Postal workers angry after dog attack case thrown out
Postal workers angry after dog attack case thrown out
The scene at Gazeley Road, Trumpington, after the attack
LEGAL action against the owners of two rottweilers which savaged a postman has been dropped.
Charges against business tycoon Robert Stewart, 44, and his daughter Emma Stewart, 22, of Gazeley Road, Trumpington, were thrown out yesterday after a judge said there had been ‘an abuse of process’ by the prosecution.
Keith Davies, 54, almost lost an arm when two rottweilers attacked him while he delivered Christmas cards on an unadopted road outside the Stewarts’ £1.3 million mansion on December 22, 2008.
He was saved by bricklayer Anthony Lunn, who fought off the animals with an iron bar and ran one over with his van.
Last night the Communications Workers Union slammed the decision and warned a dog attack could lead to a postman’s death.
The case against the Stewarts hinged on the issue that the Dangerous Dogs Act is concerned with public places – and the incident happened in a private cul-de-sac.
Judge Gareth Hawkesworth ruled at Cambridge Crown Court against the prosecution’s argument that the road was public, and acquitted the pair.
He said: "A clear breach of the prosecution code has been made and to continue prosecuting would amount to an abuse of process."
Mr Stewart, former chairman of Royston Town Football Club, and his daughter had both denied two counts of allowing a dangerous dog to enter a non-public place and subsequently cause injury.
The charges were brought against Mr Stewart for "being the owner" of the dogs and against Emma Stewart for "being in charge" of the dogs, as her father was away on holiday in New York at the time of the incident.
Dave Joyce, national health and safety officer for the Communications Workers Union, which represents postal workers across the UK, expressed disgust nobody had been punished.
He said: "Six thousand postal workers are attacked by dogs every year in the UK. Most people think a dog chasing a postman down the garden path is funny. It is not, people lose their faces and their limbs and soon someone will lose their life."
The dogs were put down after the attack,
It's not often I'm stuck for words, but this decision leaves me speechless.hopefully, all public servants, including Doctors Police etc, refuse to go to any address in private places in case they are attacked by dogs.There should be a boycott of these addresses.