Mohammed Kadir: Belgian Malinois attacks girl, 8, dad tries to help, but ‘Scooby’ gets him too

A father and daughter were left with severe scars after they were attacked by a dog while enjoying family time at a market.

They were looking through stalls in Folkestone, Kent, when a large Belgian Malinois called “Scooby” jumped on the eight-year-old girl.

Mohammed Kadir, Scooby’s owner, walked away while the terrified girl screamed and ran to her father.

CCTV shows him quickly approaching the dog, trying to chase him away, but Scooby made a snarling noise and then jumped on him.

The attack left the father with injuries to his arm while his daughter suffered wounds to her face and stomach.

Now, more than a year on from the May 18 attack, the girl has permanent facial scarring, The Mirror reported.

Kadir was charged with two counts of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury. He pleaded guilty to the offences at a court appearance in May this year.

The case was adjourned, and on September 3 Kadir was handed six months imprisonment, but this was suspended for 12 months. Kadir must attend 15 rehabilitation sessions and pay the victims $200.

He was also hit with dog ownership ban for the next five years, and Scooby, who had spent 16 months in kennels since he was seized after the attack, was ordered to be put down

Kadir must pay $2000 in police kennel costs, which is barely one sixth of the total cost of his stay, a $300 victim surcharge and $150 toward court costs.

The girl’s father describe the attack in a victim impact statement.

He said he “extended his arm in a gesture for (Scooby) to stop” but that was when the dog jumped on keen, and his “teeth made contact with my skin”.

“My heart rate was very high and I began to feel discomfort. I shouted at him to stop, but he disappeared and I went back to my daughter.”

The eight-year-old was rushed to William Harvey Hospital where her wounds were treated and she was given antibiotics.

“She was quiet and clingy and missed school [for one day] and I stayed home to look after her.”

He said that although his daughter’s face wound healed well, it has left her with a visible scar on her cheek.

Folkestone Magistrates Court had been told that Scooby had previously lunged at a police officer and locked its jaws around his wrist.

Darren Cousins, Kadir’s defence lawyer, told the court that his client had adhered to previous orders regarding Scooby, and referenced the fact that he was on a lead at the time of the attack.

“He’s had Scooby for two years and trained the dog himself, and it may have been trying to protect him,” Mr Cousins said.

“The dog had a halter muzzle on to control it by the nose. You can see from the video the dog didn’t use its teeth; it scratched her face.

“You may think he’s not a fit and proper owner, but he had the dog muzzled. It was a momentary lapse of concentration. He had the dog on the lead at all times.”