A prolific young offender who unleashed a fierce German Shepherd on a taxi driver with orders to ‘kill him’ has been jailed for eight years.

Guy Wallace, of Manor Street, Accrington, goaded the ‘dangerous dog’ into attacking Sajid Hussain as he walked home from his taxi shift in the early hours of May 17 this year, Burnley Crown Court heard.

When he walked past the defendant on Scaitcliffe Road in Accrington Mr Hussain heard him say ‘kill him, kill him’ before the dog was unleashed and bit him on the thigh.

He was then kicked and punched in the head by Wallace and continuously bitten by the dog before being robbed of his phone and cash.

Wallace, 20, who has 17 previous convictions for 24 offences, pleaded
guilty to being the owner of a dog which was
dangerously out of control in a public place, and robbery.

Robert Elias, prosecuting, said the victim Mr Hussain saw Wallace, who was in charge of the dog, point towards him and give an order to kill before being bitten, causing him to fall to the floor.

The court heard how Mr Hussain was ‘in fear of his life’ during the attack.

Mr Elias told the court Mr Hussain ‘staggered up’ onto his feet and headed towards his taxi office.

Mr Hussain was chased down the road before he alerted his colleagues who then came out to help him.

Mr Elias said Wallace then said ‘get them, get them’ before releasing the German Shepherd and forcing Mr Hussain and his colleagues to flee.

The court heard how witnesses at the scene described Wallace as ‘bouncing around’ and heard him shouting ‘foul and racial abuse’.

He was heard to say ‘I will slash you up’ before threatening to stab them and ‘cut them up with a machete’.

Hussain was taken to hospital with injuries including a small bleed to his brain, bite marks to his leg, a broken nose and significant bruising to his eye and cheek.

He also required a tetanus vaccination.

When interviewed by police Wallace said the dog had ‘escaped’ and denied seeing the dog bite Mr Hussain.

He also denied assaulting Mr Hussain, making racial comments and robbing him.

Mr Elias said: “All of that is now superseded by his guilty plea.”

Paul Hodgkinson, defending, said the father-to-be Wallace had been drinking during the day while decorating his new flat and said the offence was ‘unplanned and reckless’.

He said: “There’s a notable absence of pre-meditation and planning.

“He got himself involved in the offence without giving any thought at all to the consequences to himself, his family or the victim.

“Once sober the following day he couldn’t consider why he acted the way he did.”

Sentencing, Recorder Peter Atherton said it was ‘gratuitous violence’ and the significant injuries were sustained over a period of several minutes.

He said: “The dog clearly was your main weapon of attack.

“It was a terrifying incident for Mr Hussain and seriously disturbing for him.

“This was an alcohol-induced and otherwise unprovoked attack on an innocent citizen.”

An order was made for the German Shepherd to be destroyed.