Two men sentenced for dog attack

Father and son Ian Loftus, 59, and Thomas Matthew Skillen, 29, have been sentenced for offences of being in charge of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place. Skillen was also sentenced for affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. 

Skillen was imprisoned for two-and-a-half-years, while Loftus was sentenced to 14 months, suspended for 18 months, with a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

The incident occurred at The Magpie & Stump public house, situated at Palin’s Holiday Park in Kinmel Bay, on 15 September 2023, where ‘Kilo’, a Rottweiler cross, injured four people.

On the evening of 15 September 2023 both the defendants attended the public house with the dog.  Whilst in the outside seating area, Skillen was asked to stop Kilo from jumping on the tables. Skillen responded by making a comment - ‘my dog wants to give you a kiss’ - to a female member of the security staff and then left the premises.

A short time later, Loftus and Skillen returned. Skillen continued to shout abuse at security staff. Skillen climbed over the fence back into the beer garden of the public house. Skillen was aggressive and abusive towards security staff who repeatedly asked him to leave. A security officer attempted to restrain Skillen in an attempt to remove him from the premises. Skillen assaulted the security officer by biting his arm.

By this time, Loftus had also returned to the beer garden with Kilo. The dog bit a member of staff causing injury to her arm and bit a customer causing injury to his arm and bicep. The dog went on to attack and bite another two people present after it jumped out of the back window of the defendant’s car. They sustained puncture wound injuries and bruising. Of the four people injured by the dog, three required hospital treatment.

Loftus and Skillen entered guilty pleas to the charges at Mold Crown Court in January this year.

Deanne McGinty of the CPS said: “This was a frightening incident for members of the public, including children, who were holidaying at the park and for the members of staff working at the public house. The victims have been left with permanent scars, a constant reminder of the incident.  We hope the sentences passed today will bring some comfort to them”.