An Aboyne man has appeared in court after his dog, a German Shepherd called Otto, attacked a parcel delivery woman – for the second time.
Otto’s owner, Brian Whyte, 53, has now been ordered to pay the woman £1,500 in compensation over the frightening attack which left her scarred.
The snarling animal appeared as the delivery woman was leaving a parcel to Whyte’s porch in Aboyne and bit her in the groin area, on the arm and on her breast.
The woman spent three days in hospital following the attack and was forced to leave her job.
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At 2.40pm on June 16 2021, this delivery person attended and placed a package in the porch at the locus.
Victim referred to a psychologist after dog attack in Aboyne
“She was about to photograph the parcel when she saw a large German Shepherd in the doorway.
“The dog immediately began snarling and barking at her before lunging towards her, biting her to the groin.”
The woman instinctively put her hand down to try and push the dog away, only for it to clamp its jaws onto her arm and then her breast.
Mrs Gammie said the delivery woman was “screaming and entered a state of shock and panic”.
At this point, Whyte, who had been inside the house, rushed out and pulled the dog away, locking him inside.
He brought the woman a towel and offered to take her to the local surgery.
The woman wished to be taken home first, where she realised she had tearing to her left arm, groin and breast, with “significant puncture wounds exposing fatty tissue”.
Whyte then took her to a nearby surgery and then to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The woman was kept in hospital for three days and regular follow-up appointments for months afterwards.
Brian Whyte asked vet to destroy dog
She was left with a number of scars, including one at the top of her thigh measuring five inches by two inches.
She was also referred to a psychologist following the incident and “feels like a different person”.
Mrs Gammie said: “She’s had to give up her employment and is currently seeking advice about loss of earnings.”
Whyte visited the woman a few days later to ask how she was and advise that he’d had the dog put down.
Inquiries later revealed there had been a previous incident in Dundee in 2017, when Otto, who was being looked after by another family, attacked and bit a courier.
On being cautioned and charged, Whyte replied: “Awful incident. I wish I’d kept my dog under control.
“I deeply regret any hurt caused to anybody.”
Whyte, of Ballater Road, Aboyne, pled guilty to being the owner of a dog that was dangerously out of control and repeatedly bit the woman to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
‘He’s exceptionally sorry for what happened’
Defence agent Kevin Longino said his client, a married dad-of-two, had been dealing with a number of health issues in the family and had received upsetting news on the day of the incident.
He added Whyte had not been aware of the previous incident in Dundee.
The court heard Whyte had let Otto into the back garden to go to the toilet, but he had managed to get out and made his way round to the front garden.
Whyte was unable to explain how Otto ended up in the front garden and was able to attack the woman but said he did everything he could to help her afterwards.
Mr Longino said: “He went straight home from the hospital, got the animal, took it to a local vet, explained what had happened and asked for it to be destroyed.”
He added: “He was absolutely distraught by what happened and he is still badly affected.
“He’s exceptionally sorry for what happened.”
Sheriff Ian Duguid told Whyte it was his responsibility to ensure he knew about the dog’s history and the previous incident, as well as to ensure it could not be repeated.
He ordered Whyte to pay the woman £1,500 in compensation, as well as a fine of £825.
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