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SAFE: Bethan Cutajar with mum Lesley Thomas.

A BRAVE 12-year-old girl from Barry told a court about the moment a rottweiler viciously attacked her in the town, leaving her scarred for life and scared to go out.

The dog went for Bethan Cutajar in a frenzied attack in January, as she walked through a lane with her friend.

The animal ripped her boots off and tore her trousers, in what Judge Paul Thomas QC called a 'petrifying experience'.

At Cardiff Crown Court last week, Kenneth Viscount, 45, of Windsor Road, Barry, was found guilty of allowing his dog to be dangerously out of control.

Viscount denied the charge, and maintained in court that the dog was not his, and that he had just stepped in to help when he saw the attack.

The court heard that the incident, which took place on January 22 in the lane between Manorbier Court and St Govans Close, was so severe that the young victim is now afraid to leave her home.

Bryn Hafren pupil Bethan - who gave evidence at the trial via video link - told the court of the moment the dog attacked as she and friend Ashley Rowlands walked through the lane to the Holme View Leisure Centre.

"I saw the dog and I was really frightened," she said.

BITE: The injury to Bethan's right leg.

"It came up to us and smelt my friend Ashley and then me.

"I was so scared I was crying.

"Then all I could feel was its jaws clamping onto my leg.

"He dragged me and I was trying to pull away from him but he just pulled back."

The youngster managed to break free when Viscount restrained the animal - but the eight-stone rottweiler broke free to make a second attack.

"The man grabbed hold of him and was saying run, run' but I didn't have the strength in my leg," Bethan told the court.

"I managed to get away but the dog must have got free because he ran after me and was lashing out at me.

"Then all I could feel was him biting my leg again in the same place."

The ordeal ended when she managed to run to a friend's house while Viscount - who Bethan thanked in court for helping her - restrained the dog for a second time.

Viscount claimed the dog wasn't his - although he did admit to owning a pet rottweiler.

"I grabbed it by the legs but it was too strong for me and went for her again," he told jurors.

"I wrestled with it, I was on top of it, but it wasn't my dog."

The court heard Viscount believed the child was wrong' when she thought the man struggling to restrain the dog had called it Blade - the name of his dog.

Viscount said there are five rottweilers in his neighbourhood and that his pet was at home at the time of the attack.

The father-of-three said he was just passing when he saw the girls and stepped in to save Bethan.

The jury returned a guilty verdict, and Viscount will return to court later this month for sentencing.

Following the trial, Bethan's mother Lesley Thomas said the family wanted to put the incident behind them.

Mrs Thomas said: "We're just pleased it's over - but I do feel hurt that Bethan had to go through all this.

"You can look back now and say she was lucky to be bitten on the leg and not her face.

"But it has made Bethan very scared of dogs. I even have to walk her to school sometimes because she's frightened it might happen again.

"I hate to think what would've happened if it had been a pensioner or a baby."

10:06am Thursday 14th June 2007

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