Union’s ‘Bite-Back’ campaign pays off

November 13 2015

The union’s Bite-Bite’ campaign is behind the convictions of the owners of dangerous dogs in the first two private prosecutions brought by Royal Mail following attacks on postmen.

A dozen more private prosecutions by Royal Mail are pending thanks to the CWU’s campaign, which brought about new and tougher dog control laws and sentences, and an agreement whereby Royal Mail prosecutes wherever possible when the police and Crown Prosecution Service have failed to do so.

The aim is that the number of dog attacks drops on our postal workers, as well as our telecoms members and the public in general, as these prosecutions raise awareness of the tragic consequences for victims as well as for the owners and their dogs.

Agreement was reached for Royal Mail to commission an independent inquiry into dog attacks on postal workers, which was led former High Court Judge Sir Gordon Langley QC, and which strongly supported the CWU campaign objectives. During the union’s seven-year campaign, 30,000 postmen and women were attacked and injured by dogs.

In the most recent case, Stephanie Brice, from Manchester, pleaded guiltyto owning a dog which was dangerously out of control. She was placed on a seven-week curfew order between 9pm and 6am and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £500, a surcharge of £60, a criminal courts charge of £180 and compensation of £750 to the postman victim. She was also banned from keeping dogs for 18 months and her mastiff cross dog was put down.

In the first case earlier this year, Lauren Hoban, from Leeds, pleaded guilty to owning a dog which was dangerously out of control, and was ordered to pay £300 compensation to the postman victim after he was attacked and injured by her Alsatian. She also had to pay £100 towards prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

New dangerous dogs legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland were achieved first, followed in May 2014, when the law was finally changed in England and Wales.

In addition, following year-long talks with the National Police Chiefs Council and Police Federation, a new prosecution protocol/service level agreement is being trialled in six police forces from until February 2016, when it is hoped to be rolled out nationally. The hope is that this will reduce further the number of cases not prosecuted in the long run.

In Scotland, the legal system is significantly different and private prosecutions in criminal cases are extremely rare. An appeal to the Procurator Fiscal is being conducted, requesting that reconsideration of a case not prosecuted be undertaken.