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A grandad faces having to have his pet dachshund and five pugs put down after they surrounded a postman and attacked him.
Allen Parkinson, 75 was hauled before magistrates after the dogs escaped through his open French doors and set about the postie, who was attempting to leave a package at the house.
The postman ran back to his van, but the animals caught up with him and he was bitten on the arm and face.
Two passers-by intervened.
The postman went to A&E. He stayed in hospital for four days – and had to have three stitches in his face and five in his arm.
He had to take two months off work.
At Stockport Magistrates’ Court, retired construction engineer Parkinson was warned he may have to have his six pets put down under the terms of a destruction order. He earlier admitted having dangerous dogs out of control.
(Image: Cavendish Press)
A bulldog he owned, which was also involved in the attack, has already been put to sleep.
Enquiries revealed another dog Parkinson owned was put down in 2018 after it bit another postman.
Royal Mail officials now refuse to post letters at his £800,000 home in Wilmslow, Cheshire.
The latest incident happened on September 22 last year.
Prosecutor Robin Lynch said: “The defendant owned five pugs, a bulldog cross and a dachshund and lives in a large detached house.
“The postman saw there was something on the other side of some French doors and the dogs then came out and attacked him.
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“They bit his legs and he immediately began to run back to the van. But before he got there, the larger dog bit his face and arm. He then called his manager saying dogs were surrounding him.
“A man came out of the premises, but didn’t make any attempts to see what had happened. Two separate members of the public did try to help him.
“The matter was reported and the defendant attended a voluntary interview where he said he didn’t see what had happened and described the dogs as ‘friendly’.
“He said he had seven dogs and that he didn’t know how they got out, and that they could have opened the door themselves. He suggested the injury to the victim was not a bite but a scratch, but it clearly was a wound.
“He said the injuries may have occurred on the fence which has sharp edges, or from a piece of wood sticking out from the fence. The victim said the driveway did not have a gate and there were no warnings – and is clear about that.
(Image: MEN)
“There was a previous incident about a year earlier where one of his dogs bit another postman. The information I have is that the defendant has shown no remorse at all for this offence.”
In a statement, the victim said: “This incident has had a massive impact on me. I have not slept well since it happened, get recurring nightmares about it and feel stressed.
“I am anxious, emotional, get regular flashbacks and am doubting myself as a person. I am finding it very hard to have our own dog at home and this is causing friction with my partner and son.
“I have a constant reminder of the attack because of the permanent scarring I have been left with.”
Parkinson’ lawyer Forz Khan said: “He is retired and used to work in the construction industry.
“The military often used him and he helped build an airport in the Falklands and has worked in Iraq. He has had a very substantial career in construction and has been married for 51 years.
“They have four adult children aged 43, 44, 45 ad 47 and have nine grandchildren aged between eighteen months and fifteen years.
“This whole affair has been a very traumatic episode for him. The fact of his appearances at court have given him and his wife sleepless nights and have caused him to be nauseous and unable to eat.
“A few days before the incident, his wife broke her legs in three places by tripping on some tiles in the kitchen. At the time of the incident itself she was in the lounge with her legs up on a chair in a plaster whilst the defendant was having lunch in the kitchen.
“Their regular postman whom they had had for several years used to come to the door, but this one didn’t and stopped at their dog enclosure.
“If he had remained there this incident would not have occurred.
“His wife told him the postman was coming to the dog enclosure and the postman opened it despite there being a very clear ‘no entry’ sign.
“Dogs are, like people, very territorial. If someone came and sat in the magistrates lounge you would raise an eyebrow. That enclosure is the dogs’ area and that is why there is a no entry sign there.
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“But the postman went in and the dogs were worried and were protecting their area and they tried to defend it.
“The bulldog who bit the victim was down that day and the dog who bit another postman last year was also put down on the day of that incident.
“Members of the public were never threatened and helped the defendant put the dogs back in their enclosure.
“Those dogs are like family to this family.
“Since the incident the gates can only be opened from the inside and the Post Office no longer deliver their mail- they go to the shop to get it.
“The victim is already pursuing a civil claim and double recovery is wrong. He should get the right amount – not the right amount plus some more.
“What more could the defendant do he had a no entry sign and if the postman had followed the sign we would not be here today. The dogs were only out of control for a few seconds and had never bitten anyone before.
“There is no reason to fear this could happen again.
“If this defendant were to apply to become a magistrate he would meet the criteria. This is a man with a good employment history why he served his country nationally and internationally. He is ideally suited to sit as a magistrate.
“He did everything he could have done to make sure no harm was done. The no entry sign would have been clear to anyone with two eyes.”
Adjourning the case, chair of the benchLarry Collier said: “We need to take advice as to whether a destruction order is needed and wish to adjourn this matter so a new bench can have evidence the dogs do not pose a danger in future.”
He told Mr Khan: “You say anyone is able to read signs. Children cannot always do this and do not always understand warnings.
“There should be control of the animals in that place. Your argument is not sufficient evidence that the dogs can be controlled. We have to adjourn so the defendant can obtain third party evidence about whether the dogs can be controlled.
“The expert will assess whether or not they are a danger to the public.”
The case was adjourned until December. Parkinson declined to comment after the hearing.
