A DOG used as a ‘weapon’ during a violent confrontation has been saved from being put down after a police dog handler said it was not banned breed or a danger to the public.

Carl Venis set his dog on a man during an argument about allegations of children bullying other children.

The victim suffered three bite injuries after dog attacked him as he tripped and fell over outside Venis’ east Cleveland home in September last year.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the police officer had assessed the dog to good natured and laid the responsibility for the dog’s attack on the behaviour of its owner.

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Paul Cross, prosecuting, said: “The defendant had threatened him with his dog, he (the victim grabs the defendant by the jacket and tells him not to threaten his family again.

“The defendant replied - ‘what’s it to do with you, you f***ing prick?’. He started to back away but fell and the dog bit him to the ankle.

“The defendant said – ‘fetch, get him’ and he suffered a number of bite marks.”

Mr Cross said the victim suffered three bite wounds – one to his ankle, one to his thigh, and one to his abdomen.

In a victim impact statement, the man said he was ‘petrified’ by the level of violence used against him.

The court heard how the defendant had 35 previous convictions for 80 offences, including a three-year sentence for witness or juror intimidation in 2012.

Venis, of Railway Terrace, Brotton, east Cleveland, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm and having a dog dangerously out of control.

Jon Harley, in mitigation, said: “This was an offence borne out of a dispute between two sets of families over allegations of bullying between children.

“He denies deliberately setting the dog on the victim but accepts that he was using the dog to back up his aggression.

“His aggression clearly influenced the dog’s aggression. There was no excuse for his actions but there was an element of aggression on both sides.”

Judge Howard Crowson ordered that the dog be rehoused before sentencing Venis to a two-year community order after hearing the defendant had been on remand since last September when the offence occurred – which was the equivalent of the sentence that could have been imposed.

“You will not have the dog back, no destruction order is required but I will disqualify you from being the owner of a dog for five years,” he said.

“I would have inevitably sentenced you to prison but you have been in prison for a long time and you have been doing well while on remand – you have completed courses and addressed your drug use.”

Venis was ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and take part in a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement order.

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