Dog owner spared jail over pet's mauling of girl aged 7

PIT BULL-TYPE ANIMAL IN CRICKET CLUB ATTACK

- PAUL BRITTON

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl savagely mauled by a pit bull terrier-type dog on the outfield of a cricket club suffered 'mental trauma and terror' as well as 'appalling' injuries, a judge said.

Owner Robert Parsons, 27, has now been convicted and sentenced after the horror attack at Micklehurst Cricket Club in Mossley, Tameside, in October last year.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard two dogs called Reggie and Barney, both aged two, were being walked by Parsons and his partner around the boundary. One wasn't on a lead.

The girl, who can't be named, was with her parents at the club when she ran out onto the outfield.

The dog off its lead ran over to her, jumped up at her and knocked her over, the court was told.

Parsons, who it's believed played cricket at the club, ran to help, but the dog knocked her over again, said Katherine Wright, prosecuting.

The second dog then 'slipped' its lead, ran over to the schoolgirl and bit her on the leg.