Woman threatened after her puppy was attacked by man’s off leash dog

A DUNSHAUGHLIN man called a woman a f**king bitch and threatened to kill her after his dog ran after her and her dogs while she was walking in the park.

Thomas Moore (46), from College Park, Dunshaughlin was in Trim District Court on 9th October charged with assault and for using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour in a public place.

The injured party told the court on 11th May last year she was walking her dogs in Dunshaughlin Park, including a new puppy, on Saturday morning when a loose dog ran towards her.

She saw Thomas Moore heading towards them calling the dog and later trying to get the dog with the lead. She told the court he was slurring his words and seemed drunk and was looking at her in an aggressive manner. She stepped backwards and took a picture of him. He followed her and grabbed her left hand. She told the court he called her a “f**king bitch” and threatened to kill her.

He continued to follow her and she asked another man for help who told Mr Moore to put his dog on a leash. She also asked another lady for help who walked with her back home. The court heard the man continued to follow them and shouting at her.

Defendant told the court he was bringing his dog on a walk and did not notice it gnawing on the lead and the dog slipped out of it. He told the court it was bounding across the park to other dogs “heading for a play” and he ran after. He said the injured party was kicking out at the dog. He told the court the woman was screaming at him and said “your dog hurt my f**king puppy” and that he had no control over his dog.

He told the court he “just wanted to get out of there” and left the park soon after the incident. He denied following the woman afterwards, grabbing her arm, or threatening her.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan called it a “traumatic” experience because there is no telling what a dog running towards you would do. Judge McKiernan accepted the injured party's evidence in totality but said it did not meet the high threshold for assault and found Mr Moore guilty on the public order offence.

Mr Moore paid a €300 contribution to Dog Rescue Coolronan in Ballivor and was not given a conviction.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme