A mother was subjected to a terrifying ordeal when an XL Bully dog ripped the hijab from her head in a public street attack witnessed by her young children.
Traumatic High Street Attack
The incident occurred on August 31 last year at approximately 2:36pm on Wrexham High Street in Wales. Yasmin Begum saw defendant Tomasz Wegner, 45, walking his dog and moved away because she felt scared, prosecutor Laura Knightly told Mold Crown Court.
Ms Begum attempted to escape by hiding in a doorway, but Wegner followed her and shouted aggressively. The XL Bully then grabbed and dragged her, removing her hijab and attempting to bite her forehead, leaving visible teeth marks that fortunately did not break the skin.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
At a hearing on Tuesday before Judge His Honour Simon Mills, Wegner pleaded guilty to possessing a fighting dog and being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.
The judge handed Wegner a 15-month jail term suspended for two years and disqualified him from keeping dogs for two years. A destruction order was issued for the dog, with kennelling costs already reaching £9,482.
During the attack, witnesses reported that Wegner appeared to fall on top of Ms Begum, with one observer believing he was intoxicated. Another witness intervened, reattaching the dog's muzzle and holding its metal chain until police arrived.
Lasting Trauma and Legal Consequences
In her impact statement, Ms Begum described how Wegner had shouted abuse at her "without any provocation" and "indirectly caused me to be set on by his dog through his actions."
She expressed particular distress that her son and daughter witnessed the entire incident, leaving them extremely frightened. Ms Begum remains traumatised and concerned for her family's safety.
Wegner initially denied the dog was an XL Bully, claiming it was a "Cane Corso" breed and describing it as "friendly" and merely wanting to "greet" the woman. He also denied being drunk during the incident.
Defence barrister Joshua Gorst stated this was the first time the dog had attacked anyone and described it as an "unpleasant incident." He added that Wegner, of Glaslyn, Plas Madoc, Acrefair, has "got a handle" on his alcoholism.
XL Bully dogs have been illegal to own in England and Wales without an exemption certificate since 2024, a law that ultimately determined the dog's fate in this case.
