THE sentencing of a Carlisle man whose runaway dogs randomly attacked a man in north Carlisle has been adjourned.

Twenty-year-old Shane Reid, formerly of Penton, north of Carlisle, admitted being the owner of the two dogs – a German shepherd and a Rottweiler - when they were dangerously out of control and injured a person.

The defendant appeared at the city’s crown court for sentence but it could not happen because Reid’s barrister is among the thousands across the country taking part in a week of strike action.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant that he could be sentenced if he was happy to go ahead without being represented.

But the defendant said that he preferred to have the benefit of a defence barrister arguing his case in court.

The judge adjourned sentence until next Thursday, August 11.

In an earlier hearing before magistrates, the court heard that the defendant’s two dogs appeared to be 'out to kill' when they attacked a man.

The victim endured a frightening ordeal when the dogs attacked him shortly before midnight on January 11. The dogs ran at him he walked from Lowry Hill Road to Kingstown Road. He suffered a bite wound to one knee and a much deeper wound to a buttock.

Over the course of several minutes passers-by courageously tried to intervene and a police officer who was sent to the scene had to kick one of the dogs as it continued repeatedly trying to attack both the victim and other people.

Motorists beeped their horns to scare away the dogs.

The dogs pushed the victim to the ground and bit him, ripping his trousers.

The man covered his face as the dogs stood over him with the German shepherd in front of him and the Rottweiler behind him.

'I do believe they were out to kill'

As he lay still, a passing motorist stopped and tried to help, prompting the dogs to run after that man, though they repeatedly returned to the first victim. The Good Samaritan at one point felt so threatened he dived back into his car for cover.

Witnesses said the victim did nothing to provoke the dogs. A police officer who went to the scene said the dogs were 'unpredictable' because of their aggression.

The Good Samaritan later said of the attack: “I do believe that they were out to kill; I have never come across anything like this before.”

Defence lawyer John Smith said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was guilty of a momentary lapse.

He was exercising the dogs in a field on the other side of Junction 44 of the motorway, near to Houghton, when they were spooked by another dog and ran away, becoming lost.

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