Michael Hook has been jailed for two and a half years for setting his pitbull on a woman
A thug has been jailed for two and a half years after he set his pitbull on a shopper when she tried to fight back as his girlfriend mugged her.
Michael Hook’s lover Louise Dunphy snatched prescription drugs from the victim in a retail park in Dover, Kent in May.
Hook, 30, then screamed ‘bite her, bite her’ as he ordered his dog Banjo to attack the woman.
The victim was with her own small dog outside a supermarket when she was confronted by Dunphy, 26, who snatched her medicines away.
During the struggle the dog began biting the woman before it turned on Dunphy, biting her in the leg as well.
At Canterbury Crown Court today Hook was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting causing injury while having the dog dangerously out of control.
As Hook was being led away to the cells Dunphy asked the judge, ‘can I kiss him goodbye?’
The judge refused the request and the couple shouted, ‘I love you’ to each other.
Judge Simon James told Hook using the dog as a weapon ‘was unforgivable’.
He said: ‘You completely over-reacted and took it upon yourself to command your pitbull-type dog to bite the victim, which it did leaving a very deep wound needing hospital treatment and leave permanent scarring.
‘The attack must have been truly terrifying and others were forced to witness it.’
The victim was in a retail park in Dover, Kent, in May when she was confronted by Dunphy, 26, who snatched her medicines away. She was then attacked by Hook’s dog
The court heard Hook and his limping partner fled the scene of attack, leaving the victim on the ground.
Dunphy climbed inside a car in the car park asking the driver to take her home.
But when Hook attempted to get inside the motorist ordered him out and then alerted police after dropping Dunphy at the house.
The animal was later taken away by police but has since died of natural causes.
Dunphy pleaded guilty to assault and stealing the drugs and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
She was also ordered to stay in doors for the next three months under an electronic curfew.