‘Fighting dog’ that mauled man, 42, to death attacked young schoolboy just DAYS earlier, say neighbours as woman charged
A “fighting dog” that mauled a man to death attacked a schoolboy just days earlier, a neighbour has claimed.
The young lad was allegedly walking home from school when the canine savaged him on Shirley Road in Stratford on November 18.
It comes after Akif Mustaq, 42, was fatally injured by a dog in east London on Wednesday morning.
A neighbour told the Metro: “The boy was on his way from school just after 3pm when I saw the dog run for the boy and go for him.
“He seemed to be with two women who were arguing. I think the lad was with his father. The dog proper goes for him. He was screaming in fear.
“He went for his face. He swings him around to the ground. The dad tried to pull the dog off but his teeth were dug into him.”
Footage seen by the newspaper also showed the moment the youngster was attacked by the loose hound.
Leanne McDonnell, 32, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court accused of owning or being in charge of the dog that attacked Mr Mustaq.
He was injured on his neck, windpipe, thumb and thigh and died the following day, prosecutor Ramandeep Mahajan told the court on Friday.
McDonnell, a mother-of-three from Stratford, was friends with Mr Mustaq and the incident took place at the defendant’s flat.
It is alleged that she failed to ensure the welfare of the dog, named Prince, as it was kept in an “unsuitable environment” with insufficient food and “items and debris” on the floor.
She is also accused of having custody of a fighting dog that is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
McDonnell is further charged with three counts of owning or being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog without causing injury on November 18, and the court heard the incidents involved the same dog.
Officers were called to Shirley Road at 4.53am on Wednesday after reports that a 42-year-old man had been seriously wounded, the Metropolitan Police said.
Mr Mustaq died in hospital and the force said the dog had been seized.
McDonnell did not enter any pleas and was granted conditional bail to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on January 6.
What is the Dangerous Dogs Act?
After eleven horrific attacks in 1991, Home Secretary Kenneth Baker promised “to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs” by introducing the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The law is often considered controversial as it focuses on a dog’s breed or looks instead of an individual dog’s behaviour, and fails to stem the rise of dog attacks.
According to the RSPCA, over a third of the people killed by dogs since the act was brought in were attacked by legal breeds.