Dog owner whose Rough Collies mauled her neighbour fined over £1,000

Crufts winning dog owner, 78, whose five Rough Collies mauled her neighbour while he walked his daughter’s Jack Russell-Chihuahua is fined more than £1,000

• Daphne Iley, 78, was fined over £1,000 after her dogs attacked her neighbour
• Anthony Dawson, of Newcastle, was left injured and fearful after the attack
• Iley was found guilty to having dogs dangerously out of control in a public place

A former Crufts winner whose dogs mauled her neighbour during a walk, leaving him injured and fearing for his life, has been fined more than £1,000.

Daphne Iley, 78, had her five Rough Collies off lead in Newcastle when they pounced on Anthony Dawson, who was walking his daughter’s Jack Russell-Chihuahua cross, called Coco.

Mr Dawson was left with wounds to his arm and hand as he tried to Coco during the November 2021 attack.

Iley, of Newcastle, pleaded not guilty to having dogs dangerously out of control in a public place. However, after a deliberation of around 25 minutes, she was found guilty in Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.

She was fined over £1,000, including a payment of £200 in compensation to Mr Dawson. She was also ordered to keep her dogs to no more than three when out walking them and all must remain on a lead.

Crufts winner Daphne Iley, 78, (pictured outside Newcastle Magistrates Courtin July) has been fined more than £1,000 after her dogs mauled a neighbour last November, leaving him injured and fearing for his life

Giving evidence from the witness box, Mr Dawson, said that some of Iley’s dogs came towards him and Coco before the attack took place in Fawdon.

The court heard he then tried to raise his leg towards them to act as a deterrent, before they began barking and ‘snarling.’

Mr Dawson said: ‘One of the dogs started barking at mine and I tried to walk away.

‘All of them came at once. I lifted my leg up to keep the dog back.

Daphne Iley, 78, had her five Rough Collies off lead in Newcastle when they pounced on Anthony Dawson, who was walking his daughter’s Jack Russell-Chihuahua cross. Pictured: Stock image of a Rough Collie

‘One dog took hold of my arm.’

Mr Dawson told the court that he was made to feel vulnerable and was fearful for his life. He was advised to attend an NHS walk-in centre, where he was seen for wounds to his arm and hand.

Iley denied having dogs dangerously out of control in a public place but has now been found guilty after a trial.

Prosecutor Brian Payne told the court: ‘That Mr Dawson was injured cannot be denied.

‘This defendant had grown complacent. What she had failed to understand was five dogs off the leash were not going to be controllable. 

‘There’s a confrontation. Mr Dawson may well have gone beyond what was reasonable by using his foot.

‘But even so at that stage on his account, he sees a total of five dogs and he sought to protect his own smaller dog.

‘He became injured in the process of all of that.

‘It is a shame someone with a good reputation in the dog world faces a charge like this but this is in line with criminal law where injury has been caused.

‘It is the Crown’s submission that this lady’s dogs were not in control.’

Iley (pictured in July) pleaded not guilty to having dogs dangerously out of control in a public place. However, after a deliberation of around 25 minutes, she was found guilty in Newcastle Magistrates’ Court 

Iley told the court that Mr Dawson had sustained the arm injuries from falling on the ice, as well as a ‘claw’ mark caused by Coco.

She admitted she had the dogs off the lead at the time which wasn’t uncommon, before she saw Mr Dawson appear from around the corner.

She said: ‘Hugo is a friendly dog so he went forward to him and his dog was barking.

‘He then kicked out towards Hugo. I ran over to him and he was kicking.

‘He kicked again. It was very frosty and he fell on the hard ground.

‘Dawson was shouting ‘Have you got a phone, I want to call the police.

‘I thought I better wait for the police so I put the dogs on the lead and stayed there.’

The court also heard evidence from passer-by Peter Slattery, who assisted Mr Dawson and alerted another neighbour, who administered first aid.

He said that he saw Mr Dawson, who he knows as Tony, ‘crouched’ down on the floor trying to protect the smaller dog before he intervened to pick up Coco.

When asked by Mr Payne if it was possible the victim had been bitten by his own dog, he replied with ‘ludicrous’.

Iley was also ordered to keep her dogs to no more than three when out walking them and all must remain on a lead. Newcastle Crown and Magistrates Court is pictured

Mr Slattery added: ‘I saw with my own eyes one of the Collies attack Tony’s arm.

‘I saw another one of them on his back and another one trying to get inside Tony’s grasp.

‘I had to fend the dogs off because they turned their attention on me because I had Tony’s dog in my arms.’

Giving evidence, Iley confirmed she had been walking two puppies and three more grown up dogs.

The larger dog who was alleged to be the main attacker, called Hugo, has since been moved on to another county.

Iley, a well-known dog show judge and breeder, has won a catalogue of prestigious accolades over her career, which dates back to 1987.

A court hearing earlier was adjourned so that Iley could be a judge at the annual Dog Championship Show in Blackpool.

Her website states she has won 18 Challenge Certificates, including two at Crufts, and made up five UK champions.

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