Mother Left Traumatised After XL Bully Attack on Wrexham High Street
A banned XL Bully dog is set to be euthanised after it violently attacked a mother-of-two on a busy high street in Wales, pulling off her hijab and leaving her with lasting psychological trauma.
The incident occurred on August 31, 2024, at approximately 2.36pm on Wrexham High Street. Yasmin Begum was with her children when she noticed Tomasz Wegner walking towards her with his dog.
The Terrifying Ordeal Unfolds
Prosecutor Laura Knightly told Mold Crown Court that Ms Begum, feeling scared, asked Wegner to move away. In an attempt to escape the animal, she ran into a nearby doorway for safety.
However, Wegner, who a witness described as being 'clearly intoxicated', followed her. He then shouted at her 'aggressively' in the confined space where she was hiding.
The dog then grabbed and dragged her. It removed her hijab and tried to bite her forehead, Ms Knightly stated. While the bite did not break the skin, it left visible bite marks on her head. During the chaotic struggle, Wegner reportedly fell on top of the victim.
Heroic Intervention and Lasting Impact
A witness who heard Ms Begum's screams rushed to her aid. The individual heroically took control of the violent XL Bully, reattached its muzzle, and held it securely by its metal chain lead until police arrived at the scene.
In a powerful victim impact statement, Ms Begum revealed she has been left 'psychologically traumatised' and has developed a significant fear of dogs. She expressed that her children, who witnessed the entire attack, were 'extremely frightened'.
She stated that Wegner had shouted abuse at her 'without any provocation' and had 'indirectly caused me to be set on by his dog through his actions'.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Wegner, of Glaslyn, Plas Madoc, Acrefair, was arrested and questioned the day after the attack. He initially denied being drunk and claimed his dog was a Cane Corso, describing it as 'friendly'. The XL Bully breed was banned in 2023 following a series of violent attacks, making it illegal to own one without an exemption certificate.
Wegner, who has six previous convictions for nine offences, eventually admitted the dog was an XL Bully. He pleaded guilty to possessing a fighting dog and to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control.
Defence counsel Matthew Gorst said the dog had never attacked anyone before and was typically a 'calm, gentle and loyal' companion to Wegner, who had struggled with loneliness since the Covid pandemic.
However, Judge Simon Mills stated the dog had 'fed on' the defendant's drunken and aggressive behaviour. The judge made a destruction order for the dog, noting that its kennelling costs had already reached £9,482.
Judge Mills told Wegner, 'You're so lucky it didn't target this woman's neck or other vital parts of the body.'
Wegner was handed a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and has been banned from keeping dogs for two years.
