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Keep dogs on lead sign (public domain).pngOxford man jailed for using his dog 'as a weapon' against city centre cyclists
An Oxford man who deployed his dog “as a weapon of intimidation” against city centre cyclists has been jailed for 18-months. The dog will undergo rehabilitation.
The Oxford Mail reports that Alexander Andrews waged a 'campaign' of violence against cyclists on Parks Road, near to Keble Road, in October and November 2017.
Construction work meant the cycle lane was blocked at that time and cyclists were expected to dismount. Enraged by those who didn’t, Andrews set his dog on them.
Sentencing at Oxford Crown Court, Judge Peter Ross said: "You were using a dog to intimidate, you were using a dog to threaten. You were getting angry with cyclists and you were whipping your dog up to behave aggressively.
"The dog [...] isn't of itself necessarily a menace but in your hands deployed as a weapon of intimidation it was."
Footage shot from victim Paul Mitchell's helmet cam showed Andrews becoming embroiled in an argument with the cyclist while his dog, Piglet, barked loudly in the background.
Andrews said the path was not for cyclists and was a pavement, at which point Piglet leapt up and bit Mitchell, causing injury, before he rode off.
Victoria Lackey was also confronted by Andrews. When he shouted for her to get off her bike, she continued riding, 'concerned' at the aggressive demeanour of him and his dog.
The prosecutor said that as she rode by, she felt a pain and saw Piglet with its teeth sunk into her lower leg.
The animal hung on for several metres before passers-by helped to pry it off. The court heard she will be left scarred by the attack.
On the second day of his trial, Andrews admitted two counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury, having initially denied the charges.
Andrews was jailed for 18 months for each count to run concurrently. He was also ordered to pay the £9,820 costs of kennelling of Piglet and court costs of £4,000.
He will pay compensation to his first victim of £750 and £2,000 to his second, and is banned from keeping dogs for life.
Piglet was made subject to a contingent destruction order, which means it will not be killed if it is kept muzzled and on a lead in public. It has also undergone 'rehabilitation' to counteract Andrews’ influence.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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14 comments
Maybe dogs should have some form of licence and insurance??
and wear a number on their back
I am not a number I am a free dog!
The funniest part of the story is that biggest award of money goes to kennel not the person bitten. No doubt if this was America it would be a £2m lawsuit at least.
I cannot get the versict but here's the start of the trial
https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/woman-25-trial-accused-causing-2668092
Thanks, I looked through the articles and this came up. https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/woman-cries-jury-reaches-verdict-2674236
I reverse into a bay on my test and kill someone but I guess I don't fail my driving test
Peter Walker from the Guardian (who H/T Jonny Haw from Lincoln) had linked to this earlier & Dr Robert Davis (chair Road danger reduction forum) had retweeted it to Jesse Norman MP about a proper review of the law for bad drivers
https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2019/03/woman-cleared-of-killing-pensioner-w...
The highway codes says you shouldn't reverse onto a road from a driveway anyway and pedestrians have priority.
Unfortunately there are many precedents for lack of convictions in these cases, so the moral of the story seems to be might is right and pedestrians had better watch out, unless the offending vehicle happens to be a bike.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/delivery-driver-who-...
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/lennon-tolands-mum-slam...
Its not quite the same thing, but can I add this one:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-47657280
Fenix, "She said she had not heard any warning sensors on her car, otherwise she would have stopped." Driving using tech, ignoring her eyes, and the pedestrian on a footpath.
But it's the cylists on the pavement people have to worry about....
Poor piglet. Let's hope he can be reformed.
Not sure about his owner.
And in other motoring news I see a 25yo range rover driver has been cleared of careless driving when she reversed over an 89 year old pedestrian.
The jury should be ashamed of themselves.
Have you got a link? Otherwise no point posting.
I can find 89 year old kliied by 24 year old in 2018.
The dog, Piglet, is entirely under the control of Andrews - it had no choice in how it was being abused by its "pack leader". And yet it is under a potential death sentence.
Poor thing
Indeed. Had he driven his car onto the pavement into the cyclist he would have been much better off. Maybe a stern word, nine points and a £400 fine.
This country's judicial system is insane. I'm not suggesting he's anything other than an arsehole who got what was deserved - but he's ended up with a more punitive sentence than drivers who kill cyclists!!!