A man whose bull terriers were said to have savagely mauled a child he was holding in his arms has been jailed for 15 months by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The court heard that Colm Burke (43) had allowed his two dogs "run wild" where children were playing, in the yard of Hardwicke Street flats opposite Temple Street Hospital.
The dogs pulled six-and-a-half year-old Stephen Power from Burke's arms to the ground, where a pit-bull cross terrier chewed at his face.
The pit-bull was named Taz after the Tasmanian devil. The other dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, attacked the boy's right buttock and foot.
The boy was rushed across the street to Temple Street Hospital, where he received 200 stitches to his face and a similar amount to his right buttock.
Det Garda Ken McGreevy told prosecuting counsel Mr Brendan Mulhall that a number of children were playing in the yard at the time and came up to Burke to play with his dogs.
Stephen ran to Burke when he tried to escape from the dogs. One of the dogs had attacked another resident six months earlier. The dogs were removed by gardai and taken to a pound, where they have since been put down.
Burke, unemployed, Dermot O'Dwyer House, Hardwicke Street, pleaded guilty to a charge of endangerment at the flat complex on September 14th, 1998. He has no previous convictions and had worked for Dublin Corporation for 16 years.
Det Garda McGreevy said Burke admitted he had removed the muzzle from Taz, and that the other dog had no muzzle. Stephen's father and brother-in-law leapt from a nearby balcony to rescue him.
Taz then attacked Stephen's father as he fled to an open flat with his son in his arms. Det Garda McGreevy said Burke admitted to drinking five pints before the assault.
Det Garda McGreevy agreed with defence counsel Mr Peter Finlay SC that the attack was not intentional but an act of recklessness.
Father Edmond Grace, a local curate, told defence counsel that Burke was full of remorse.
Mr Finlay described Burke as an animal-lover who kept a menagerie of animals, including cats and hamsters.
People had brought crippled animals to his care. He asked Judge Dunne to consider a non-custodial sentence as his client had never been before the courts before.
Judge Dunne said it was clear Burke realised the dogs were dangerous as he shouted to warn residents to get out of harm's way and one dog had attacked on an earlier occasion.
She said medical reports stated the victim needed treatment and constant attention. He has to wear special bandages to minimise the growth of scar tissue.
Judge Dunne accepted that Burke was not a callous man and had tried to rescue Stephen, but she said she would be neglecting her duty if she did not impose a custodial sentence, which is to start in two days.