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A teenager shouted "get her" to his dog as it viciously bit a woman who was attempting to defend her pet cars.
Jack Newton, a teenager at the time but now 20-years-old, had been walking a large Belgian Malinois in Eston, North Yorkshire, when it bolted and raced into a nearby farm on July 5, 2021. The large dog made a beeline towards the farm owner’s cats and she shouted at Newton to control his dog.
But the teen claimed it was doing no harm even as the out of control dog raced at the cats again and again. The woman went to grab the dog’s collar and Newton shouted "don’t touch my dog" and then "get her" Teesside Crown Court heard. Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, told the court on Tuesday: "The dog bit her on the right arm which caused a deep cut on the upper arm which was bleeding".
The court also heard how Newton was described as “immature” and “impulsive”. The woman said she told Newton what had happened but he simply got in his car and left. She was forced to attend Redcar Urgent Treatment Centre and left unable to drive for six weeks. Instead, she had to splash out to take taxis to hospital appointments and needed other help to look after animals on the farm.
Mr Gittins added: "She says she was left feeling frightened and scared... she doesn't feel safe walking her dogs or leading the horses as she doesn't know if she will be attacked,". He went on to outline how the incident has had an impact on her health, wellbeing and finances.
However, this isn't the only crime the youngster recently committed and Newton recently worked free from court despite a string of offences including the dog attack and assaulting a woman whilst she was driving, causing her to crash into a lorry on the A66. Months after the alleged dog attack, Newton reached out to a former partner as he was “feeling down”. She agreed to meet him for a drive and, while in the car, the court heard, he accused her of setting him up to be assaulted in an attack which left him with a black eye.
The woman denied this but he kept shouting at her and making threats to steal her car - he tried to take the keys from the ignition. He said he was "fuming" and hit her across the face with the back of his hand causing bruising to her lip.
"Not knowing what to do she ended up on the A66 driving towards Middlesbrough," said Mr Gittins. "She was driving around 50mph in the outside lane when the defendant shouted he didn't want to be there anymore and grabbed the steering wheel. It pulled the car left causing it to collide with a lorry."
The lorry driver followed her off the A66 and confronted her - at this point Newton walked away - once again. The crash had caused £1,463.13 to repair the Mercedes.
The next afternoon she received a telephone call from Newton who told her he was "wanted for attempted murder". She had reported the incident to the police and Newton told her "she was a little grass and she better get the statements pulled or it will be the worst thing she's ever done".
When interviewed by police, he claimed that she was hitting him so he gave her a 'back hand' and claimed he had called her afterwards to check if she was ok. Ian West, mitigating, outlined how Newton has been in custody since December which has "given him time to reflect on why he is there".
A letter was also passed to the judge from Newton's father. "Mr Newton [the father] has done his best in the past and will, when his son is restored to liberty, to keep his son on a short leash as well," said Mr West. The court heard that Newton's father is confident he will be able to help get the 20-year-old into employment when he leaves.
Newton, of Keepersgate, Eston, was handed a 20 month sentence suspended for two years after he admitted being in control of an out of control dog causing injury, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and witness intimidation. He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and two restraining orders were made preventing Newton from approaching or contacting his victims. A contingent destruction order was made regarding the dog, which is in the care of Newton's parents, including being muzzled while in public.