Dog owner faces jail over his ‘beasts with taste for human flesh’ attack irl for life

The mother of a ten-year-old child scarred for life when she was mauled by two Rottweilers said last night she hoped the man convicted of being responsible for the animals was “sent down for as long as possible”.

Sheriff Richard Davidson warned Derek Adam, 39, that he was facing jail after a jury of nine men and six women unanimously found him guilty of being the owner of the dogs which were found to be dangerously out of control when they attacked the girl to her severe injury, impairment and permanent disfigurement.

The child, now 11, was left with extensive injuries including a broken jaw and an 8cm “gaping” wound to her thigh.

She was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after the attack in the city’s Dryburgh Street on 29 August last year.

She had been cycling along the street when the animals, named Fat Boy and Pretty Girl, pursued her and repeatedly bit her, shredding her clothes and leaving her covered in blood.

Doctors who treated the youngster confirmed that she had also had two wounds to her upper left arm, four small wounds behind her left ear, a small flap of skin hanging off her left ear and multiple small puncture wounds consistent with toothmarks.

Adam, who has a string of drugs and motoring offences, was also found unanimously guilty of failing to comply with an order issued at Dundee Justice of the Peace Court that instructed him to keep the dogs under control after they had earlier bitten another man.

His co-accused and former girlfriend, Sarah Kerr, 34, was acquitted on a majority verdict of not proven on a charge which alleged she had been in charge of the dogs at the time in question.

The girl’s mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her daughter, added: “This is a good verdict – it’s what we wanted.”

Depute fiscal Bill Kermode had urged the jury to convict Adam.

He described the attack as “horrific” and said Adam was “desperate to conceal” his role in the incident.

He said: “There were dogs roaming the street, unattended, in a public place. We have heard in evidence that they were like Shetland ponies, even that they were like elephants.

“On the 29th of August last year, they were snarling, growling, angry beasts who had already had a taste of human flesh.”

Miss Kerr had broken down in the witness box during her evidence as she claimed her “controlling” former partner expected her to “take the blame” for the incident.

Her solicitor, Jim Laverty, said the case had been one of “supreme bravery and cowardice”.

In particular, he commended 57-year-old Irene Grady and her granddaughter Sheridan, 17, who had rushed to the girl’s aid as she was being attacked.

Both had broken down on the witness stand as they described how the dogs had mauled the child “like lions eating a small animal”.

Adam will be sentenced on January 13.