The Brighton owner of a skateboarding dog which became a YouTube sensation has been given an £80 fixed penalty fine.
Jonathan Fell, of Gloucester Road, Brighton, was fined after two pedestrians were knocked over, one of them a pregnant woman.
Mr Fell was given the penalty notice by Brighton and Hove City Council after ignoring repeated requests to keep his pet Bodhi on a lead.
The accidents happened in the North Laine shopping area in Brighton.
Council officers issued the fine under the Clean Neighbourhoods Act which requires dogs to be kept on leads in certain areas.
A photograph taken by a member of the public yesterday (Monday 7 May) shows a bleeding woman lying on the ground after tangling with a skateboard the Jack Russell-type terrier was playing with.
Separately a pregnant woman complained that she had been sent tumbling on Saturday 16 April.
Mr Fell has previously received verbal and written warnings from the council.
A council spokesman said: “We know Bodhi’s antics are an amusing sight and the dog and spectators appear to enjoy it.
“But when people start getting hurt and we receive complaints we have a legal duty to act.
“The photograph is conclusive – Bodhi has none of his four legs to stand on.
“We’re saying again to Mr Fell ‘please stop before someone is more seriously injured’.”
The council said that Bodhi remains free to skate in local parks but not in dog-free areas.
Mr Fell has 14 days to pay the fine.
Failure to do so could result in a magistrates’ court case and a fine up to £1,000.
View the clip – originally uploaded on the Witty Sparks website – here.
OOoops few inaccuracies there… a pregnant woman has NEVER been knocked down, the accident on sSaturday was beacuse she stepped on his board not him hitting anyone. I have not had repeated warning at all… just one about his lead last October…
I accept totally that i am breaking the law and accept the fine, but the idea that the streets of brighton run red with the blood of his victim’s is pushing it a bit…
Jonathan & Bodhi
does that still make it ok ??
don’t you feel anything about someone getting hurt ??
you speak as if everybody should make way for you and your dog.
it’s not the ladies’s fault, it’s your fault!
she was just walking along.
you should take responsibility for your actions.
why don’t you just go in the park ??
Hi Paul…
I was commenting on the acruracy of the article, nothing else. you leap to all kinds of presumptions and actually know nothing of the incident so i’ll leave it there. what i do or don’t feel about it you actually have no idea… You see bad intentions where there are noe, that speaks more for you than for me, I tend to believe people have good hearts and intentions…
Jonathan & Bodhi