THE owner of a cockpaoo that mauled a three-year-old girl near her primary school has admitted the dog is “a bit nippy.”
Bunnie Skinley was rushed to hospital moments after the dog dragged her to the ground and left eight puncture wounds in her arm.
Bunnie Skinley, 3, was rushed to hospital following the horror attack[/caption]
A court heard that the young girl received seven or eight puncture wounds on the arm[/caption]
The toddler’s dad desperately held together the skin on her arm with his hands – as dog owner Tracie Inkpen fled the scene.
Inkpen, 50, then lied to police about the attack that left little Bunnie needing surgery.
The mother-of-two failed to leave her details with the girl’s father after her dog, Reggie, bit his daughter’s arm opposite a Kent primary school.
Police later paid a visit to the owner’s home after receiving a tip-off, where she denied that it was her pet who caused the injury.
But, Inkpen soon after retracted that statement after cops showed her footage caught by a passerby that showed the horrifying scene unfold.
She then admitted that it was her dog who caused the injury to three-year-old Bunnie, confessing that he can be a bit “nippy.”
The youngster had to undergo surgery in the wake of the attack, which occurred in Rainham on June 17 around the school pick-up time.
Inkpen appeared in court on October 9 for sentencing.
Bunnie’s dad, Rowen Skinley, previously told KentOnline that the dog came out of nowhere when he was walking near the school with his three children.
Reggie was later seized by officers and taken to police kennels, while Inkpen was arrested and charged with being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury.
She admitted to the offence when she appeared in court in August, when a pre-sentencing report was ordered, and has since returned to Medway Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.
Christina Rowberry, prosecuting, told the court that the toddler was attacked by the cockapoo without warning as she walking with her siblings and father.
She said the dog, who had anxiety and social issues, lunged at Bunnie and caused a serious wound.
Ms Rowberry continued to tell the court that the dog grabbed the youngster’s right forearm and dragged her to the ground aggressively before biting her.
She said: “There was blood all over the pavement.”
The girl was left with seven or eight teeth puncture wounds.
The incident took place at around 3:30pm on June 17 opposite a primary school in Rainham[/caption]
Inkpen left the scene of the attack without passing her details onto Bunnie’s father[/caption]
According to the prosecution, Inkpen made no attempt to help and then left without passing on her details, despite the dad’s shouting.
Police launched an investigation and issued a media appeal.
After receiving a tip-off they went to Inkpen’s home where they found metal barriers on the doors inside the property.
The prosecutor added: “He was told the barriers were on because the dog can be a bit nippy, and she was asked if it was her dog that attacked the child, and she denied it.”
However, after being shown a picture that ID’d her daughter who was also at the scene of the attack, she eventually admitted it was her and that she should have come forward.
During her police interview, Inkpen admitted that she had previously taken Reggie to the vet to get his behaviour assessed by an expert.
She explained that she thought she had the dog under control on a short lead.
As the scene unfolded, she claimed that she panicked due to it all happening so quickly.
Inkpen also alleged that she got her daughter to take the dog away and then returned to the young girl and her family.
She said she offered to take drive Bunnie to hospital, however, her father did not mention this in his statement.
The court heard that Inkpen got Reggie during the pandemic.
He would regularly bark and sometimes jump up at people, with the owner confessing that he could be a bit nippy.
Inkpen appeared in court on October 9[/caption]
Magistrates decided to place her on a high-level community order[/caption]
Natalie Lucas, defending, said her client was a mother herself and felt remorse after the horrifying incident.
She also highlighted that Inkpen had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Lucas then addressed the court saying that the freak accident led her client to panic.
She added that due to the highly stressful situation, Inkpen made the decision to leave so as to not inflame the situation further.
The defence claimed that the cancer carer was a responsible dog owner and she fully accepted Reggie had caused serious injury to Bunnie.
On Inkpen’s decision to initially deny being the dog’s owner, Ms Lucas blamed it on being a panic response and she deeply regrets the incident.
Ms Lucas added: “Reggie is a family pet and he is much loved.”
Which dog breeds are banned in the UK?
THERE are specific regulations in place that prohibit certain dog breeds from being owned or bred in the UK.
So what are the illegal dogs in the UK and why are they illegal? Here’s what we know.
Which dog breeds are illegal in the UK?
People tend to think of large, vicious dogs when they imagine being bitten by one.
But the truth is that many types of dogs are known to bite humans, whether provoked or not.
However, it’s important to remember that just because a breed tends to bite humans, that doesn’t mean that they all do.
British law determines five breeds of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell or give away.
These are an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.
The court heard that an assessment was carried out while Reggie was being held in kennels.
This revealed that he did show some aggression at the beginning, but now showed none.
He had been muzzle trained and was no longer deemed to be dangerous but rather, nervous.
Magistrates decided to place Inkpen on a high-level community order, which will involve her carrying out 160 hours of unpaid work.
They also made a contingent destruction order on Reggie.
This means he will be allowed to return home, but the order will see him muzzled at all times and on a short lead.
He must also be walked by someone over the age of 18 at all times.
Inkpen was also ordered to pay £1,500 compensation to Bunnie and £1,988 kennel costs.
On top of this, she was ordered to pay a victim subcharge of £114 and £85 court costs.
She will pay this over in the form of £200 monthly instalments.
