A letting agent was attacked by an XL Bully after its owner commanded it to 'get him'. John Walkden, 62, had been residing at a rented property in Bolton but had been experiencing problems with cleanliness.
Thats a very modern way of saying he made his rented property a haven of filth. Almost like it was some sort of natural occurrence that he had no part in.
Consequently, James Melly, the letting agent, had raised concerns with him on several occasions. During one particular visit, Walkden became hostile towards Mr Melly before instructing his dog, Tank, to assault him.
And the police couldn’t pass on this one:
Tank was seized on the same day and has remained in kennels ever since, the court heard. Ms Brooksbank-Laing revealed that those caring for Tank reported he was behaving 'perfectly', however there was no safe environment for him to be returned to.The total cost of his time in kennels since the incident stood at £8,565.
If they’d taken the right action on the day, the taxpayer wouldn’t now be on the hook for the kennelling costs! He’s a serial offender who’s used dogs as a weapon before!
Walkden was reported to have 44 previous convictions for 89 offences, amongst them a comparable attack in 2019. Bolton Crown Court had previously heard that Walkden's bulldog, Shadow, bit his neighbour on the arm as he made his way through the front yard of a property to reach his flat while seated in his mobility scooter.
He received a 12 month community order in 2020 and the dog was due to be destroyed. In mitigation, Graham Rishton said: "62 - how regrettable it is that he still finds himself in and out of prison."
Not at all surprising, though…
He explained that Walkden had long-standing problems with drug misuse and had 'shown discontent for the unsavoury incident'.
For the incident or for the bother of getting caught again?
Imposing a suspended sentence, Recorder Sarah Griffin stated that Walkden had shown 'limited remorse' and poor compliance with court orders. Issuing a destruction order for Tank, she noted that he did inflict injury to Mr Melly, and that she did not consider Walkden to be a fit and proper person to care for him.
It’s right the mutt gets put down (though predictably the nutters don’t agree) but the owner should see jail time, without question!
He was prohibited from owning dogs for five years.Walkden, of Purcell Close, Bolton, received a nine month prison sentence suspended for a year, a 12 month probation service requirement and 120 hours unpaid work. He must also fulfil a six month drug rehabilitation requirement.
He won’t be any more responsible in five years time, will he?
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