Asylum seeker jail threat over Dudley dog attack
An asylum seeker has been told he could face a jail sentence after failing to control two dogs which attacked and injured a walker and his dog on a nature reserve in the Black Country.
Dudley Magistrates' Court heard how Mohammed Mahdizada made no attempt to intervene when the Japanese akitas launched at Alan Pearce's Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Oscar.
When Mr Pearce put his hand down to stop the two dogs, one bit his hand before biting him again on his two feet as he fell and slipped to the ground in the Fen Pool Nature Reserve in Pensnett, Dudley.
Mahdizada, 27, an asylum seeker from Iran who lives in Walpole Street, Wolverhampton, then walked away with the two dogs, making no contact with Mr Pearce, who later needed eight stitches to his feet.
Mahdizada was convicted following a trial last month of allowing a dog to be out of control in a public place. He claims to be looking after the dogs in his home while the owner is away in Iran.
The situation has left police unable to get owner's permission to assess the dogs for their danger to the public from their owner – so an application to destroy them cannot be made.
Yesterday at the court hearing, deputy district judge Mr Prakash Aujla said: "If someone can't be bothered to obey laws in this country or assist this court, they deserve the punishment it warrants."
He added:?"To allow out of control dogs in a public place is a very serious matter, however in that the victim was also attacked and you took no action, I feel a sentence of more than six months custody should be considered."
Mrs Kelly Crowe, prosecuting, told the court that the incident took place on August 16 last year at 5pm.
Mr Roy Paterson, defending, said Mahdizada had been living in the country as an asylum seeker for three years and did not work. Mahdizada will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 10.
