A park user in Swindon was left needing 60 stitches to his face after being attacked by an Akita dog he says he was trying to befriend.

Arkadiusz Nowak was walking his pet in Queens Park when the incident happened early in the evening of Saturday, April 13.

Nowak, 44, of Groundwell Road, pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dangerous dog at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (July 16).

The victim was walking through the park with a friend, who was known to Nowak.

After they stopped to chat, the victim said he had asked to pet the dog, to which Nowak agreed but warned the dog needed to smell him first.

He said the dog did not show any signs of aggression when smelling his hand, but while he was petting the dog on the head, the victim lent forwards slightly and the dog suddenly pounced at his face.

The victim's injuries after the dog attackThe victim's injuries after the dog attack (Image: CPS)

The victim was treated at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for injuries to the nose, saying the doctor stopped counting at around 40 stitches, and he also needed at least 10 stitches to his lips. 

READ MORE: 'Akita' dog attack in Swindon leaves man needing 60 stitches

But in his police interview, Nowak told officers the dog was on a lead and claimed the victim and his friend appeared to be drunk.

He said he asked the pair not to approach the dog, because he had an ear infection, but instead the victim grabbed the dog by the ears, causing him to react, which could not have been foreseen.

Nowak added the dog, who is four-years-old and he has had since the age of five weeks, had never behaved in an aggressive manner before and was usually well-behaved. 

Following the attack, the dog was seized by police. It has been kept in kennels, racking up fees of £3,000.

Arkadiusz Nowak leaves court (Image: Newsquest)

The magistrate said: “It looks like Nowak tries to be a careful owner.

“I’m satisfied that the dog will not be a danger if it was muzzled and kept on a lead in a public place and that’s because there’s no evidence that the dog spontaneously went for somebody - he responded to provocation.

“Your responsibility for this offence is low because I accept [the victim] touched the dog. But the harm was quite high because obviously he had a horrible injury.”

Nowak was ordered to pay £500 compensation to the victim and £85 prosecution fees and the dog will be returned to him.