A 23-year-old owner of an XL bully dog from Ipswich has been given a four-month suspended prison sentence after her dog attacked a police officer and her neighbour.

Kimberly Wood, of Bramblewood, was before Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to two counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.

The court heard from prosecutor Serena Berry that on July 28 last year, Wood had been walking her dog, Rocko, with a dog trainer and then came back to her house.

As she came back her neighbour came out of her house to warn that she would be walking her dog soon, because Rocko had previously been aggressive towards her dog.

The neighbour stepped outside, Rocko saw her and then attacked her, grabbing her forearm and tearing down to the bone, the court heard.

Ring doorbell footage from the neighbour's home was shown to the court.

The neighbour was heard screaming in the footage before the dog handler quickly got Rocko under control and Wood was left crying with her head in her hands.

Wood then drove her the woman to the hospital and stayed with her for some time before going back home and taking Rocko to the Martlesham police investigation centre to have him assessed.

However, the police said no complaint had been made about the attack yet so she could go back home and wait to be contacted. 

PC Annelly Miles came to Wood’s address to follow up on the attack on August 3.

Rocko was tied up in the garden by a slip lead and a chain, but 10 minutes after PC Miles had arrived Rocko had chewed through the lead.

He stared at PC Miles, who had put on protective leg gear, then lunged at her.

She used a defensive position to protect herself and suffered minor injuries to her arm.

She managed to get Rocko off and then decided the dog needed to be destroyed, which happened the same day.

The court heard victim statements.

The neighbour who was attacked said that she lost complete movement in her arm for four weeks followed by limited movement for two months and that her arm still does not move properly.

The attack left her with permanent visible scars, a loss of sensation in the affected area and it has accompanied by a pins and needles sensation in her fingers.

On top of this she has experienced severe anxiety and nightmares because of what happened.

The woman was with her parents, who lived at the house, and said since the attack Wood and her family have been hostile, although this is disputed by Wood.

PC Miles, who has been a dog handler for eight years, also gave a statement.

She said: “I count myself very lucky to walk away with such minor injuries. It is because of my experience I have come away very lightly.”

She added she remembered thinking at the time: “This is going to be life changing if I don’t get out of this situation.

“I have suffered flashbacks.

"After it happened when I closed my eyes I saw the dog's face and eyes just before the attack.”

“I no longer go to these types of jobs alone."

Solicitor Shelly Drew spoke in mitigation on behalf of Wood.

She said Wood had bought a muzzle immediately following the first attack, which actually arrived on the day PC Miles came to her address.

On top of this, she had employed a dog handler and immediately singed the papers to hand over the dog for destruction following the second attack.

However, chairman of the bench Graham Higgins said these precautions had not been sufficient.

He said pictures of the injuries inflicted by Rocko on the neighbour were “horrendous”.

Wood was given four month concurrent prison sentences for both offences, but they were suspended for 18 months.

On top of this, Mr Higgins said the neighbour was to be compensated £1,370 and PC Miles £300.

A 12-month restraining order was also imposed between the neighbours so that no direct or indirect contact is allowed and for the next five years Wood is not allowed to own a dog.