How a dog escaped from a house and attacked a 15-year-old boy was related at Trim District Court where the dog’s owner was prosecuted for failing to keep it on a leash. Before the court was 47-year-old Aaron Farrell, Blackwater Close, Enfield who was prosecuted by Garda Aisling Butler, Dunshaughlin Garda Station under the Control of Dogs Act for having an uncontrolled dog in an incident at Blackwater Close on 11 th April last year. The court heard that the shar pei dog “lunged” at a 15-year-old boy who had to climb onto the bonnet of a nearby car in an attempt to escape the animal. The dog had bitten him and he had suffered two puncture wounds to his stomach.
Defending solicitor Maurice Regan told the court that the dog was in the back garden of his client’s house but escaped through a door. He said his instructions were that his client had contacted Meath County Council and had surrendered the dog to it and had agreed that it should be put own.
Court Presenter Sergeant Alan Radcliffe said the defendant had four previous convictions, two of which were for the sale or supply or drugs. For one of these offences in 2017 he was convicted and given a community service of 100 hours. In the other in 2019 he was given a suspended seven- month prison sentence for a similar offence.
Mr Regan said the dog concerned in the incident was a family pet and was not aggressive. What had happened was an accident. It wasn’t the case that his client was walking the dog without a lead. A guilty plea had been entered from “day one” and his client had agreed to have the dog put down.
A victim impact statement had been provided by the victim of the attack. Judge Eirinn McKiernan said that the aftermath of the incident was extremely concerning. The solicitor said that his client was unemployed. The judge put the case back to 23rd June next to consider the question of compensation and to finalise the case. She said that she was “very concerned about this young boy.”
