Man jailed for vet ‘punishment beating’ over XL bully death

Veterinary sector leaders have welcomed the prison sentence imposed on a dog owner who attacked a clinician over the death of his XL bully in a York practice.

A judge described the actions of Arbaz Hamza Hamid as a “punishment beating” as he sentenced him to seven months in jail at the city’s crown court yesterday (11 January).

The 24-year-old had pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to the incident at an earlier hearing.

Increasing concern

The case was heard at a time of increasing professional concern over abuse and threats faced by practice teams in connection with the ban on XL bully dogs in England and Wales.

Although the Hamid case pre-dates the introduction of the current legislation, both the BVA and RCVS have urged practice teams to report any incidents to the police and seek support if they are struggling with its impacts in recent days.

In a statement issued following yesterday’s hearing, college president Sue Paterson said: “We are reassured to see that the vet who suffered this awful attack has received justice.

“It is a reminder that, even where there are strong emotions and disagreements, there can never be an excuse for violence, threats of violence, abuse or harassment against the veterinary team by animal owners and the general public.”

Zero-tolerance

Meanwhile, her BVA counterpart Anna Judson said her organisation was encouraging practices to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to aggressive or threatening behaviour.

She added: “It’s unacceptable for veterinary professionals to face abuse when simply doing their jobs, but sadly practices across the country are reporting an increase in this type of behaviour.

“While it’s understandable that emotions can run high when faced with a sick animal, it’s never okay to transfer worry or frustration on to vet teams.”

Hamid, of Kimberworld, Rotherham, was one of five people who had confronted the vet at his practice on 16 January, 2023, over the death of the bitch.

The animal had been taken to the practice earlier that day due to illness, where the vet advised that surgery was required and her chances of survival were one in five, the York Press reported.

His barrister, Rachel Webster, told the court her client had acted impulsively during the confrontation and the dog was a family pet that he jointly owned with the four other people, two men and two women, who attended the practice with him.

Claims rejected

But the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, rejected those claims as he passed sentence, telling him the incident was born out of the loss of a substantial investment.

He said: “I don’t accept this was an impulsive act by you. This was the coup de grace of an increasingly hostile situation.

“People such as vets or doctors or nurses perform an important function for others and this was a punishment beating by you.

“There has to be an element of deterrent so people such as this vet, nurses, taxi drivers and others know that the courts will protect them.”

The court heard the dog had cost between £4,000 and £5,000 to purchase, though the prosecution argued the price had been much higher.

Victoria Barker, prosecuting, earlier told the court the clinician had suffered cuts to his face when Hamid lunged forward and punched him.

Another member of the group, which left the premises immediately after the assault, had earlier struck a wall during the confrontation.