He was sentenced previously after his dog bit two women
Thomas Finlay, pictured outside Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
The owner of an aggressive dog that was dangerously out of control when it suddenly bit two women – leaving them shocked and terrified – later brazenly defied a court order banning him from keeping dogs. Ex-soldier Thomas Finlay was found with a dog at his home just months after he ended up in court following nasty bite attacks by another dog on two women.
The original dog had been “running amok and scaring people” and one woman was bitten on her hand and the other was bitten on her wrist, causing injuries, Hull Crown Court heard. Finlay, 56, of Gleneagles Park, east Hull, admitted breaching a court order banning him from having custody of a dog.
Billy Torbett, prosecuting, said that, at a hearing on October 20, Finlay was banned from having a dog for three years. Police went to his home at 1.22pm on March 2 to investigate after a report that he had breached the ban.
Information had been received that that Finlay had custody of a dog at his home. Police knocked on the door and Finlay answered. “As the door opened, a black dog ran out of the flat towards the officers before turning round and running back inside,” said Mr Torbett.
“He was the only person inside the flat with the dog.” Finlay was arrested and taken to Clough Road police station. He claimed that he did not own the dog and that it lived with somebody nearby.
The other person confirmed that the dog was not owned by Finlay. The court heard that Finlay had convictions for 121 previous offences, mainly for dishonesty, driving offences and breaches of court orders.
He had been jailed for two years in October 1992 for robbery. He was also jailed in February 2018 for offences including possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.
Amber Hobson, mitigating, said: “He is incredibly sorry to find himself before the court for breaching his order in the way that he did. He apologises profusely.
“He believed that it would be all right to watch a dog for a short time. He says he will never do it again or have a dog in his custody again. He holds his hands up entirely.
“He has reduced his drinking substantially. He was a chronic alcoholic. He is now drinking just four cans of lager a day. While that is still a lot, it’s a significant reduction and he plans to reduce it even further.”
Unemployed Finlay was fined £100 and he was given five days’ rehabilitation. At the previous court hearing in October, Finlay admitted two offences of being the owner of a brown mixed-breed dog that was dangerously out of control on February 11 and April 11 last year.
The court was told that day that a woman heard two girls screaming in Holderness Road, east Hull, between 8 and 9pm. Finlay was lying face down on the pavement and he had a bottle of whisky with him.
The woman asked him if he was all right but the dog responded to this by biting her on the hand – which she saw as a warning bite. She shouted robustly at Finlay and told him that the dog had bitten her and that he needed to get up and take control of it.
Finlay was stumbling and falling around as he tried to get to his feet. The woman suffered a 1cm cut that bled. She later said that she was only trying to help Finlay and she did not blame the dog.
On April 16 last year, a woman was walking home in Dunvegan Road, east Hull, when Finlay again had the dog, which was off the lead and not muzzled. She checked with Finlay that the dog was not dangerous and reached out to it – but it bit her wrist, leaving bite marks on both sides.
Her cardigan was ripped. She was prescribed antibiotics. She saw Finlay a week later and the dog still was not on a lead. The biting incident was a “huge shock” to her and knocked her confidence, even with her own dog. She was frightened and blamed Finlay for what happened. The dog had been destroyed by the police on a vet’s recommendation.
At the original hearing, Finlay was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 10 days’ rehabilitation and he was fined £150. He was ordered to pay £75 compensation to the first victim and £100 to the second. He was banned from having a dog for three years.
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