A dog has avoided the death penalty despite inflicting bite wounds on two women during separate attacks.

Toby, a Staffordshire terrier mixed breed, first bit a woman's hand in 2015 and later sunk his teeth into a woman's wrist until she bled.

His owner, Rosalind Naylor, admitted two counts of owning a dangerously out of control dog causing injury and has since sought expert advice from a behaviourist.

The 48-year-old appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court on Friday where the bench were told both attacks took place close to her home in Waterloo Street, Maidstone.

Deborah Jones, prosecuting, said: "The first incident was back in 2015 between January and March. The victim, Sarah Prebble, was in the communal area of Bychurch Place as were the defendant and her dog Toby.

"She walked past them and bent down to stroke him and he bit her left arm. The defendant went back into the flat with the dog and later checked to see Miss Prebble was okay.

"She had a 3cm bite on her left arm but didn’t attend the hospital as she didn’t want injections or to wait.

"She was wearing a fur coat at the time and it is suspected that was why the dog bit her."

On May 10 of this year Toby bit Lesley Farmer causing blood to pour from her arm.

Mrs Jones said: "Miss Farmer walked out and saw the defendant and her ex-partner with both their dogs.

"She spoke to the defendant and while the she and her partner spoke the dog Toby walked forward and bit Miss Farmer’s wrist.

"They couldn’t get the dog off her wrist."

Doctors at Maidstone Hospital feared Miss Framer may have needed skin grafts but this was not the case.

Mrs Jones told the court Miss Farmer was frightened to leave her home in the wake of the attack and regularly had nightmares.

The bench was told Naylor has been proactive in trying to help improve her dog's behaviour by having him neutered straight after the first incident in 2015.

She also made efforts to check on the welfare of the two women involved.

Police found no problems with Toby and said he is okay to continue living at Naylor's home. However, magistrates told her that he must be muzzled and kept on a fixed lead when taken outside.

Naylor was fined £635 and must pay £85 court costs. she must also pay £50 in compensation to Miss Prebble and a further £150 to Miss Farmer.