A DOG which lacked “any basic training” attacked an Amazon delivery driver in Pontypool, leaving him fearing for his life.

The self-employed delivery driver was delivering a package to the house of Gemma Saunders in School View on the afternoon of May 11 last year.

As he approached the house, there were two dogs – including a large French Mastiff – barking at him through a set of French doors.

The court heard that the French Mastiff, also known as a Dogue de Bordeaux, got out of the house and bit him on the wrist.

Prosecutor Cat Jones said the delivery driver “became scared”, and the dog – named Gucci – “lunged towards him again” and knocked him to the floor.

The man was bitten again, before the dog “sank his teeth in to the complainant’s forearm”, Ms Jones said.

Saunders and her daughter came out of the house and were screaming at the dog to stop, but Gucci did not respond and was not wearing a collar to make it easier to grab him and drag him away.

The delivery driver was able to get up and picked up a chair to defend himself with. Eventually, Saunders' son came out and was able to get the dog under control.

The victim sustained multiple lacerations to his wrist, hand, finger, and forearm. An ambulance was called, but the man had to take himself to hospital as no ambulances were available.

The police were called, and Gucci was removed from the address.

In a statement read out to the court by Ms Jones, the delivery driver said: “At one moment I feared if I didn’t get the dog off me, I would die.

“I think of what would have happened if the dog had attacked a child or a female delivery driver.”

Ms Jones said there was “a lack of safety or control measures” and a “failure to intervene”. She added that Gucci lacked “any basic training”.

“Her intervention amounted to effectively standing and shouting and hoping the dog would stop,” she said.

“Had her son not been available in the property at the time, it’s unclear what would have happened.”

Saunders, now 40, has no previous convictions.

Hannah Friedman, defending, said there “wasn’t a complete failure” in having safety precautions in place, but admitted “the intervention didn’t work” on this occasion.

The court heard that Saunders had put up a baby gate inside her house at the front door, and a sign outside.

“There’s no history of aggression, no previous complaints about Gucci or Ms Saunders keeping animals at all,” Ms Friedman continued.

She added that Saunders was “mortified and apologetic that these injuries were caused”.

Saunders was convicted of being the owner of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control on June 29 following a trial.

The judge, Recorder Christian Jowett, sentenced Saunders to a 12-month community order, as part of which she must complete 220 hours of unpaid work.

Saunders must also pay £2,400 in costs.

The court heard there were no previous concerns over Gucci or Saunders’ suitability to own animals.

The dog was described as “aggressive to people approaching the house but friendly once introduced”, and experts recommended that he “would be safe with measures implemented”.

Recorder Jowett made a suspended destruction order – meaning that Gucci would not be put down as long as the series of safety measures were complied with. Gucci will be returned to Saunders once the physical measures were implemented at her home.