Staffie to be put down after obeying owner's command to attack a woman in County Durham street

Denmark Street in Darlington
-Credit: (Image: Google)


A Staffordshire bull terrier will be put to sleep after obeying its owner's demand to attack a cyclist.

Blue the staffie was with owner Katie Carruthers when he was ordered to "get" the female victim on Denmark Street in Darlington, on July 15, 2022. Now a judge has made a destruction order for eight-year-old Blue, while Carruthers has received a suspended prison sentence, at Teesside Crown Court.

The court heard that Carruthers, 40, shouted at the victim "I'm going to f****** kill you" as the victim cycled past, before telling the dog: "Get her Blue!". The dog, who was on his lead at the time, "jumped at the victim's leg and pushed her off her bike", TeessideLive reports.

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Caroline McGurk, prosecuting, said that the victim tried to run away but "the animal latched onto her forearm and bit her in several places."

The court heard that a man nearby told police that he heard Carruthers shout, "get her!" and he saw the dog grabbing thevictim before the woman began screaming. A passer-by intervened and brought the attack to an end, but Ms McGurk said that Carruthers then "kicked the woman's leg several times."

The victim said she was "so frightened she left her bike in the street and walked home." Carruthers continued to shout: "I'm going to kill you!".

In a statement read out to the court, the victim said that she has "lost sensation in my little finger and have restricted movement in my other fingers". She has pain in her hand during cold weather and permanent scarring on her arms.

The woman said that Carruthers "didn't like her as she was jealous of the relationship I have with my partner" and that Carruthers had tried to talk to her in the street, but she had indicated she did not wish to speak and had kept on cycling.

The statement read: "To this day, I still encounter issues with Katie. If we pass each other she shouts that she 'better get her dog back.' The attack has left me pertrified of dogs. I am unable to walk my own dog in case another dog approaches us."

Carruthers, of North Road in Darlington, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control. She has previous convictions for dishonesty.

The court heard that Blue has been temporarily housed by a charity since the incident last year, and that this has cost Durham Police £13,400 so far. The charity reported that Blue has been well-behaved whilst under their care and a statement from the police officer who took Blue after the attack, read: "The large Staffordshire bull terrier was excellently behaved and well-natured.

"He was wagging his tail and allowing numerous people to stroke him. He walked well on a lead to the police van."

Carruthers wept as she stood in the dock and her barrister Ellen Wright told the court: "She will do anything to keep Blue. She has had him since he was a puppy. She will put him in a muzzle, keep him on a lead in public....

"Blue is her life. It was not Blue's fault, what happened."

Ms Wright said that Carruthers "wishes the court to know that she was far from being in her right mind at the time" after struggling with grief from her mother dying. "In her own words - she is desperate for help. She needs support and wants to address her thinking deficits that led to this offence."

Judge Andrew Latimer told Carruthers that the dog "...had attacked on command. The Staffordshire bull terrier bit her on her forearm and dragged her to the ground. The victim was left with a deep bite wound.

"The dog attacks and stops attacking on command. The dog has been trained, it can demonstrate aggression and stop demonstrating aggression on command. This is a dog that has been trained to attack in a certain way. There is no evidence that you trained the dog, it would seem that you certainly didn’t. I am confident that this dog is a danger to public safety."

Recorder Andrew Latimer handed Carruthers a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two-years, and ordered the destruction of the dog. When Ms Wright passed on Carruthers's request to see Blue before he destroyed, the judge said that wasn't up to him, but was "up to the people who must carry out the destruction order."

Carruthers was also ordered to pay £200 in court costs, and attend 35 rehabilitation days. She was put under a three-month overnight curfew, where an electronic tag will monitor her movements from 7pm to 7am.

A ten-year restraining order was put in place prohibiting Carruthers from contacting her victim.