that Hugo had been in a kennel since the attacks while Luna had been returned to Legemah but is now muzzled. The defence commissioned a report from a dog expert who said of Hugo: “This is a dog that can be controlled and with proper restrictions can be let out to the public.”
Mr Ferrari said that Legemah does not have children and the dogs are her "family". “They are well groomed, they are looked after and loved,” he said. Judge Lewis sentenced Legemah to a one-year community order before turning to the issue of whether the dogs should be destroyed.
She said: “There are two incidents involving Hugo injuring someone in a short period. You said Hugo can be unpredictable. It’s been explained to me that by unpredictable you meant that he had come from an abusive background. That doesn’t change the fact that he is unpredictable. I am not satisfied that Hugo would pose no risk to the public. Therefore I must make a destruction order.”
Judge Lewis decided that Luna, on the other hand, would not be put down immediately. But she ordered that if Luna is not kept under proper control with a lead and muzzle, she will be the subject of a destruction order.
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