Man jailed over bull dog attack

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A man whose American bull dog bit his 16-year-old sister has been jailed for six months.

Clifford Tucker, 21, encouraged his dog, Gage, to attack his sister, Andeliza, at their home in Liverpool.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Tucker was locked out of the Toxteth house after an incident the previous day.

He kicked down the door and let the dog bite his sister's leg. Tucker admitted owning a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control.

He also admitted causing criminal damage, but he denied assaulting his sister and the charge will lay on file.

Tucker encouraged the dog to bite the teenager while she was ringing the police, said Kim Egerton, prosecuting.

'Hardest decision'

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the dog's teeth had been filed down and it did not break the skin on her leg, but she was left with a bruise.

Tucker's mother, Sophie Tucker, told the court that she had the dog destroyed a few weeks ago.

"It was the hardest decision I have had to make but I was scared in case anything happened again," she said.

Tucker's barrister, Julian Nutter, said that his client, who has been in custody since his arrest on 2 October, was sorry about what had happened.

Mr Nutter said Tucker found his sister and her older boyfriend together and was upset by this and there was a confrontation.

He was excluded from the house in Adele Thompson Drive and had returned the next day when the incident occurred.

Judge Mark Brown said Tucker had encouraged the dog to bite and the victim was injured, but fortunately had fully recovered.

He is on licence until July but Judge Brown said that because of the attitude of the victim and their mother, who want him to return home, he would not order him to serve that outstanding term.