Man sentenced following Cheltenham dog attack

A Cheltenham man whose dog attacked a man and another dog has been banned from keeping dogs for life.

Phillip Ilott, aged 32 and from the Monkscroft area, pleaded guilty to being the owner/person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.

Gloucester Crown Court heard how the victim had been walking his dog on 7 May 2023 and had approached a communal garden that Ilott was in with his dog, which was not on a lead.

Once inside, Ilott's dog approached them and attacked the victim's dog by latching onto its neck.

As the victim tried to intervene and stop the attack, Ilott's dog bit him on the hand, causing deep puncture wounds and bleeding which required hospital treatment.

The victim's dog sustained injuries to its neck and body and was taken to the vets to be treated.

Ilott was subsequently charged with being the owner/person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury and his dog was seized.

The animal was later identified as an XL Bully, which is now a banned breed, but was not at the time of the offence.

Ilott initially denied that his dog had caused any injury to the victim or the victim's dog, however he then pleaded guilty in court.

As well as being banned from keeping dogs for life, on Tuesday 2 January Illot was handed a prison sentence of six months, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to pay £100 costs to the victim and £187 court costs.The court also ordered that the dog be humanely destroyed.

PC Rebekah Tristram from Gloucestershire Police said: "Ilott failed to keep his dog under control and as a result a man was attacked and sustained serious injuries.

"The victim's dog was also injured during the attack, which must have been incredibly distressing for the animal and for his owner to witness.

"I welcome Ilott's sentence and hope that it will serve as a warning to all dog owners that, regardless of the breed of dog, all pets need to be kept under control in public places. Failure to do so can lead to some horrific outcomes.

"We will continue to take all reports of suspected irresponsible dog ownership seriously and will act on all information provided."

Phillip Ilott

The injuries sustained by the victim.