A WOMAN whose ‘aggressive’ Doberman bit two people at a pet crematorium has been spared jail.

The attack happened at Dignity Pet Crematorium in Hook and saw Michelle Hiscoke lose control of her two-and-a-half-foot-tall bitch. 

The 57-year-old appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, September 1 charged with two counts of owning a dog dangerously out of control. 

The court heard that Hiscoke was at the crematorium on Saturday, September 24 to cremate a pet guinea pig. 

However, things spiralled out of control and led to her Doberman, called Harlow, biting crematorium owner Kevin Spurgeon and Bethanie Lambert, who had stepped in to help. 

Prosecutor Edward Warren said that Mr Spurgeon was at the crematorium at 2pm when he heard barking.

He saw Hiscoke lying on the ground, having fallen, with the dog standing over her.

Basingstoke Gazette: Michelle Hiscoke, of Elson Lane, Gosport

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When Mr Spurgeon approached, the dog attacked him, biting him on the hand before Hiscoke got her dog, called Harlow, under control.

The attack on Ms Lambert came later, at around 3pm, while Hiscoke was attempting to get Harlow into her car to leave the site.

Ms Lambert came to assist Hiscoke when the dog leapt out of the car and bit her on the thigh.

Mr Warren said that the incident had upset Ms Lambert. 

He said: “She was a lifelong animal lover, but she said that she is now afraid of large dogs. She said that they intimidate her.”

Mitigating, Samuel March, said that Hiscoke had only had Harlow for two weeks prior to the attacks, and said that she had been “missold” the dog and was not aware of its nature.

He added the defendant has since learned how to manage the dog more effectively.

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Mr March said Harlow had become stressed due to the hot weather. 

He also said that Hiscoke did not remove the dog from the area following the first incident because it had damaged the cloth cage that it had originally been transported in, leaving the defendant with no way to easily get the dog home.

Mr March said: "Every decision she made that day was with the dog's best interest in mind.”

Hiscoke, of Elson Lane, Gosport, pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced by Judge Adam Feest KC to a six-month concurrent community order, with a two-month curfew enforced from 9am to 6pm.

She has also been ordered to pay £100 to Mr Spurgeon and £200 to Ms Lambert. No order has been put in place regarding whether or not Hiscoke can own a dog.

Mr Feest adjourned the decision on the dog's future.