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Cumbria sex offender who used dog to 'lure' boys jailed

A 39-year-old man from Cumbria has been jailed for four years after using his dog to help groom children.

Darren Goode, of Marsh Street, Barrow, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to 12 sexual offences against boys under the age of 16.

Cumbria police, who had Goode under observation, said he had made a shelter at Barrow docks to watch children play and had bought a husky dog as a "lure".

Goode, originally from Birkenhead, moved to Cumbria in July 2007.

The convicted sex offender appeared at court on Thursday after admitting seven charges of sexual touching of boys under 13 and five charges of sexually grooming boys under the age of 16.

Senior investigating officer Det Insp Geoff Huddleston said Goode was a "sexual predator of children" and had been strictly monitored since he moved from the Merseyside area in 2007.

He added: "As soon as we pieced together an evidential picture of what he was trying to do, he was quickly arrested and brought into custody before he had opportunity to commit further offences."

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Victorian politician mauled by dog

A prominent Victorian politician has been hospitalised after being mauled by a dog last week.

Federal senator Helen Kroger suffered bites to her face, arms, legs and hands when she was attacked by her neighbour's dog on Thursday, 3AW reported this morning.

The Liberal senator went to break up a fight between her two dogs and her neighbour's when she herself was attacked.

The neighbour's dog, a fox terrier, was being attacked by Senator Kroger's two dogs after it had slipped into her front yard, she told 3AW.

"There was only one way I could thought I could help this little dog and that was by picking it up," she said.

"Of course it was terrified so it decided to lash out at its saviour."

Senator Kroger was taken to Epworth Private Hospital in Richmond, Melbourne, where she underwent surgery and received stitches to her leg and fingers.

She is expected to remain in hospital for the rest of the week.

"I look a bit like an Egyptian mummy at the moment.".

"It just means I'll be watching question time from a hospital bed instead of a chamber."

She has said she doesn't want the dog put down.

Senator Kroger was elected to the Federal Senate in 2007 after spending three years as the state president of the Victorian Liberal Party.

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Lost toddler kept alive by pet dog

A toddler who wandered from her US home survived a near-freezing winter night alone in the wilderness by huddling up to her pet dog.

Victoria Bensch disappeared from her home, in the US state of Arizona, with her pet Queensland heeler on Thursday night.

The three-year-old was dressed only in t-shirt, pants and tennis shoes, despite the cold weather, local TV news station KPHO reported.

But Victoria was able to avoid dying of exposure by holding on to her dog Blue during the 14-hour ordeal before she was spotted by a rescue helicopter at dawn the next morning about a kilometre away from her home.

"She was able to stay warm with the dog," Yavapai County sheriff's office Sgt Jeff Newnum said.

"It's probably what saved her life — it was extremely cold out here."

The loyal dog was initially protective of the girl when help arrived but reportedly moved away when it realised the rescuers were there to help.

"I don't even like animals and I hugged that dog so hard," Victoria's aunt said after the ordeal.

The girl was taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital for an examination but appeared healthy and in good spirits.

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Scots dog Asbo plan wins backing

Plans for "dog Asbos" in Scotland to clampdown on irresponsible owners have been backed in principle by MSPs.

The Control of Dogs Bill would allow councils to impose restrictions on owners who fail to control their pets.

Holyrood's local government committee backed the move, but questioned whether councils would be able to afford to implement the control notices.

Parliament voted for the bill, which will now go forward to the next stage of scrutiny at Holyrood.

The backbench bill, brought forward by the SNP's Christine Grahame, could see owners forced to keep their dog on a lead in public or have their dog neutered.

'Improving behaviour'

Other measures open to local authorities would include fines of up to £1,000 and requiring irresponsible owners to attend dog control training courses.

South of Scotland MSP Ms Grahame said: "This new legislation will place the onus on the deed and not the breed of the dog, which has caused so much difficulty in England where the legislation remains extremely problematic.

"The legislation I am proposing should improve the behaviour of owners and that should lead to an improvement in the behaviour of their dogs."

Responding to concerns over costs, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said the legislation had been designed as a preventative measure, and did not envisage councils having to issue large numbers of control notices on a weekly basis.

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Plans for "dog Asbos" in Scotland to clampdown on irresponsible owners have been backed in principle by MSPs.

The Control of Dogs Bill would allow councils to impose restrictions on owners who fail to control their pets.

Holyrood's local government committee backed the move, but questioned whether councils would be able to afford to implement the control notices.

Parliament voted for the bill, which will now go forward to the next stage of scrutiny at Holyrood.

The backbench bill, brought forward by the SNP's Christine Grahame, could see owners forced to keep their dog on a lead in public or have their dog neutered.

'Improving behaviour'

Other measures open to local authorities would include fines of up to £1,000 and requiring irresponsible owners to attend dog control training courses.

"The legislation I am proposing should improve the behaviour of owners and that should lead to an improvement in the behaviour of their dogs."

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