Kettering man avoids prison over dog attack which left woman scarred and another pet dead

A woman was left with a facial scar and one of her pets died after a dog attack on a Kettering estate.

The victim was walking past animal owner Jody Jacobsen’s house when two dogs – one owned by him and one owned by his ex-partner – ran out and fatally injured her cockapoo Mabel.

She had to see a maxillofacial specialist after his French bulldog called Cookie bit her on the lip and left her needing stitches.

Yesterday (Monday) Jacobsen was spared from prison after admitting being the owner of a dog which caused injury while being dangerously out of control.

Northampton Crown Court heard the woman was walking her dogs, Mabel and a Yorkshire Terrier, when the incident happened in Margaret Road at about 2.45pm on June 28, 2022, as she passed Jacobsen’s home.

Prosecutor Naeem Valli said: “Two dogs appeared from the address very quickly. The larger of the two dogs attacked her cockapoo and had it by the throat.

“The smaller of the two dogs – the defendant’s dog – was also attacking her cockapoo, trying to bite the cockapoo’s throat.”

The victim bent over to try and intervene but Cookie leaped up and bit her lip before she managed to swipe it away and passers-by helped her.

Cookie and the second dog, a pit bull named Reggie, then went back into Jacobsen’s home. The court heard the 46-year-old was not present at the time of the attack.

Mr Valli said: “He arrived 10 minutes later and was made aware of the incident. He placed the dog in his vehicle and drove away but returned once officers arrived.”

Cockapoo Mabel was fatally injured after bleeding from her throat while her owner went to hospital for treatment to her bottom lip and injury to her finger. She was referred to a maxillofacial specialist and required stitches for the laceration to her lip.

In a victim impact statement, read out by Mr Valli, she said that she now takes a detour around the estate to avoid walking past the property.

She added that she immediately picks her dogs up when she hears another dog nearby and has reduced mobility in her finger.

She said: “I have a scar on the right hand side of my lip which I can see every day when I look in the mirror.”

His Honour Judge John Head said: “It’s very clear that she has been, and continues to be, affected by what happened.”

Jacobsen was arrested at the scene and gave a no comment interview to police. He has convictions for 35 previous offences, although none are similar to this incident, and faced up to one year in prison for the dog attack.

The court heard that earlier in 2022 pitbull Reggie, which had lived at Jacobsen’s house for several months, was subject to a voluntary control order after escaping out of a back gate and going into the street before barking at people in an incident which was attended by police.

Jacobsen did what was required of him by Northamptonshire Police – increasing the height of a latch and bolt on the gate – but it didn’t ‘cross his mind’ to make changes to his front door, where Reggie and Cookie would later escape out of. He accepted that, in hindsight, Reggie could have jumped up and reached the door handle and opened it, but denied that he could have reasonably foreseen that happening.

Giving evidence from the witness box, Jacobsen said: “I have no idea what happened to be honest with you.”

Judge Head said that, given Reggie had already escaped, Jacobsen should have had it in his mind that it could have happened again and that he should have satisfied himself that the door was secure.

Mitigating, Will Forber-Heyward said no further offences had taken place since the incident and that Jacobsen acts as a carer for his ex-partner.

He said that neither Reggie or Cookie remain at the property but that additional measures had been put in place to ensure the front door couldn’t be opened by a dog.

Mr Forber-Heyward said: “He has shown a significant degree of remorse.

"He understands this was a terrible incident and ordeal for the victim to go through, and her dogs.”

Jacobsen was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and must complete 175 hours of unpaid work.

He will also be disqualified from having custody of a dog for three years.

An order was also made for Cookie where certain conditions must be met for the French bulldog, including wearing a muzzle while outside a house and being on a lead while in public.