“IS that it?”
That was the reaction of a young mother to yesterday’s sentencing of a man whose out-of-control dog left her with permanent facial scarring.
Waheed Akhtar was badly disfigured when a loose pitbull dog tore off her cheek as she pushed her baby son to the park in his pram.
Yesterday the dog’s owner Wiqas Mahmud, 29, of Lockwood, was spared jail.
He was ordered by Huddersfield magistrates to do 240 hours unpaid work and pay £750 compensation.
The attack took place outside 29-year-old Mrs Akhtar’s former home at Upper Mount Street, Lockwood, in March.
Former doorman Mahmud, who admitted being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control, was banned from keeping a dog for five years.
The dog, an illegal pitbull-type dog called Troy, was ordered to be destroyed.
Sentencing Mahmud, bench chairman Paul Hollingdale said the sentence was ‘in no way compensation for the injuries suffered by Mrs Akhtar.’
Mr Hollingdale added the sentence did not prevent Mrs Akhtar from seeking compensation through civil action.
He added: “This is a direct alternative to custody. If you in any way breach this order then you can expect to be sent to prison.”
The court had heard Mahmud had been in his yard tending to the dog when the animal broke its tether and ran off into Upper Mount Street.
A few moments later the dog bit Mrs Akhtar on the leg causing her to fall before tearing off her cheek.
Ms Akhtar spent several days in hospital where she was given a skin graft from her thigh by specialists at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
Mitigating solicitor Marnat Ali said his client was ‘deeply remorseful’ about the attack.
But Mrs Akhtar’s sister Nareed, 26, said she was upset with the sentence.
She said: “The compensation is very low.
“She’ll be like that for the rest of her life. I don’t think my sister will agree with the court’s decision.
“I’m quite upset. I expected him to go to prison. He needs to be punished. This is not a big enough punishment.”
