The dogs owned by Michelle Jones were roaming free and unmuzzled and left their victim with serious injuries and threatened his terrified family
A man was left seriously injured after his neighbour’s XL bully dogs attacked him outside his home. They were roaming the street unmuzzled when they attacked the nurse, who was returning from work at the time.
The dog’s owner, Michelle Jones, 51, was intoxicated and did not try to intervene. Ganesh Rajappan’s wife opened the front door in the hope he could shelter inside, but the dogs pushed into the property continuing the attack, and also threatening their 14-year-old son.
Prosecutor David Mainstone told Mold Crown Court how, on August 29, 2025, Mr Rajappan heard barking as he approached the front gate to his house.
One of the dogs then bit his leg, and as he hit the dog to get it off him, a second XL bully launched a relentless attack, causing him significant injuries.
The incident was captured on CCTV. It resulted in Mr Rajappan suffering a number of wounds across his body. He was taken to A&E with lacerations to his face, arms, legs and stomach. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here
The damage to his lip was so severe he lost tissue and had to have it reconstructed.
In February, 2024, it became a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in England and Wales without a Certificate of Exemption. Those with an exemption must comply with strict rules: the dog must be neutered, microchipped, kept on a lead/muzzled in public, and insured. It is illegal to sell, breed, or abandon these dogs.
The two dogs, named Jersey and Cash, had exemption certificates. However they were unmuzzled, off the lead and one dog had not been neutered.
Mr Rajappan described in a victim personal statement read to the court, how his life had changed “significantly” as a result of the attack. Not only does he live with the physical scars of the attack, but the emotional impact on him and his family had been profound. he said.
He said: “I was attacked by two XL bulldogs outside my home. The dogs followed me and managed to enter my house. They bit my face, arms, legs, abdomen, and other areas of my body.
“I was taken to the accident and emergency department, where I received treatment for numerous lacerations, puncture wounds and scratches. I was administered antibiotics, pain relief, a tetanus booster and was referred for specialist facial care injuries.
“The treatment was extensive and extremely painful. I’m still recovering physically. Even now I continue to experience a lot of pain from the wounds which affect my daily activities.
“Psychologically, this incident has been far more difficult to cope with. Since the attack, I’ve been struggling with fear, anxiety and a constant sense of insecurity. I find it very hard to leave my house, especially alone, as I’m scared of dogs, or being attacked again.
“Normal activities such as walking to my car, or stepping outside, now cause me significant distress.
“I feel constantly on edge. It has affected my ability to concentrate at work, although I had to return to work because I cannot afford to lose my income.
“My wife and children are also deeply affected. My children were home when the attack happened… they are frightened whenever they hear dogs barking and they worry about my safety.
“I took the full force of the attack to protect my family.”
Mr Rajappan and his family were not the only neighbours affected by Jones’ behaviour in the summer of 2025.
Around two months prior to the dog attack, the court heard how Jones attended her neighbour Jodie Lloyd’s address armed with a knife and a gun after they had engaged in a verbal dispute in the street.
On May 17, at around 7.30pm, an argument between the two women turned physical. It was broken up and both parties went home.
Before Jones left, she threatened Ms Lloyd by saying “that is not going to end there”.
Around two hours later, when Ms Lloyd was in the bath, she was alerted to a woman stood at the end of her garden. Jones had broken into her address and was armed with a knife and a BB gun.
Ms Lloyd described feeling terrified, as her children were asleep downstairs. She called the police and Jones was arrested around one hour later. Police found the BB gun hidden in one of her kitchen drawers.
Jones, of Montrose Gardens, Wrexham, admitted possession of a bladed article in a public place, possession of an imitation firearm, and two counts of being the owner of dogs dangerously out of control causing injury.
Upon sentencing, Judge Nicola Jones said: “The weapon is referred to as an imitation firearm. Well she wasn’t to know that that was an imitation and she was quite terrified.
“She had children in the house. She called the police immediately. You were shouting aggressively at her at this time.
“CCTV recorded not just the BB gun, but also a knife which you were holding. You described that as a cake cutter. It is an item with a bladed element and therefore it’s a knife for these purposes.”
Of the dog attack, the judge said: “Mr Rajappan has suffered considerable psychological stress and distress as a result of the attack. He has described this attack as having a profound and lasting impact on every part of his life. It has also affected his wife and his children.
“At the time, you made no apology. Eventually you got the dogs out of his home address. You, in an interview, claimed the dogs were in your garden, with the gates bolted shut, but there was CCTV showing your dogs were roaming the street, and at the time you were intoxicated.”
When passing sentence, defence barrister Philip Tully asked Judge Jones to consider the following mitigating factors: Jones’ early guilty pleas, her genuine remorse, that she had no relevant previous convictions, struggled with her mental health, and that there had been no offending since the incident in August, 2025.
Judge Jones also considered how Jones was a full-time carer for her 20-year-old son who had a significant brain injury.
Michelle Jones was sentenced to 12 months for the possession of a bladed article and 12 months for possession of an imitation firearm, both concurrent then 16 months consecutive for the dogs offence, making a total of 28 months imprisonment. She will serve no more than half this sentence before being released on licence.
Judge Jones said the offences were so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
Jones was banned from ever owning a dog again in her lifetime, and an order was made for her two XL bully dogs to be destroyed.
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