Owner of XL bully shot dead by police in Sheffield is sentenced

A woman whose XL bully was shot dead by police has been sentenced after earlier being found guilty of owning a dog dangerously out of control.

Sophie Zaherali’s dog, Ghost, had no previous history of aggression and had not caused any injuries, but was shot by officers in Sheffield on 7 December last year after reports he had bitten someone.

In October, Zaherali, 31, of Dykes Hall Road, was also convicted at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court of malicious communication towards the officer who shot Ghost.

After being handed a rehabilitation order and a £100 fine at the same court on Tuesday, Zaherali said it had “brought tears to my eyes” to have been described by the judge as a “responsible owner”.

The court heard that Ghost had escaped Zaherali’s property after she tried to close the front door, which had a faulty lock, while dealing with a medical incident involving her son who has epilepsy.

During the sentencing hearing, District Judge Tim Spruce said there had been a “unique combination of circumstances” and Zaherali’s offence was the “lowest level” of culpability.

The judge told the court that he had found Zaherali guilty based on there having been “reasons to believe the dog was dangerous, and the dog had to be taken as such”.

“There is no suggestion that Ghost was behaving dangerously at the time officers confronted him,” Mr Spruce said.

The judge said all the information the officer had was that there had been reports of incidents involving an XL bully, a breed which was “potentially capable of” causing harm, and that dog then ran towards him.

Zaherali “wasn’t anything other than a responsible owner”, Mr Spruce said.

“She had researched the dog, had it chipped and neutered and muzzled…a dog who, we should note, has no history of aggression or difficulties.”

Mr Spruce said the officer who shot and killed Ghost had been “subject to a campaign of abuse” over social media as a result of posts by Zaherali following the incident.

He said that Zaherali “had her reasons for making those comments, but others can interpret them very differently indeed and take them too far, potentially”.

“I know she would choose to do things differently if the clock could be turned back,” he said.

Constance Coombes, mitigating, told the sentencing hearing that Zaherali’s attempts to identify the officer online “had to be taken in context of her pet being shot in the street”.

“She was never trying to seek retribution or revenge. It was borne out of upset and grief,” she said.

Zaherali said Ghost’s death had been a “massive loss” to her family, adding that they felt they had been “fighting the world” to prove his innocence.

The 31-year-old was handed a £100 fine and a 24-month rehabilitation order, requiring 40 sessions with support services.

The sessions would focus on “personal wellbeing, current circumstances and support for the difficulties you have moving forward”, the judge told her.

While the prosecution had asked for £1,050 to be paid in costs for two trials, which they said had both been fully prepared despite just one having eventually gone ahead, Mr Spruce reduced that sum to £614.

He also declined a request from the prosecution to disqualify Zaherali from owning dogs.

South Yorkshire Police previously said the decision to shoot an animal was “never taken lightly”, but the safety of the community and officers “was always our priority”.