Man given suspended sentence for setting large dogs on woman

A judge has told a man who set two large dogs on a woman that he cannot own any dogs bigger than a terrier in the future.

After a trial last month a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Daniel Molloy (28), of Kevin Barry House, Dublin, of assaulting Ellen Colgan causing her harm on Eccles Street. Molloy had denied the charge.

The trial heard that Ms Colgan was out walking her two dogs on December 17th, 2017 when she passed Molloy pushing a trolley and walking three dogs. She told the trial that he seemed to be dragged towards her by the animals.

Ms Colgan asked if he was ‘ok’ to hold onto the dogs and said he replied ‘Go away you stupid bitch or I’ll let them eat you’. She told the man there was no need to be childish and she walked on.

She said the man came behind her with the dogs and that then he and the animals were on top of her. She grabbed the collar of the biggest dog, which she estimated weighed about 40kg.

She said this dog had his mouth around the back of the neck and head of her dog and she heard a voice say ‘I told you, ya bitch’.

Ms Colgan said she lifted the dog up and managed to get away. She ran into the reception area of a nearby hospital but was told to leave. She asked for help and explained she was being attacked but she was still not allowed to stay. She said by the time she left the hospital, the man had gone.

Bite mark

The court heard she suffered a bite mark to the back of her leg and needed a tetanus injection. Her dog had two puncture wounds and needed an operation.

She said her leg was painful and the bruising was sore but the “emotional side of things is worse”.

Judge Martin Nolan said he had no doubt that Ms Colgan’s enjoyment of life has decreased considerably as a result of the attack. He said Molloy had led a blameless life up to this offence and had a difficult background.

He suspended a prison term of three years on condition that Molloy stay out of trouble for that period and obey the instructions of the Probation Services for one year. He told Molloy that he could keep the two bull terrier mongrels he still owns but ordered that when these dogs eventually die, he cannot replace them with “anything bigger than a terrier”.

He said he was not going to order the disposal of the dogs. The dog that bit Ms Colgan was taken into a dog’s home and later died.