Man bitten by guard dog owner ‘more than 20 times’ during baseball bat attack

Barzan Shekzade attacked Marcin Pluta with a metal baseball bat and was bitten more than 20 times in the leg by his dogs and tit-for-tat after the brutal attack on the street

A man has been bitten more than 20 times by a dog after he launched a attack on its owner with a baseball bat.

Barzan Shekzade attacked Marcin Pluta with a metal bat during a brutal street attack on June 11, 2020.

Pluta’s Staffordshire bull terrier, Leia, darted forward to protect his owner, biting Shekzade dozens of times.

Fighting broke out on Waterloo Road in Smethwick, Birmingham Live reports .

It started when Shekzade was driving past Pluta, who was out on a bike ride with his three dogs, and he confronted him about comments allegedly made to his wife.

District Judge Stephen Flint told Walsall Magistrates’ Court that Pluta, 43, then “abandoned his dogs,” crossed the street and punched Shekzade in the face through the window of his car.

The defendant walked across the street before Mr Shekzade “stepped out of the vehicle with an aluminum baseball bat and crossed the street for Mr. Pluta” – who began filming the victim – the judge said.

The judge said: “Mr Shekzade attacked Mr Pluta with a baseball bat.

“While Mr Pluta was fighting Shekzade and trying to snatch the baseball bat away from him, the dogs jumped up, and Leia – the Staffordshire bull terrier – bit Shekzade several times in the leg and around the buttocks area. his.

“Mr Pluta then tried to take the baseball bat away from Mr Shekzade and he hit him several times (several times) in the shoulder, causing minor injuries.

“Mr. Pluta then left the scene with his baseball bat and three dogs. He himself was injured by being hit in the head by a baseball bat.”

There was a further incident between the pair four days later, on June 15, where the defendant approached Mr Shekzade at a traffic light and “threatened to destroy him”, the judge said.

Pluta, who needed a Polish interpreter in court, was charged with being in charge of a dangerous dog that lost control and caused injury, assaulted a person causing actual bodily harm and used threatening language to cause warning and distress.

He was put on trial and subsequently found guilty of all three counts before being sentenced on Monday, February 14.

Prosecutor John Dove said the victim claimed he was “bitten by the dog more than 20 times” and injured his left eye, which required “glue in the hospital”, along with scratches on his back.

Pluta guard Vaughan Whistance said his client – who is a welder – owns six Staffordshire bull terriers at his address and he has kept them in individual cages in his home.

Mr Whistance said “the police saw this” when they arrived to arrest Pluta and officers found the dogs were kept safe.

The judge said he would “normally order the destruction” of Leia but that there were special extenuating circumstances that prevented him from doing so.

It was the dog that came to protect her owner and there have been no other incidents of violence involving the dog that day, before, or since.

Mr Flint told Pluta: “While you start the violence and get the dogs hysterical, Leia’s attack when you’re hit with a baseball bat is going to be mitigated.”

Instead, he issued a “random kill order” which meant that Leia could only walk with a muzzle and guide, had to be accompanied by someone 18 years of age or older, and became a “receiver”. insurrance”.

Regarding Pluta’s own sentence, he was sentenced to 21 weeks in prison, with a year of probation for all three counts.

Pluta, of Kilderkin Court, Smethwick, is further ordered to pay £250 to Shekzade, £620 in prosecution costs and £120 in court surcharges.

He was also told he had to do 100 hours of unpaid work and 12 rehabilitation sessions.