Dog owner lands in jail after fighting dog mauls pensioner

An American Pitbull trained to fight in underground dog fights severely mauled Mary Rollinson on August 27, 2019. The dog dragged the woman off and mauled her until five factory workers managed to free her. Daniel Cleary, who had previously been banned from owning an animal, had owned the dog for a few days before the attack. Leeds Crown Court heard that the victim of the attack did not want the animal put down. However, the judge ordered the animal to be destroyed and sentenced the owner to over two-years in prison.

The 74-year-old woman from Leeds was walking in Nunroyd Park, Yeadon when she had her near-fatal encounter. At around 9:40 am, Cleary's dog managed to get out of his collar and charge at the elderly woman. The dog latched onto his victim and dragged her off like a prey animal. While Rollinson kept screaming for help, the dog's owner left the scene to get help.

Some workers nearby heard the victim's screams and rushed to the spot. They found the massive dog tearing at the helpless woman. Jumping in to save the woman's life, the five men tried to distract the animal. Leeds Crown Court heard that even though the dog was kicked on the head and hit with a metal pole it kept attacking the victim. Eventually, the men managed to scare the animal away.

When more people gathered at the spot, Cleary was also seen showing concern for the victim. One of the rescuers suffered a bite wound, the Daily Mail reported. Rollinson's condition was critical. The half-an-hour long ordeal left her with terrible wounds to her face and arms. One of her fingers had been ripped off. She sustained muscle damage to her arm where the dog had ripped open her elbow.

Since the attack, Rollinson told the court that she did not want the dog to be destroyed, Leeds Live reported. Even though the dog had not shown aggression during an assessment, the court ordered the dog to be put down as it could not be safely rehomed.

The 32-year-old owner had been banned from owning an animal for 10 years due to neglect. He told the police that his girlfriend had gifted him the dog. He said that the dog had been trained for dog fights by its previous owners. Cleary was banned from owning an animal for 10 more years and has been sentenced to prison for two years and seven months.