WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
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A dangerous Great Dane escaped from its home in south Canberra and attacked a retired police officer taking his morning walk, a court has heard.
Malcolm Thorp thought he was going to die when the dog that had already been declared dangerous set on him in the southern Canberra suburb of Chifley.
It was only by chance that the seriousness of the wound was later discovered, when Mr Thorp had a check up ahead of a flight that doctors said could have proved fatal.
The dog was put down shortly after the August 2018 attack.
Darren Zolotto, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of not complying with the conditions of his dangerous dog licence and being the keeper of a dangerous dog that attacked someone and appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday for sentence.
In a victim impact statement read to court, Mr Thorp said he spotted the dog as it ran across the road and paused on the grass nature strip.
"His appearance was that of a crouching lion waiting to attack ... I heard him growl and he then charged straight at me," Mr Thorp told the court on Friday. "It was horrific."
Mr Thorp said he fortunately threw up his right arm to protect himself, and if he hadn't the dog would have grabbed at his neck and face.
The force of the attack knocked the former Victorian police officer off his feet and as he lay on his stomach he could hear the dog growling as it bit him twice more on the back.
"This was perhaps the worst part," he said.
"I thought I was going to die."
Mr Thorp was taken to hospital after the attack where he got a tetanus shot and was bandaged up.
But the true extent of his injuries became clear days later, when he went to his GP to clear him for a flight to Melbourne to attend the funeral of a close friend.
Within 20 minutes of seeing the doctor, Mr Thorp was admitted to the emergency department at hospital and underwent surgery.
Doctors told him the bite had punctured a vein or artery and the deeper wound had continued to bleed into his arm.
Physically he had mended but the emotional impact of the attack had caused havoc, Mr Thorp said.
Defence lawyer James Maher said Zolotto had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that pets had played a big part in his life.
He said the attack had weighed heavily on Zolotto, who had also written an apology to Mr Thorp.
He said there was no doubt Zue had issues, and that if Zolotto could go back in time and change what happened he would.
Magistrate James Lawton said it was a difficult matter, and that Zolotto had heard how much pain and suffering he had caused.
Mr Lawton sentenced Zolotto to an 18 month good behaviour order.
He also ordered Zolotto to pay Mr Thorp back $4480 in lost wages.
But the court heard his money was controlled by the public trustee and had only $500 a fortnight in living expenses. In the circumstances it could take years to pay back.