A doctor has been cleared of a dangerous dog charge after her mastiff brutally savaged a woman.
GP Esther Wilson’s dog George lunged at Tracey McAllister as she walked in Dundee’s Old Craigie Road with a friend during her lunch break.
The animal bit through Mrs McAllister’s padded winter coat, digging its teeth into her arm and leaving blood pouring down her sleeve.
Witnesses said they could see through to the muscle of the victim’s arm because the skin had been ripped away.
The dog only let go after a passerby repeatedly kicked it on the head until it released its grip.
Dr Wilson admitted being in charge of the dog at the time of the incident but was cleared after her lawyer argued there was no evidence she knew there was any chance of the dog attacking.
Mrs McAllister, 53, of Fern, near Forfar, told a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court she had no idea the dog was about to attack until she saw it attached to her jacket sleeve.
She said: “It was growling as it bit me. The lady was trying to get it off me but it wouldn’t let go.
“Even when it did let go it was still trying to jump at me. I was taken to hospital and the triage nurse said to me it was worse than she thought it was going to be and asked if I had looked at it.
“I said no and she said that was probably wise. The consultant wanted a plastic surgeon to look at it and he said there may have been damage to the muscles and nerves so I had to go into theatre.
“I had 14 stitches to close it up and was kept in hospital for two days.”
Wilson, 58, of Old Craigie Road, denied a charge of having a dangerously out-of-control mastiff type dog called George in a public place, which acted aggressively towards Mrs McAllister, jumped towards her and bit her to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement at Old Craigie Road on February 23 2016.
At the close of the Crown’s case, defence solicitor Andy Lyall argued there was no case to answer because there was no evidence the dog was dangerously out of control before biting Mrs McAllister.
He added that even the victim said there was no warning the dog would suddenly attack.
Sheriff Alison McKay agreed and found Dr Wilson not guilty of the charge.
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