A pizza delivery driver was viciously mauled by a dog that ripped off his ear during an alarming attack on a residential street. The dog, an English Bull Terrier called Bolo owned by Derek Marshall, savagely pounced on Usman Ghani, pulling him to the ground and attempting to bite his throat.
Gravely wounded and losing a substantial section of his ear, Ghani had to undergo reconstructive plastic surgery as a result of the ghastly encounter. The horror did not end there, as three months later, the same dog ferociously lunged at Angela Thomson, inflicting her with grievous injuries, one of which embedded a tooth shard into her leg, necessitating not one but three rounds of intricate surgical repairs.
Yesterday, owner Marshall, aged 55 from Rutherglen near Glasgow, Scotland, pled guilty to having a dangerously out-of-control hound. Detailed in court was the chilling account of how Mr Ghani stepped into Marshall’s communal garden back in March 2023 only to be met with hostility from Bolo.
Not even the presence of food could protect Mr. Ghani from the terrier’s violent outburst. Prosecutor Ross Canning detailed the ordeal: “The dog jumped and bit Mr Ghani on his left forearm which caused him to fall to the ground.”
He continued: “Bolo made attempts to bite him on the neck and throat area. Mr Ghani tried to fend off Bolo but the dog bit off a significant portion of his right ear which then bled profusely.”
Marshall ultimately intervened, bringing the canine back inside, reports the Daily Record. During the court hearing, Sheriff Joan Kerr was taken aback by one victim’s peculiar injury, exclaiming that it “doesn’t look like a normal ear.”
After a vicious dog attack, the victim underwent considerable medical treatment, including “plastic surgery to his ear”, stitches and antibiotics. The courtroom heard of the chaos on June 22, when Miss Thomson was savagely mauled by an XL bully near Marshall’s home as she attempted to borrow a lighter.
Prosecutor Mr Canning vividly described how “The dog jumped at her and bit her on the left hand when she tried to protect herself.”
Moreover, “The middle finger on her left hand was damaged. She tried to make off but the dog caught her right leg and calf area which caused her to fall to the ground.”
Miss Thomson faced excruciating pain as the dog rampantly bit into her thigh and groin. Despite her pet coming to her aid and her screams for help, she suffered grave wounds, with hospital reports showing severe puncture injuries, including “four to the groin”.
Additionally, there was significant trauma to her tibia, which contained a fragment of the dog’s tooth, chipped bone, and further damage to her ankle. Shaken, Miss Thomson needed three urgent surgeries to reconstruct the affected areas.
In a heartfelt testimony, defence lawyer Harvie Diamond conveyed his client’s profound attachment to his pet, Bolo, stating he’s “all he has in his life” and of monumental importance to him.
In light of these events, Sheriff Kerr has deferred sentencing pending further background information, while Marshall continues to be on bail.