Woman left with ‘life changing injuries’ after dog attack in home she was working in

The 20-year-old owner of a dog which attacked and seriously injured a building surveyor carrying out an energy assessment at a Spalding house, has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Lasma Sepetovska, formerly of Queens Road but now living at Mountstevens Avenue in Peterborough,
admitted being the owner of the dog, which was dangerously out of control.

Prosecuting at Boston Magistrates Court, Marie Stace said that Jackie Allen, a building surveyor, was
carrying out the energy assessment at Ms Sepetovska’s home in Queens Road at 8.50am on July 20,
having been admitted by Ms Sepetovska’s sister.

She said that Miss Allen could see the dog, a cross bull mastiff called ‘Lucky’, playing outside with Ms
Sepetovska,.

Ms Stace said Miss Allen said the dog was ‘energetic’ and was jumping up to head height but she was told that the dog would be ‘ok’, but then the door opened and the dog came in and immediately jumped up at her and bit her on the forearm through a long sleeved shirt, which was ripped.

She said Miss Allen was dragged to the floor by the dog, but was able to drag herself into an adjoining room when the owner of the dog jumped on top of it.

Ms Stace said Miss Allen left the house, calling for help, and with blood pouring from her arm, and police were called.

Miss Allen was taken to Boston Pilgrim Hospital where she received stitches to a deep laceration to her arm and the magistrates were told she might need plastic surgery in the future because of the scarring to her arm.

Mitigating, Roger Lowther said the dog had been destroyed 10 days after the incident.

He said that occasionally dogs of a good temperament suddenly behave like this and that ‘this was the case here’.

He said Ms Sepetovska, had had the dog since it was a puppy and it had always been gentle and slept on her bed.

He said it was ‘very much out of character for the dog to behave in this way’ and that the dog had got in ‘accidentally’, adding that Ms Sepetovska felt ‘very guilty’ about what had happened.

After hearing an impact statement from the victim, the magistrates said there had been ‘life changing injuries’ and ‘psychological harm’ to the victim.

She was given a four month prison sentence suspended for a year and ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to Miss Allen.