Dog behind string of city centre attacks to be destroyed

A dog which launched unprovoked attacks on three other dogs in the city centre earlier this year is to be destroyed, a court has ruled.

Tycoon’s owner Christopher Coffey has also been banned from keeping dogs for two years after admitting three counts of owning a dangerously out of control dog.

Coffey, 27, had been ordered to keep Tycoon, described as a pit bull or Staffordshire bull terrier type of dog, muzzled and on a lead after the first two attacks in North Street in April and May.

But when his dog attacked for the third time in August, he was not wearing a muzzle or lead.

Brighton Magistrates’ Court was shown three videos of the attacks, in all of which Tycoon lunged at other dogs which had simply been passing by.

And in all cases, several adults had to help drag Tycoon off the other dog.

Prosecuting, Neil Sweeney said the first took place outside one of the vape shops in North Street when Maria Ward was walking her dog.

He said: “She saw another dog which she said didn’t look particularly friendly. She saw the dog was on a lead, and the owner was asleep on the street.

“The other dog lunged towards her dog, biting it on its neck.”

On 4 May, Chris Whittle was walking his dog past the Co-op when Tycoon launched towards them. It first bit Mr Whittle’s dog’s hind quarters and then ripped its ear apart.

Mr Whittle told police: “The dog had a very strong grip on my dog and it took many people to get it off.”

The final attack took place on 6 July outside the Pavilion Buildings when Ms Godson was walking her dog Mason.

Mr Sweeney said: “She saw a dog come from nowhere, a flash of black and white and the dog bit her dog.

“The dog did not have a muzzle on it.”

Ms Godson told police it took four people to get the dog off Mason. She said: “We were surrounded by members of the public. One said I’m going to stick my fingers up its arse – cover its nose so it can’t breathe and then it will let go.

“It took 30 seconds to a minute but it did let go. Then the people helping ran away.”

Coffey, representing himself, said he had not muzzled the dog because he could not read the community protection notice and nobody had explained it to him.

He said he thought it related to domestic violence against his partner.

He said: “All I can do is apologise – that’s all I can do. I didn’t even let my dog go, someone else was holding my dog.

“I have had animals all my life. I have bred dogs all my life and I have never had any issue until I became homeless and I was on the street 24/7.

“The government do not help you. This would have never happened if I didn’t lose my property.

“I’m a good dog owner and I love my dog to bits. He’s not a danger to the public. I have got to put a muzzle on him but I didn’t know, they didn’t explain it to me.”

Before the bench retired to consider the sentence and the application to destroy the dog, probation said it would not be appropriate for it to be kept at Coffey’s current address in Chichester, as his partner lives there and it would be a risk to her.

Presiding magistrate Raymond Brenton gave Coffey a 12-month community order with a requirement to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He also ordered the dog be destroyed after 21 days, giving Coffey time to appeal, and banned him from keeping dogs for two years.