A dog owner has been given a prison sentence after his pet attacked two teenagers in a park.
Magistrates also ordered that the dog belonging to Graham Rumsey, of Yew Tree Road in Southborough, had to be destroyed.
Rumsey, 47, was sentenced to 42 days in prison, which will run concurrently with a sentence he is already service in Sittingbourne Magistrates’ Court.
The two 15-year-olds were with friends in Ridgeway playing fields, Southborough, when they were attacked by the dog.
It first chased one of the boys before jumping up at his friends and causing bad scratches to his back, shoulder and stomach, which he needed medical treatment for.
The other boy was bitten on his arm. Police said Rumsey was nearby but did not control the dog. Officers had already spoken to him about controlling the dog after a similar incident had been reported the previous week.
PC Gavin Russell, neighbourhood officer for the area who carried out the investigation into the incident, said: "It would be distressing for anyone to learn their dog is to be destroyed but not as distressing as it would be to learn that a child had been attacked and left with permanent injuries or scarring.
"The Ridgeway playing fields are a valuable local amenity and well used by residents. Many people use the footpaths, young people play and gather there and dog walkers exercise their pets on the fields.
"All of these groups should be able to do so without fear of being injured, this means that all users should be responsible for their behaviour."
POSTED: 08/03/2010 15:15:23
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