Dog Rips Off Delivery Worker's Finger Through Letter Box As Her Daughter Watches In Horror

A delivery worker expressed her disbelief after a dog owner, whose canine ripped her finger in half, was spared jail.

A court in the UK heard Thursday that Nicola Cringle arrived at 24-year-old Tyrone Brophy’s home in October last year when his dog, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, clamped onto her finger as she attempted to put the parcel slip through the letter box. Brophy was not at home when the incident took place.

The court heard that the ordeal went on for almost five minutes till a neighbor rushed to help after hearing her screams. The neighbor managed to pull her hand free from the canine’s jaw. Cringle’s daughter watched in horror as the dog attacked her mother. Brophy claimed that the canine escaped through the fence after the attack and has been missing ever since.

Prosecutor told the court that Brophy's property had no sign that warned of a dog.

"The defendant said the dog had never shown aggression before, and conceded that there was no warning or cage on the letter box. Miss Cringle said she had visited the property on a number of occasions and had not been aware that a dog lived here,” the prosecutor said.

Calling the attack an “unforeseeable offence,” Brophy’s defense attorney said, “Genuine remorse has been evidenced by this defendant. Mr Brophy is a man of good character and he is in employment as an engineer and is studying to progress further in his career. He comes across as a genuine, hard working and likeable man who has found himself in a very difficult position.”

The dog’s owner was spared jail and asked to pay compensation to Cringle despite admitting that his dog was dangerously out of control.

During the sentencing, Judge David Hernandez said, "The consequences of this incident have been quite severe. The photographs I am currently looking at show a truly horrific injury. To have suffered an injury of this nature will lead to permanent pain and affect her employment prospects and her ability to care for her children.”

Meanwhile, Cringle, a mother-of-three said the attack has left her with life-long injuries and that her daughter is now suffering from post-traumatic stress after witnessing the incident.

Calling the verdict “a joke,” she said, "I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my hand and I am still awaiting further surgery. My 12-year-old daughter is still having nightmares and is absolutely terrified of me going near dogs or going back to work."