Mum with serious injuries after rottweiler attack blasts judge for saving dog
A mum with life-changing injuries following a terrifying rottweiler attack has blasted a judge's decision to save the dog from being put down.
Fay Hagger was bitten and dragged to the floor by her neighbours' pet, called Mikey, which left her with a fractured elbow, wounds to the arm - pain she said was worse than childbirth.
The 60-year-old woman, who regularly experiences flashbacks of the ordeal, now feels let down by the justice system after the dog was allowed to return home. She fears the animal may attack again.
The mum of two, from Ashford, Kent, said: "What's to say it won't do it again? It's had the taste for blood." Recalling the attack, Fay added: "I remember the automatic shock when it happened. The next minute I could hear screaming and then I realised it was me who was screaming and I was down on the floor. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. It's one of those things you see on the news, but you don't expect it to actually happen."
Folkestone Magistrates' Court heard, at the time of the attack, the dog had conjunctivitis and, due to the low sun, may have been spooked by Mrs Hagger's silhouette. Mikey was described in court as usually calm, friendly and "loves cuddles" and so District Judge William Nelson said Mikey was not used by anyone to cause injury, and has let him return with his owners Lisa Holloway and her daughter Megan.
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The judge continued: "It's clear to me, and the expert report says, that neither of you had ever experienced this dog was prone to this sort of behaviour, but he is still a wild animal at heart, so there is a risk... I am not going to disqualify you from owning a dog as there is nothing to suggest you are nothing but careful dog owners."
The mum of two injured her arm in the attack (Fay Hagger / SWNS)But when out in public, the dog will have to always be on a short lead of no more than 1.5 metres and wear a muzzle. Lisa, 50, and 21-year-old Megan Holloway, who at a previous hearing, admitted to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing an injury, were both placed on a 12-month community order which will see them each carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and attend 10 rehabilitation sessions with probation.
Judge Nelson ordered Lisa and Megan to pay £500 compensation each to Fay because of her significant injuries. Speaking after the hearing, Fay added: "They said it was out of character - but it went straight for my arm.
"I just think they've got away so lightly and letting them have the dog back in the same road that I live in is unfair on me. At least if they wanted to rehabilitate it it should have been away from this area.
"I just feel let down by the justice system. They'll do their however many hours of community service and they'll move on but I have to live with this for the rest of my life. For the first few nights after I found out the verdict I couldn't sleep because every time I shut my eyes I would see the dog coming back at me again.
"I get that they had a specialist go in and check the dog but I just think it's done it once - what's to say it won't do it again? It's had the taste for blood."
The mum is now wary of all dogs, even her brother's, which she has known since it was a puppy. She continued: "Even now, eight months on, if I see people with dogs I'll cross over the road because I just don't know how a dog is going to react."
The brutal attack occurred on the evening of June 23 last year as Fay was walking to her home in Ashford after having dinner at a restaurant. Her neighbours were walking Mikey and another dog, a spaniel, towards her and, though Fay stepped into the road to give them room to pass, the rottweiler cross-breed, described as very large and strong, started barking and became aggressive towards her.
Fay, from Ashford, Kent, has slammed a judge’s decision to save the dog from being put down (Fay Hagger / SWNS)Mikey then lunged across the pavement and sunk its teeth into the victim's arm, pulled her to the ground and held on for "a few minutes," the court was told.
Fay said: "I remember the automatic shock when it happened. The next minute I could hear screaming and then I realised it was me who was screaming and I was down on the floor. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. It's one of those things you see on the news, but you don't expect it to actually happen."
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The court heard Lisa and Megan, who had owned Mikey for about a year at the time of the attack - eventually pulled the dog off. Megan, who had been walking the rottweiler, took him home and Lisa stayed with Fay,
Fay called her son, who took her to hospital. The court heard she suffered a "nasty wound", numerous bites and had to have butterfly stitches, while the fracture to her elbow could have been caused when she fell to the ground.
The mother added: "When I got to the hospital I've never experienced pain like it. I'd rather go through childbirth again. Everyone was horrified when they saw the wounds. I still have four scars. The underneath of my arm is the worst and my elbow still looks quite deformed."
She had to take antibiotics and required surgery to replace her elbow with a metal implant. The court also heard Fay, a team manager at a call centre, had been unable to work, dress herself or drive for a period of time after the incident.
Her arm is now constantly bent meaning she cannot put much weight on it or go to the supermarket by herself as she cannot reach the top shelves. Police seized Mikey after the incident and the family pet was put in boarding kennels. Lisa and Megan were both later charged over the incident.
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