A MAN whose aggressive Rottweiler dog repeatedly attacked other pets and their owners has been spared jail.

Despite Mubashar Ali being warned about keeping his two Rottweilers, Billy and Tuto, under control by a dog warden who returned them after they were found running loose in July 2019, the animals repeatedly escaped.

On one occasion, in November 2019,when the dogs were being used by friend Christine Wilkinson at a building site in Tempest Road, Chew Moor, they got free and Billy mauled a whippet, also injuring its owner in the process.

Wilkinson was subsequently convicted by a jury of being in charge of an animal which was dangerously out of control and caused injury and sentenced to a conditional discharge.

Prosecuting 29-year-old Ali at Bolton Crown Court, William Donnelly, told Judge Tom Gilbart that the incidents had put Ali “on notice that the dog Billy was capable of being dangerous and should have been controlled so as to avoid the potential for injury to other dogs and their owners”.

But the court heard that the animals escaped again on the evening of February 9, 2020, as Susan Iley was walking her pet along Tempest Road.

Mr Donnelly said that a couple had seen the Rottweilers running loose and had caught hold of them, but on seeing Mrs Illey’s pet, Billy attacked it.

Fortunately the dog had a coat on, which saved it from injury, but Mrs Illey suffered a grazed knee and sore finger trying to pull her pet away.

“Eventually she was able to recover her dog and threw it into the open window of a car, such was her panic,” said Mr Donnelly.

The following month, on March 10, the Rottweilers escaped again, this time in Bradford Road, Farnworth.

Paulette Fox was walking her dog, Arthur, while chatting to her daughter on the phone when she was knocked to the ground by the Rottweilers and Billy began to maul her pet.

“Mrs Fox screamed and shouted for help while desperately trying to protect her dog,” said Mr Donnelly.

The Rottweiler was in such a “frenzy” that someone had to hit him over the head with a piece of wood in a bid to get him to release his grip.

And a neighbour, Anne McLoughlin, needed stitches to a wound in her hand after she tried to intervene before Ali, who had been working nearby, arrived on the scene.

“Mr Ali picked up the now badly injured dog but Billy was still trying to get at it, being described as going berserk,” said Mr Donnelly.

Mrs Fox suffered injuries to her eye, knees and thumbs, Arthur needed £769 worth of veterinary treatment and Billy was destroyed.

The court heard that Mrs Fox is now afraid to go out alone.

Ali, of Tempest Road, Chew Moor, pleaded guilty to two counts of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control which caused injury.

Alison Heyworth, defending, said he is remorseful and accepts responsibility for his dogs’ behaviour.

She told Judge Gilbart that Ali’s immigration status in the UK is “precarious”. He had owned the dogs from puppies but had lost his accommodation and was sleeping in his van or at Wilkinson’s home.

She added that Ali still has Tuto and there have been no further incidents.

Judge Gilbart sentenced Ali to 17 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered him to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work plus 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was also banned from keeping dogs for five years.

“These were serious incidents,” the judge told him.

“Dog ownership, especially ownership of such a powerful dog, as it very clearly was, requires care and responsibility.

“Your failure to do what you had to do led to two serious incidents where injury was caused by your dog.”