A dog owner whose powerful American Akita savaged two men in ten days has been jailed for 16 months.

Gordon Mathers failed to act after his pet Logan became increasingly aggressive, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The dog latched on to Dean Turner’s hand at Mathers’ home in Sutton Crescent, Tyersal, Bradford, on May 21, prosecutor Philip Adams said.

Mr Turner, 28, was collecting shopping for his father from Mathers’ top floor flat at 5pm when Logan ran between the defendant’s legs in the hallway.

He grabbed Mr Turner’s hand as he bent to pick up the bags, dragging him to the floor. Mr Turner struggled to wrench his hand free and ran into the bathroom and closed the door.

The court heard he was covered in blood, terrified and left with flesh hanging off his hand.

He was kept in hospital overnight and left with scarring and numbness, Mr Adams said.

On June 1, Logan struck again at Mathers’ flat, clamping hard on to Trevor Longstaff’s left arm as he reached for his cigarette at 4.30am.

The dog hung on to Mr Longstaff for up to 20 seconds and he had to tear himself free.

An ambulance took him to hospital after he sustained a “grossly swollen arm and significant lacerations.”

His left wrist was fractured and he needed 17 stitches and two operations.

Mr Longstaff was detained in hospital for ten days and now needed help with the shopping and cleaning after being left with restricted movement in his arm. He had also suffered stress and anxiety.

Mathers admitted straight away to the police that Logan was his responsibility. He said he bought him for £300 from the Shipley area as a companion.

Logan was at first well-behaved but he became increasingly aggressive towards people, Mathers said.

He had no objection to the dog being destroyed, the court was told.

Mathers pleaded guilty to two offences of having a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control.

Solicitor advocate, John Bottomley, said in mitigation that Mathers contacted the police and the RSPCA after the first attack. He could not afford to pay a vet to euthanise Logan and he was naïve in dealing with him.

Mathers had health problems and his poor thinking skills had made it difficult for him to deal with Logan.

“He got the dog out of loneliness and for companionship for himself and it has gone very wrong,” Mr Bottomley said.

Judge Jonathan Rose ordered that Logan, who was seized by the police, be destroyed.

He said that Mathers did not set his dog on anyone and was very regretful when his two friends were bitten.

But after Mr Turner suffered significant injury, Mathers should have acted to prevent the dog attacking again.

“That could and should have been the end of this matter,” Judge Rose said.

An animal charity could have taken Logan, or Mathers should have locked him in another room when his friends called round.

“Mr Longstaff suffered serious injuries; lacerations, a fractured wrist and damaged tendons.

“There is no question that a custodial sentence is called for,” Judge Rose said.

He said Logan must be destroyed because it was highly likely that he would bite again and cause serious injury.