Gosberton man whose ridgeback bit ‘good Samaritan’ in Spalding and police officer on same day faces wait to see if creature will be destroyed

A man whose dog bit a ‘good Samaritan’ and a police officer during separate incidents on the same day faces a nervous wait to see whether his pet will be destroyed.

The Rhodesian ridgeback, belonging to 23-year-old Jack Lowe, also attacked a smaller dog in Spalding town centre on the same date, resulting in vets bills of more than £700 for the owner.

Boston magistrates were shown police bodycam footage of about 20 officers attending Lowe’s Gosberton home at 9.30pm on May 16 last year for an unrelated incident.

In the video two men leave the Low Gate property before the dog follows and is heard barking. Lowe exits the building seconds later.

He - along with the two other men - was instantly apprehended by officers.

While this occurred the ridgeback is captured leaping up towards the arm of PC Jason Bilner, who shouts ‘get this f***ing dog off me’.

Prosecutor Paul Roach described this jump as including a ‘nip’ while, defending Lowe, Mike Alexander argued the footage did not conclusively prove anything other than the dog jumping in the direction of the officer.

Magistrates were shown pictures of bruising to PC Bilner’s arm.

In court, the officer said he was left with ‘an indent in my skin where the tooth got me, redness and swelling’.

Mr Alexander argued that his client was attempting to control the dog before being taken to the ground and handcuffed by officers, adding: “(in the video) you can hear him saying ‘I just want to get my dog’.”

Mr Alexander added: “How is he guilty of an aggravated offence if he is not able to exert any authority on the dog as a police officer stops him?”

Mr Roach read out a statement given by Lowe in police interview, in which he said ‘around 20 officers’ attended his property, adding the barking from his dog was ‘as if to say, leave my dad alone’.

Mr Roach then explained that the first incident took place in Spalding’s Hall Place earlier in the day on May 16, when an elderly female was walking her Jack Russell crossbreed past the Boots store in Hall Place in Spalding.

“She has seen a dog, not on its lead, running freely,” he said.

“It locked its jaw around the small dog’s neck.

“A member of the public, a good Samaritan, intervened and was bitten.”

The court was told the Jack Russell survived the attack, but the elderly owner was left with vets bills totalling £709.88.

The member of the public suffered puncture wounds.

On Friday (June 20), Lowe pleaded guilty to a charge of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury to PC Bilner.

He was set to face trial, having previously denied the charge, but changed his plea on the basis that he was the owner of the dog, but did not accept he was in control of the animal.

With the defence and prosecution failing to agree on the circumstances of the evening’s episode, which involved the nipping of PC Bilner, magistrates took the decision that the incident was a ‘non-aggressive offence’.

Magistrates found the defendant had attempted to control his pet, stating: “Mr Lowe clearly moves towards the dog as he comes out the house ahead of him being apprehended.”

Lowe had previously admitted a second charge of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury to the victim in the town centre at a hearing on March 12.

The case was was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and will return before magistrates in Boston on July 9.

The prosecution put forward an application for the destruction of the ridgeback.