A father of three whose bulldog attacked a police officer who was attempting to assist him as he was lying drunk in the street has been prohibited from keeping dogs.
Bodeane Rostron, 37, was laying in the road near a crossroads in Tonge Moor, Bolton, on September 18, 2012, when officer Michelle Murphy exited her vehicle believing he was hurt.
She quickly realized that Rostron was intoxicated and had lost control of his two dogs.
Bo-Bo, the larger dog, pounced on PC Murphy’s left leg, seized it with its jaws, forcefully shook it, and pulled her to the ground.
Andrew Molloy, a prosecutor, told Bolton Crown Court that despite Rostron’s shouts, she did not attempt to take control of the dog.
Father-of-three Bodeane Rostron was prohibited from possessing dogs after his bulldog attacked a policewoman who was attempting to assist him while he lay inebriated in the road.
PC Duncan, a colleague of PC Murphy, repeatedly hit Bo-Bo in the face, but the animal did not let go until PC Duncan blasted him with pepper spray.
PC Murphy was able to return to her vehicle and push her emergency button to get assistance. Four police policemen with a fire extinguisher were required to subdue Bo-Bo.
Mr. Molloy stated that Rostron, who had been lying between Thicketford Road and Ainsworth Lane, was arrested on suspicion of a section five public order offense for using “abusive language.”
Rostron, of Firwood Grove, Tonge Moor, was convicted in June of being the owner in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog that caused serious damage.
PC Murphy said in a sobbing victim impact statement that she sustained irreversible injury to her left leg after the muscle was torn from the bone. She labeled Rostron a ‘disgrace’ and claimed that the experience had made her scared of other people’s dogs.
Bo-Bo, the larger dog, pounced on PC Murphy’s left leg, grabbed it with its jaws, forcefully shook it, and dragged her down to the ground.
PC Murphy told Rostron, ‘My colleague, a mature man, cried at the scene because he felt he had let me down, although he didn’t; in fact, his efforts probably prevented your dog from ripping off my leg.
‘You let me down, nobody else. If your dog had seized me by the throat instead of the leg, it would have killed me,’ I have reoccurring thoughts.
Martin Sharpe, defending Rostron, stated that the defendant “sincerely apologizes to the officer and want to make it known that this is a public apology.”
He continued, “He wished this had never occurred, and he wishes to convey on record his deepest condolences for Ms. Murphy’s extreme pain and permanent injury.”
Mr. Sharpe informed the court that Rostron operates a prosperous landscaping company that employs three individuals. His custody of his two-year-old son is also shared.
In a sad victim impact statement, PC Murphy described the irreparable damage to her left leg after the muscle was torn from the bone.
Rostron apologized to PC Murphy from the pier, saying, ‘I’m sorry. I believe this with all of my heart. I have not known how to communicate my apology.
The judge, Recorder Simon Hilton, postponed Rostron’s sentence of twelve months for two years.
“Immediate custody would greatly impact and hurt the lives of others, including your employees,” he stated.
He ordered Rostron to pay Ms. Murphy £3,000 in damages and £4,350 in kenneling fees.
Recorder Hilton ordered that Rostron will be prohibited from possessing dogs in the future, and Bo-Bo will be destroyed.