Owner of bull mastiff spared jail over dog attack on set of TV show
The owner of a bull mastiff dog who maimed a security guard on the set of hit TV show Outlander, in Glasgow, has been spared jail.
The owner of a bull mastiff dog who maimed a security guard on the set of hit TV show Outlander, in Glasgow, has been spared jail.
Rigger James Dillimore, 49, abandoned Tony at the set at Wishard Street in the centre of Glasgow where it attacked Paul Gerrard’s face.
The irresponsible owner tried to shirk the blame onto another security guard he claimed asked to keep the dog.
He told jurors at Glasgow Sheriff Court the dog attack was “nothing to do with him whatsoever”.
He even said lies were told in court in a bid to sue him.
After a trial at the court Dillimore, from Hartford was convicted of being the owner of the dog that attacked Mr Gerrard at June 11, 2015.
He was given a community payback order with the condition he must carry out 300 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified from owning a dog for five years.
Outlander is a British-American television drama based on historical time travel novels by Diana Gabaldon.
John Booth, a props man for Outlander, told the court he saw Dillimore with the dog at the set of the hit show in Hunterston, Ayrshire and that the dog bit him too.
But that charge was withdrawn before the jury were asked to consider their verdict.
Dillimore was a worker on the set but had left for the night when the dog attacked.
After leaving his pet tied up and driving to his Stirling hotel, the location manager phoned Dillimore and asked him to pick up the dog.
While at the site - tied to a pole - the dog had viciously bit Mr Gerrard on the face.
The next day when Dillimore saw Mr Gerrard and heard it bit him he said “That’s impossible, you must have kicked the dog.
“The dog was only playing because if he really was going for you it would do more damage.”
Dillimore rolled up his sleeves showing off injuries previously caused by Tony.
Describing the aftermath of the attack in court Mr Gerrard said: “I looked up and there was something flapping in my eye.”
He needed surgery to stitch his eyelid back together and has been left with a scar.
Dillimore claimed in evidence he has since gotten rid of Tony, but doesn’t know where he is now.
Procurator fiscal depute Mark Allan put to him that he “abandoned” the dog and he was in fact the owner who should have been responsible.
But Dillimore dismissed this saing: “That’s nothing to do with me. I did not abandon the dog, I found him a home.
“I gave the dog away to a person who said he could look after the dog.”