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The owner of a dangerous Rottweiler that mauled a seven-year-old girl and scarred her for life has walked free from court – while his dog was ordered to be destroyed.
James Palmer, 31, was holding the mutt on a lead and a harness when it launched at the young girl leaving her with horrific facial injuries.
The terrified child had gone over to stroke the dog when the crazed hound leapt up at her in Dent Close, Worcester on April 11 last year.
The little girl was rushed to hospital where she underwent extensive facial surgery to help heal her gaping cheek wound.
The Rottweiler jumped up and bit the young girl’s face when she went to pet him. The girl was the rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where she underwent extensive surgery to heal her cheek wound
Worcester Magistrates Court heard the young girl had been scarred for life as a result of the ‘horrendous attack’.
Prosecutor Sumreen Asfar told the court how the dog had leapt at the little girl’s jaw after she had gone to stroke the dog outside her home.
She said: ‘There was a call from her mother that a dog was attacking her child. She was taken to the A&E. There was flesh hanging from her face.
‘She has had surgery, she is going to have a scar on her face for the rest of her life.’
The prosecutor added that the dog had not been muzzled at the time of the attack, despite having been muzzle trained.
Worcester Magistrates Court heard that the young girl will have a scar on her face for the rest of her life. The dog owner, James Palmer, was given a six month sentence – suspended for a year
Miss Asfar added: ‘The dog can become aggressive – if he is not muzzled this can be a repeated incident.
‘When the dog was seized by police it was unwell and was suffering from malnutrition.’
Her family believe the black hoodie she was wearing at the time helped saved her life as it stopped the dog from sinking its teeth into her throat.
Speaking previously, the parents of the victim, who wish to remain anonymous, said they believed their daughter’s hoodie saved her life.
The girl’s 35-year-old step-dad said: ‘It was lucky – I feel the hoodie saved her life.
‘If the dog had grabbed her neck that would be it.’
Police were called to the scene while Palmer stayed in his flat.
Jordan Palmer, who owned the dangerous dog called Rocky, is said to have suffered mentally after the attention the case brought. He narrowly managed to avoid jail, however, Rocky will be put down
The dog owner initially refused to hand the dog, called Rocky, over to the police but eventually agreed to have it taken away.
Recalling the attack, the girl, who is now nine, said Palmer had told her his dog was ‘friendly’ and so she went closer and stroked him on the head.
She added: ‘Then I saw he was looking at me and he looked like he wanted to attack me.
‘He was looking me straight in the eye and looked like he was about to pounce. He jumped and bit.
‘When his paws were on me I felt how strong he was. I felt the power.’
She said Palmer tried to pull the animal back and slapped the dog during the attack which she estimated lasted around two seconds.
Shocking photos released by the family show the gaping bloody wound and the girl lying on a hospital trolley with her face bandaged up.
The girl added: ‘I was shocked and scared. I didn’t feel the pain.
‘Neighbours were looking and told me to get in and tell my mum.’
Her 11-year-old brother also witnessed the horror unfold and rushed upstairs to alert their mum.
An ambulance took her to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where she had the wound cleaned and stitched under general anesthetic.
Her mum, 41, said: ‘She is just really lucky that the dog let go. I’m afraid the dog will attack other children.
‘Whenever she sees a big dog now she hangs on to our hands and gets very nervous. I’m afraid she will be like this forever now.
‘But we know it could have been a lot worse. We just don’t want this dog to attack any more children.’
Will Harrison, who was defending Palmer, said he had been upset about what had happened and suffered mentally from the attention the case attracted.
He added: ‘Not only that but in July this year he was admitted to hospital with a collapsed lunch.
He is signed off work.’
Mr Harrison said a report from a dog expert identified two ‘plausible’ explanations; either Rocky had felt threatened and reacted, or that children had ice creams and the dog had tried to bite one and caught the victim’s face.
He added: ‘There was no sustained attack, it was a lunge.
‘Ultimately, the report concludes, if properly managed the dog isn’t a danger.’
Palmer admitted being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog which caused injury when he was first seen at the court in May.
On Thursday, he was handed a six month jail sentence, suspended for a year while JPs ordered the dog to be destroyed.
He was also ordered to pay the young girl £1,500 in compensation, a £128 victim surcharge, £185 in legal costs as well as the £2,500 cost of keeping Rocky in the kennels.
Chair of the bench, Charles Townsend, said: ‘I can’t state clearly enough how serious the injury was. She will be permanently scarred.’