A dog will be put down and its owner banned from owning another hound after it bit a woman and left her with skin hanging off her hand.

Kim Garton was left with gruesome injuries when Sarwam Singh’s American Akita, Boris, attacked her after she tried to stroke it while she was walking her own dog at Gillingham Park.

Warning: Graphic image below

Singh was deemed not to be a “fit and proper person” to care for a dog after Mrs Garton was left with “horrific” injuries which still affect her two years on.

In April 2022, Mrs Garton and Singh were walking their dogs when they approached each other and said hello. The club secretary stroked Boris one time without any problem, but when she went to do so again, he bit her.

Despite blood gushing from her wound and Singh following her back to her home to exchange name and address details, he never once apologised to the injured woman.

Mrs Garton told KentOnline she lost the feeling in her left hand, which is her stronger one, after the dog bite and it’s only recently started to return.

“I’ve been left with a scar on my left hand between my knuckles and wrist,” she explained.

‘The memories of the incident sometimes left her in tears on bad days...’

“It was bleeding profusely and I was in total shock. It ripped my skin wide open and I could see underneath it.

“There was just an aching pain which carried on after I went to the hospital. I was really worried about it obviously as I didn’t know if it would get infected.”

The 67-year-old grandmother received support after the attack and has been so traumatised she struggled when walking her dog.

She added: “I’m very nervous taking my own dog out with others around.

“My mental health was affected but it’s got a bit better since it was two years ago.

“I can’t go up to dogs and say hello now unless I know them. The whole thing has been horrific and traumatising.”

Singh, of Larkfield Avenue in Gillingham, was later charged with being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury but denied the offence when he first appeared in court.

The 49-year-old was found guilty of the crime after a trial in March this year and returned to Medway Magistrates’ Court on October 24 to hear his and the dog’s fate.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Evans told magistrates Mrs Garton was bitten in the park in Canterbury Street, Gillingham, on April 12, 2022.

She said: “The victim was walking her dog alone and Mr Singh was also walking his dog, it was on the lead but there was no muzzle.

“They paused and said ‘hello’ to each other’s dogs and there was no aggression from his pet and he didn’t say anything (about the dog being aggressive) and she stroked the back of its head.”

Mrs Evans added: “It caused a serious injury and she suffered a deep cut and her skin had separated.

“He didn’t intervene or apologise but he followed her to her address so she could take his name and address and inform the police.”

Magistrates were also told Mrs Garton’s wound took six weeks to heal and that she had to attend several appointments to get it tended to and dressed.

It left her with a tight feeling in her hand which was uncomfortable as her skin had to be stretched back over the wound to allow it to heal properly.

The prosecutor added: “She is self-employed and found it difficult working and she was left with a large scar.

“The memories of the incident sometimes left her in tears on bad days and she was told by other dog walkers in the park that Boris had bitten two dogs in the park before.”

The bench also heard an animal expert had visited Boris, who has been kept in police kennels for more than two years since the incident, and deemed it not to be a danger to the public as long as it was managed properly and living in a calm environment.

Mrs Evans continued: “The court has to consider if he is a fit and proper person to look after a dog.”

She also said a contingent destruction order could be applied to Boris so it didn’t have to be put down.

This would involve him wearing a short lead and muzzle while out in public and never walked by anyone under the age of 18.

Singh must also undertake a responsible ownership course.

The prosecutor added: “He has no previous convictions, but he had pleaded not guilty to the offence so I am asking for £400 costs and £300 compensation for Mrs Garton and the kennel costs came to £20,000 in July, so I would ask for as much as possible (to cover these).”

Singh was then asked by the Chairman of the bench if he had anything to say. He replied: “Nothing.”

The Chairman also reminded him he had denied the offence but had been found guilty after a trial.

Despite the expert report on Boris and a pre-sentencing report carried out on Singh, they felt he only recognised partial responsibility for the incident.

As a result, the Chairman said they were placing him on a high-level community order as magistrates had “concerns there was a risk to the community”.

The Chairman added: “We find you not a fit and proper person to own a dog and we order the dog be destroyed.”

Singh was placed on an 18-month community order which will involve him attending 15 rehabilitation sessions with probation.

He was also banned from keeping a dog for the length of the order.

He was also ordered to pay £400 court costs, £300 compensation to Mrs Garton and £2,500 towards the costs of the kennel fees, as well as a victim surcharge of £114 and will pay what he owes the court at a rate of £100 a month.