A postwoman savaged by a dangerous dog said she was ‘devastated’ that a court had failed to order the animal’s destruction.
Sharon Singer, 47, was left with huge wounds to her arms and legs after being mauled by the female Doberman while out on her round on July 4.
She has since undergone dozens of operations to repair muscles, tendons, nerves and ligament damage but has been left with no feeling in her left arm.
On Tuesday, the dog’s owner, Julian Palfreyman, was fined £1,000 after admitting owning a dangerous dog at Boston Magistrates’ Court, Lincs.
But despite an appeal from the prosecution, the dog that attacked Sharon will not be destroyed.
Sharon said: “I’m really disappointed with the judge’s decision and the fact that the dogs will be back to normality.
“I’m a dog lover myself and have two black labs but I would never wish this to happen to anybody else.
“I can’t believe that the dogs have been returned home and not destroyed. It just seems like such a waste of time and tax payers’ money.”
Sharon’s husband David, who also works for Royal Mail added: “Never in my 16 years working as a postie, have I seen something as dangerous as this. I’ve been bitten a couple of times and barked at by dogs but nothing like this.
“My wife and I were both working on that route and we had never seen a dog at that property so she wouldn’t have known the dogs were there.
“The judicial system just seems so wrong to me. It’s added to the torment of this attack.”
Sharon, who had been a postwoman for 19 years, was attacked while delivering mail to Palfreyman’s detached house in Wrangle, Lincs.
The court heard how the mum-of-two let herself in through a gate when she then saw a Doberman she had never seen before, barking at her.
Sharon was afraid the dog might attack her so she put her hands up in front of her and backed slowly away.
But without any warning, a second Doberman, called Mezzie, ‘came from nowhere’ and attacked her.
Prosecutor Jim Clare said Sharon was bitten severely on the left forearm, she screamed out in pain and for help but was then bitten on her arms, legs and hands.
He said that after a ‘few seconds’, Palfreyman, ran out and shouted at the dogs.
The court heard how the owner grabbed the dog but it broke free and again attacked her again, biting her on the lower back and bottom.
Sharon managed to escape and get into her van before being taken to Boston Pilgrim Hospital, Lincs., by Palfreyman where she spent four days.
But magistrates heard how months weeks after the attack, Sharon still has difficulty sleeping, was still in pain and was suffering from muscle atrophy,
Yesterday (thu) surgeons at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital performed a further operation to repair the nerve in her forearm yesterday.
Sharon hopes to return to work but is unable when she may be able to do so as she has no feeling in her hand and is unable to drive.
Magistrates were asked to order the immediate destruction of the dog however the judge issued a contingent destruction order which effectively acts as a kind of ‘suspended sentence’ on the dog instead.
Her husband, David, 41, added: “My wife is a positive and really strong person but she’s been in such a lot of pain.
“Thankfully she’s coped with it all really well emotionally but I’m just worried that it’s going to catch up with her in the future.
“She hasn’t broken down over the experience and from the shock of it all. When it happened, she thought she would be able to go back to work in a couple of weeks but it won’t be for months.”
During the trial, Palfreyman’s solicitor Andrew Wheldon said there is now increased security at his house with double gates, and anyone visiting had to ring a bell to obtain access through an electric gate that could only be opened from the inside.
The postbox is now outside the property.
Palfreymen was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay £1,000 compensation to Sharon and court costs of £85.
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