A ‘DANGEROUSLY out of control’ dog injured a man, leaving him signed off work for six weeks and without feeling in the back of his leg.

Ryszard Garbien, aged 48, of Bow Court in Wick St Lawrence, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog and allowing it to be dangerously out of control in a public place and cause injury.

North Somerset Courthouse heard how on January 12, Scott Quinn was jogging by the property when a German shepherd escaped and bit him.

Mr Quinn said he was terrified and felt ‘vulnerable’ and ‘alone’ during the incident.

His statement, read out in court, said: “I knew this property had a couple of dogs there. One saw me from the field and started chasing me and barking viciously.

“It managed to get out of the field by crawling under the fence. I slowed down hoping the dog would only bark but it bit me in the leg before running back.

“I was left alone in the road screaming for help. I was too afraid to return to the house the dog had come from.”

A driver spotted Mr Quinn and drove him to his house where he called for an ambulance.

Mr Quinn had 10 stitches for a two-inch puncture wound on his left calf, and had to be signed off work for six weeks while he recovered.

He said in a statement: “I like to run and cycle but could not do any exercise. My health suffered as a result.

“I lost feeling in the back of my leg, which may or may not be permanent.

“It was an unprovoked attack. I was terrified when it happened. I was completely vulnerable and alone.

“I am feeling better now but it still worries me about what would have happened if it was a child.”

Stewart Angelinetta, mitigating, said Garbien was extremely distressed his dog could have done it and the solicitor said he was assured the attack came out of the blue.

Sentencing was suspended until May 9 to give Garbien time to get a vet’s report so magistrates could decide whether to have the dog put down or not.