A WOMAN has been cleared of allowing a “dangerously out of control” dog to attack one of her neighbours.

It took a jury in Oxford Crown Court just 50 minutes yesterday to find Deborah Exley, of Witney Road, Ducklington, not guilty after a three-day trial.

The 50-year-old denied being in charge of a dog that caused an injury while dangerously out of control in a public place on August 3 last year.

It had been alleged that her dog Diesel attacked Michael Hobin, who lives nearby, injuring him and his labrador Harry while they were walking in Witney Road.

He claimed a puncture wound on his hand had been caused by the dog when it jumped to try and get to his pet and he assumed a “defensive position”.

But the jury heard expert evidence from clinical animal behaviourist and vet Kendal Shepherd, who carried out tests to see if the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was dangerous.

She gave evidence and said she had found “no concerns whatsoever” with regards to the dog’s behaviour towards people.

Dominic Benthall, defending, argued that the injury to Mr Hobin’s hand could have been caused when he punched the dog to make it stop attacking Harry.

During the trial Mr Hobin was also accused of trying to “humiliate” Mrs Exley by putting up posters near her house saying “Diesel is out” after police gave the dog back to her. He denied having a “vendetta” against her family and said Diesel had attacked his dog before.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.