'It came straight for my neck': Dog owner banned after vicious attack on mother

Holly Durnall suffered injuries to her face, hands, knuckles and feet, while her pooch Rola sustained open wounds to both sides of his neck after they were savaged by Lee Mills' dogs Buster and Tyson.

Mills, who was drunk, collapsed to the floor in his attempt to control his pets, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Mills, of Wallace Close, Oldbury pleaded guilty to being the owner of dogs that were dangerously out of control and which while out of control injured a person.

Social worker Mrs Durnall, 29, had taken Staffie Rola, eight, out for a walk on Wallace Road on the morning of June 8 this year.

One of 42-year-old Mills' dogs came running straight at her and clamped its mouth around Rola's neck, according to prosecutor Gurdeep Garcha.

As Mrs Durnall shouted for help and tried to break the two dogs apart a 'clearly drunk' Mills arrived with his second dog.

She pleaded with him to get his dog off Rola but Mills carried on walking towards her with the second dog which also locked on to Rola's neck.

In an effort to release Rola from the dogs' grip Mrs Durnall kicked and punched them but this had no effect.

Mr Garcha said: "The defendant was clearly drunk and in fact had fallen to the floor and was rolling around holding on to one of his dogs but unable to pull him off."

Both dogs were eventually dragged away but one of them ran back towards Mrs Durnall, bit her to the right side of her face and went to bite Rola again - before they moved off for good.

Speaking afterwards mother-of-two Mrs Durnall said: "When they attacked me it was pure panic. The dog came straight for my neck."

She suffered a cut to her right jaw, a puncture wound to her left foot, scratches to her hands and knuckles and swelling to her right and left feet, face and jaw.

Unemployed Mills 'deeply regrets' the incident according to Simon Hanns, defending.

Recorder Peter Ievins said it 'must have been a horrible experience' for Mrs Durnall.

He sentenced Mills to a 12-month community order, a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a two-month electronic curfew from 7pm to 7am.

Recorder Ievins issued an order banning Mills from keeping dogs for three years and another stating that if the dogs - which remain in police care - are out in public they must wear muzzles and should both be neutered. Mills also has to pay compensation of £398.