Gemma Louise Ward’s Pit Bull Terrier, Kyra, was initially seized by police after the unprovoked attack on the evening of May 3, 2022. The driver, delivering a McDonald’s order to Ward’s home in Manchester, was met with the barking dog but initially dismissed concerns. However, as Ward opened the door, the dog escaped the living room, exhibiting agitation and trying to approach the driver. Unsure of the dog’s intentions, the driver hesitated, and the dog lunged at him, pinning him against a fence. The victim, frozen in fear, suffered two bites to the face before Ward’s daughter intervened, ending the attack. The victim’s impact statement expressed his lasting trauma and confusion over the incident. Despite the severity of the attack and Kyra’s status as a banned breed, an expert assessment deemed the dog not to be a danger, allowing for its return to Ward under strict conditions. Ward, remorseful about the incident, faced charges of possession of a prohibited breed and being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog causing injury. She was handed a 12-month community order, ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, and pay £1,500 in compensation to the victim. The court deemed Ward a ‘fit and proper’ person to own a dog but imposed restrictions, including keeping the dog on a lead and muzzled in public, and confining it within a crate when answering the door. The incident highlights the potential danger of dog attacks and raises questions about the assessment of banned breeds and their potential threat to public safety.
Banned Dog that Bit Uber Eats Driver Released to Owner Despite ‘Danger’ Concerns
