An Isle of Wight dog owner has been spared prison after her Belgian Shepherd attacked three people, leaving an elderly woman with an injury that needed 22 stitches.
Karen Crews, of Queens Road in Freshwater, appeared for sentencing at the IW Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, August 4.
The 58-year-old had already pleaded guilty to three charges of being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog that caused injury.
Prosecutor Cristiane Finlay said police were called to Queens Road at around 9.55am on December 16 last year following reports that a Belgian Shepherd, named Merlin, had attacked multiple people.
The court heard Merlin bit three women as members of the public tried to intervene.
A witness told police they were driving along Queens Road when they saw the dog "launch towards an elderly male and female.”
The witness said the dog jumped at the elderly woman, bit her arm and dragged her to the ground.
Crews ran to the scene, but the witness said the dog was "so aggressive she could not control it."
Two runners came across the attack and tried to help, but Merlin turned on them too, the court heard.
The elderly woman suffered the most serious injuries.
Her arm stayed swollen for several weeks, she suffered nerve and muscle pain and needed 22 stitches in her elbow for what the court described as "a hole in her arm.”
Doctors told her it could take "up to a year or more" to recover fully.
The woman said in a victim personal statement that she rarely goes out for walks now and freezes in fear when she is along and sees a dog, often suffering flashbacks to the attack.
The two runners suffered bruised wrists from the bites, but their skin was not broken.
Crews eventually controlled Merlin and locked the dog in a crate at home before police arrived, and the dog was later destroyed.
Defending, Oscar Vincent offered no mitigation after magistrates said they were not considering prison.
At an earlier hearing, Mr Vincent said Crews was an experienced owner who had kept another Belgian Shepherd for 13 years without incident.
He said she acted immediately to regain control of Merlin, contacted police herself and arranged for the dog to be euthanised.
Mr Vincent added the incident had been "heart-breaking" for Crews and her family.
The court heard Crews had no previous convictions and had not owned another dog since the attack.
Sentencing, magistrates said the normal guidelines meant they should consider imposing a prison sentence.
However, because of Crews' clear remorse and the steps she took immediately after the incident, including contacting police and arranging for the dog to be destroyed, they decided a community order was appropriate.
Crews received an 18-month community order with a mental health treatment requirement.
She was also fined £300 and ordered to pay £350 compensation to the elderly woman and £100 each to the two runners.
Magistrates also banned Crews from owning or caring for a dog for five years.
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