Dog bit off pizza delivery driver’s ear and left bit of tooth in woman’s leg during attacks

A dog bit off a pizza delivery driver’s ear and attacked a woman leaving a piece of its tooth in her leg.

Derek Marshall’s pet named Bolo jumped on the man in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, on March 22 last year.

The English Bull Terrier initially dragged the victim to the ground and tried to bite him on the throat.

The victim lost a “significant” part of his ear and required plastic surgery.

Three months later, Bolo attacked a woman after she approached Mr Marshall’s home for a cigarette lighter.

She suffered a string of injuries, including a fragment of the dog’s tooth ending up in her leg.

She required three separate reconstructive surgeries.

First offender Marshall, 55, pled guilty on Tuesday to charges of being the owner of a dog which was dangerously out of control.

The court heard the delivery driver entered Marshall’s shared garden when Bolo approached him in an “aggressive manner”.

The man – who was holding a bag of food – unsuccessfully tried to deter Bolo.

Prosecutor Ross Canning: “The dog jumped and bit [the man] on his left forearm which caused him to fall to the ground.

“Bolo made attempts to bite him on the neck and throat area.

“[The man] tried to fend of Bolo but the dog bit off a significant portion of his right ear which then bled profusely.”

Marshall intervened and took Bolo back into his house.

The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for bruising to his forearm and a wound to his right hand.

He also received “plastic surgery to his ear”, stitches and was given antibiotics.

Sheriff Joan Kerr remarked that pictures of the injury “doesn’t look like a normal ear”.

The hearing was told of the later incident on June 22 when a woman approached Marshall’s property while walking her dog.

She asked him for a lighter to smoke a cigarette as she made her way closer to Marshall’s home as he opened the door.

Mr Canning said: “The dog jumped at her and bit her on the left hand when she tried to protect herself.

“The middle finger on her left hand was damaged.

“She tried to make off but the dog caught her right leg and calf area which caused her to fall to the ground.”

Bolo continued his attack on the victim and chewed between her thigh and upper groin area.

The woman’s own dog attempted to distract Bolo while his owner screamed for help.

She was later taken to hospital, having suffered puncture wounds to her right leg, four punctures to the groin and a wound to her tibia.

It was stated that a fragment of Bolo’s tooth was also found on her tibia.

There was also a chip to her bone and two wounds to her ankle. She required three separate constructive surgeries.

Harvie Diamond, defending, told the court that his client was upset in the dock and that Bolo is “all he has in his life”.

The sentence was deferred by Sheriff Kerr pending background reports, and Marshall was granted bail in the meantime.