A teenager ended up in crown court after his dog bit a postie’s finger ... as he was pushing the mail through his letterbox.
And the unusual court case is a warning to dog owners that their pets can be classed as dangerously out of control inside their own homes.
Ashley Jobarteh’s brown mongrel bit the postie’s finger causing it to bleed on January 28 this year and a judge has now ordered him to pay £100 in compensation.
Anastasis Tassou, mitigating, said that the postman’s hand had “slipped” into the letterbox, adding: “That in my submission is not a dangerously out of control dog.”
Jobarteh, of Holme Park Court just off Woodhead Road in Berry Brow, opened the door, apologised and brought the man a towel.
Robert Galley, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court: “If you do not try to cover the letterbox and you have a relatively frisky dog, you run the risk of the postman being bitten.”
But Judge Robin Mairs described the incident as “freak circumstances” and Jobarteh’s reaction as “commendable”.
The 19-year-old, who was the subject of a suspended sentence for an assault at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to having a dangerously out of control dog.
He was given a conditional discharge for six months and ordered to pay the victim £100 compensation “because of the pain and suffering caused”, as well as a £15 victim surcharge.
The judge warned: “Get something done with the postbox otherwise this will happen again.”
No action was taken against the dog.
