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| Durham dog breeder Stephen Potts 'unable to stop attack' | Durham dog breeder Stephen Potts 'unable to stop attack' |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A bulldog breeder who lost an arm after an attack by his pets was unable to stop them mauling another dog walker, a court has heard. | |
| Stephen Potts denies all seven charges relating to an alleged attack on 63-year-old Lindsay Edwards at Belmont, County Durham, in October. | Stephen Potts denies all seven charges relating to an alleged attack on 63-year-old Lindsay Edwards at Belmont, County Durham, in October. |
| Durham Crown Court heard Mr Edwards was bitten on the calf and head and his dog Zuma was "very badly mauled". | Durham Crown Court heard Mr Edwards was bitten on the calf and head and his dog Zuma was "very badly mauled". |
| Mr Potts said Mr Edwards' bite had come from his own dog. | |
| In total, the 48-year-old of Low Pittington, Durham, faces seven charges relating to his pets Buster, Frosty, Tara, Gypsy, Bessie, Blue and Tammy. | In total, the 48-year-old of Low Pittington, Durham, faces seven charges relating to his pets Buster, Frosty, Tara, Gypsy, Bessie, Blue and Tammy. |
| His co-accused Patricia Ayre, 66, from Sedgefield, also denies the same charges. | |
| The reported attack happened three weeks after Mr Potts was attacked by two of his own dogs and as a result his right arm had to be amputated. | |
| Those animals were later destroyed. | |
| 'Petrified and limping' | |
| Mr Edwards said he came across the pair walking his Staffordshire Bull Terrier Zuma and crossed the road to avoid them, the court heard. | |
| When he returned the pack was in a field nearby and they ran towards him until they reached a gate that stood between them. | |
| Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the dogs were "barking and being aggressive". | |
| Mr Edwards said one of the bulldogs bit him on the calf and they forced their way through the gate, eventually causing him to fall on the floor where he was allegedly bitten on the head. | |
| Mr Dryden said to protect Zuma he held him above his head, but he was "ripped out of his grasp" by four or five dogs. | |
| Mr Edwards believed Zuma had been killed following the incident and he walked off "in a daze, petrified and limping" and bleeding from his head. He suffered multiple dog bite wounds. | |
| The court heard Mr Potts had been on the phone during the attack and was later heard saying "Pat we are going to have to lie about this". | |
| The pair were arrested and during his police interview Mr Potts claimed Mr Edwards had come into the field with his dog and he shouted at him to get back through the gate. | |
| He admitted he had "lost control of them at some point" but stated his comment about lying was said "in a panic". | |
| The trial continues. |