Geraldine Green from East Finchely was on trial in Harrow Crown Court last week for being in charge of a dog which was “dangerously out of control”, after her pet, Zak, was accused of sinking his teeth into a jogger’s knee.
Geraldine’s defence were determined to prove Zak’s good nature and as evidence they produced a video of Zak capering in a friendly fashion with other dogs on Hampstead Heath, at which the judge trying the case, Judge Barrington Black, was forced to declare a “four-footed interest”.
As it turned out, his dog Vinnie had been one of the dogs enrolled to take part in the video intended to prove that Zak was good natured, whilst he was being walked by the Judge’s dog minder.
He said that since Vinnie and her walker had obviously met the defendant, he could not make a ruling.
The case was subsequently tried under another judge and, happily, the video footage helped ensure that Zak’s owner was cleared of all charges.
