Killer dog owner fined for breaching order

A Crawley man whose dog mauled his baby niece to death has been fined for breaching a court order banning him from keeping dogs, despite being told he would be jailed if caught again.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Feb 2016, 12:49 BST
Updated 17th Feb 2016, 05:49 BST
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Urfan Ahmed, 38, a spray painter of Burdock Close, Crawley, and his partner Linda Hood, 49, a hairdresser, of Davis Close, Broadfield, appeared at Horsham Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Thursday February 4).

Ahmed was charged with breaching an order banning him from keeping custody of a dog after he was found with one in a field to the south of West Field Place, Lowfield Heath Road, Charlwood, on September 14, 2015.

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Hood was charged with aiding and abetting him to have custody of a dog while he was disqualified, at her address on October 5, 2015.

Police said six dogs were seized when the couple were arrested.

Both pleaded not guilty to the charges at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on December 16.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said Ahmed changed his plea to guilty when he appeared in front of magistrates yesterday (Thursday).

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He was fined £785 and ordered to pay £1,500 court costs with a £75 victim surcharge.

Police said the charges against Ms Hood were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service and the seized dogs had been returned to her.

Ahmed was first charged with keeping a prohibited dog under the dangerous dogs act after his 18-month-old niece was killed by one of his dogs in April 2010.

He was found guilty of breaching the five-year disqualification twice and possessing a dog dangerously out of control at a court hearing in 2013.

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At the time, a police statement said he was banned from owning a dog until 2023 and fined £1,585.

After the conviction in 2013 Inspector Di Lewis said: “The magistrate told Ahmed during the trial that if he comes before the courts again for keeping dogs, he will be sent to prison.”

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