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Image: Liverpool Echo)
A man says he "hardly recognises himself" after an American bulldog suddenly leapt up and bit him on the face.
Workman Robert Gaskell was working in Demi Fitzpatrick's kitchen when her dog Capone burst into the room and bit Mr Gaskell on the cheek. Demi was trying on a dress in her bedroom at the time.
While he was said to have been "usually a friendly dog", magistrates have now ordered him to be destroyed. The victim meanwhile "feels like he's living on borrowed time", being left "nervous entering customers' homes" as a result of the attack.
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Liverpool Echo)Police were called to an address in the Kirkby area of Liverpool at around 2pm on May 21 this year, following reports from the North West Ambulance Service that a patient had been bitten by a dog, Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.
Fitzpatrick admitted one count of being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog causing injury. She was seen in tears and wiping her eyes with a tissue at times during the hearing before she was fined £120 and told to pay £300 in compensation, court costs of £85 and a £48 victim surcharge.
Magistrates also imposed a destruction order on Capone, which can be appealed at the crown court. Sentencing, panel chairman Lee McGaw said: "We need to consider whether the dog does constitute a danger to public safety. We have to consider its temperament and past behaviour and whether you are fit and proper person.
"Even though there are no recent incidents with Capone, you were aware that you needed to place him in a room out of the way when you had a workman in your home. But you did not ensure that those measures were adequate. You were in another room trying on a dress. Capone escaped and attacked this workman.
"We have taken into account that the dog expert thinks Capone needs to be adequately restricted, when visitors are present, with a muzzle or placed into a cage. We do not consider you to be a fit and proper person to care for and control Capone. Therefore, we do make a destruction order."
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