Pinjarra man receives fine for dog’s feisty behaviour

A PINJARRA man received a $1000 fine after the dog he was looking after escaped and scratched a neighbour.

Gary Bruce Morrison pleaded guilty in Mandurah Magistrates Court today to permitting a dog to be in a public place without a leash and to being in control of a dog that attacked a person.

A prosecutor for the Shire of Murray told the court that Morrison was minding a black and white American staffy called Jimbo, for his stepson, on February 2.

Morrison’s neighbour was walking her dog, a Chihuahua cross, while Jimbo and a pack of other dogs were wandering the street.

Fearing for the safety of her Chihuahua, she lifted it into her arms.

She received scratches to her body and arms when Jimbo ran up to her.

Another neighbour scared Jimbo off and a complaint was made to rangers soon after.

The rangers discovered Jimbo was registered to Phillip Fairbrass, who is Morrison’s stepson.

Counsel for the accused said there was a storm the night before Jimbo escaped.

A tree had fallen on an electric perimeter fence and allowed him to escape.

Morrison, who lives on a large property, did not realise there was a hole in the fence.

Since the attack, he has apologised to the injured woman and repaired the fence.

Counsel said the dog had never been aggressive before.

She said the attack was at the lower end of the scale and asked for a spent conviction.

Magistrate Vivien Edwards granted the spent conviction and gave Morrison a “modest” global fine of $1000.

The maximum penalty for this offence is $10,000.