Sam March in successful defence of security dog handler charged with offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Instructed by Isabel Corrigan (of Clarke Kiernan LLP), Samuel March represented an award-winning security dog handler, who was charged with Dangerous Dogs Act offences after her prize-winning Dutch Herder was involved in an incident in which three people (including Defendant herself) were injured.

The complainants were leaving basic obedience training with their young XL Bully called Tyson, who they asserted categorically was not in any way involved in the incident.

They claimed Defendant's dog had leapt from her van and launched into an entirely unprovoked attack on Complainant 1.

Defendant said Complainant 2 had dropped Tyson's lead, which had allowed him to approach her dog who was on a lead. A fight ensued, and all parties were injured separating the dogs but it was impossible to say which dog injured who.

The defence applied for a summons for an independent eye witness - a dog trainer. She said she had witnessed a dog fight of a kind that anyone who got involved would get bitten and that it was so fast paced that it was impossible to say which dog had injured who.

Sam also called an expert forensic dentist who confirmed it was unclear from the bite marks which dog bit who, and that the bites were slightly more consistent with collateral injuries than a direct attack.

Under cross-examination, the OIC accepted his predecessor had made serious failings, had “dropped the ball”, that he would not give their work a “passing grade” and that the case was a “hospital pass” for him to take over, and it had been too late to rectify the errors.

One count was dismissed at half-time, after Complainant 2 admitted he did not know which dog bit him.

Defendant was acquitted by the jury of the remaining count, after they were told "if you're unsure which dog bit, you must acquit".

29th July 2025