Postman ‘thought he might die’ in vicious dog attack | UK News

A postman ‘genuinely thought he might die’ as a dog dragged him to the ground during a vicious attack.

Steven McKay was delivering post in Wavertree, Liverpool, when he was chased and bitten by a Belgian Shepherd, the city’s crown court heard.

The dog, called Mally, pounced on him as he tried to escape by jumping onto a car bonnet and bit into his buttock before dragging him to the ground.

He was eventually pulled away by the owner, Joseph Blaney, 37, who begged Mr McKay not to call the police and offered him a joint ‘to calm down’.

He said he would kill Mally himself so he didn’t have to report the incident, but Mr McKay, reported the attack to his employers and the police.

Blaney appeared in court on Friday, September 15, pleading guilty to owning a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury.

The court heard Mr McKay had been assigned at unfamiliar route on September 10 last year, but was aware there was an aggressive Jack Russell, owned by Blaney’s father, in Ash Vale.

When he arrived at the property at around 1pm he could see Mally standing with his paws up on the fence in the front garden.

Prosecutor David Polglase said: ‘Mr McKay stopped in the road and gave a male on the pavement the post that he was to deliver so that he didn’t have to approach the property. Mally was “going ballistic”, barking, going mad and marching up and down the area.’

Blaney’s father’s Jack Russell then came out of the garden and attacked Mr McKay, who kicked the animal away and tried to use his mail bag as a barrier.

As he did so, Mally jumped the 3ft fence and ran towards him.

Mr McKay fled, jumping onto a car bonnet in the hope Mally wouldn’t reach him, but the dog ‘clamped down’ on his left buttock.

Mr Polglase said: ‘He felt a pain that he had never felt before he tried to grab Mally’s mouth as the dog tried to drag him off the car.

‘He describes the dog as “ragging” him as he dragged him to the ground.’

The dog then tried to bite Mr McKay’s back, neck and face, the court was told, before Blaney managed to drag him off.

After pleading with Mr Mckay to keep quiet about the mauling, he offered him money, which the postman didn’t accept.

Following the attack Royal Mail suspended all postal deliveries to Ash Val, leaving residents without mail for almost six months.

It’s thought more than 20 properties inthe road were affected, including Alder Hey Hospital patients and a 70-year-old waiting for cancer test results.

Charles Lander, defending, said the attack was ‘an isolated incident’ and there had been no previous incidents involving the dog.

He said Blaney had shown ‘clear remorse’ for what happened.

Judge Kate Cornell said: ‘(Mr McKay) has been traumatised by this incident. He’s now worried and anxious around other dogs, including his own. He’s had sleepless nights and nightmares.

‘This must have been an awful experience for him, during which he genuinely believed he might die.’

However, she accepted the attack was an ‘isolated incident’, and therefore did not order an immediate destruction order.

Instead, she made a contingent destruction order, setting out strict rules for Mally’s care in the future, warning Blaney: ‘The dog will be destroyed if you do not keep it under control.’

She said: ‘The expert says you’re capable of being a responsible dog owner. You have taken steps to ensure he’s not unsupervised in the future and have taken on advice about keeping Mally safe and secure.

‘The expert concludes the dog is not dangerous per se, but was roused to this behaviour due to the Jack Russell which it perceived to be under attack by Mr McKay.’

She sentenced Blaney, of Woodhead Road in Birkenhead, to a 12 month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a three month curfew. He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to Mr McKay.