THE owner of a dog, said to have attacked three children, has been put on probation for 12 months.

Burnley magistrates heard how Gismo, a cross Staffordshire bull terrier, bit a boy aged five as it wandered without a lead.

A police officer who went to the child's home saw shallow puncture wounds on the back of both the youngster's thighs.

The officer went to speak to the defendant but the animal was not in the house.

An earlier hearing had been told how the dog, left unattended in a back alley, was also said to have bitten two other children. It has since been put down.

Angela Margaret Johnstone, 23, of Grange Street, Burnley, must also pay £44.50 compensation. She had earlier admitted having a dog dangerously out of control in public and injury being caused, three counts of deception, attempted deception and handling stolen goods.

Richard Taylor, defending, said Johnstone had made something of a mess of her life in recent months. She had developed a drug problem and was now coming before the courts for the first time in her life.

She had sought the help of the local drugs team and there was an awful lot of work the probation service could do with the defendant.

Johnstone wanted to prove she could stay away from crime. She was anxious about her court appearance, and showed genuine remorse for getting involved in the offences.

At the time, another woman, now serving a custodial sentence, was living in the same house as the defendant and she was the 'catalyst' for her to take part in the offences. She was prevailed upon to get involved.

Johnstone lived with her boyfriend who had had mental health problems and hers was a sentence that cried out for the help of the probation service.

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