Woman facing prison after three-year-old girl mauled by dog in Havant

A 45-year-old woman from Hampshire faces a prison sentence after indicating a guilty plea to being in charge of a dog that mauled a three-year-old girl.

Lisa Garner appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court in connection with the attack involving a doberman dog which left the victim requiring surgery in hospital.

The incident happened in Botley Drive, Havant, on August 8.

Laura Jenking-Rees, prosecuting, told the court: “The child was walking along the pavement in Botley Drive, she saw the defendant and the grandmother stopped to speak to the defendant.

“During the course of that, the dog suddenly took hold of the child as the child ran past and bit the child on her side and would not let go.

“It took a number of people, including the defendant, to make the dog release the child. She had deep bite marks and was taken to hospital and had to be operated on.

“She was very deeply affected by this, as was her family.”

Garner indicated a guilty plea to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and her case was sent to be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 9.

Mrs Jenking-Rees said the prosecution would be seeking a disqualification order banning Garner from owning dogs.

Releasing the defendant on conditional bail, chairman of the magistrates’ panel Ronald Whitehill said: “We would like an all options report before sentence and because our sentencing powers are not great enough, we must refer it to the crown court.”

He told Garner: “We are granting you bail on conditions to appear before the crown court.

“If you do not come back to court at that date and time, you may commit an offence and you could be arrested, fined or sent to prison.”

Hampshire Police previously confirmed that the dog was destroyed following the incident.