Wigan rugby legend Andy Gregory given suspended prison sentence after his dog attacked a man

The 61-year-old, who 17 years ago was himself the victim of a Rottweiler attack in Ince, appeared before Bolton magistrates to admit having a dangerous dog out of control.

The hearing was told that Gregory stood by and did nothing when his pet Geordie went for Simon Derbyshire who had picked up his own, smaller dog because, he said, the collie had gone for it before on walks in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

The victim suffered bites to his back and calf, the latter becoming infected and requiring regular hospital visits for six months following the attack on October 26 2021.

Gregory was sentenced to 16 weeks’ custody although this was suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to Mr Derbyshire and was ordered always to walk Geordie from now on with a lead and muzzle as conditions of a contingency destruction order.

It has been a bad year for the one-time member of Wigan’s all-conquering RL team of the 1980s and ’90s.

As Wigan Today reported, he was declared bankrupt in March, after accumulating debts of £412,000 following the collapse of the SummerFest music event in Blackburn which was to have hosted vintage acts including the Human League, Boy George, and UB40.

It was cancelled at the 11th hour, leaving those who bought tickets trying to obtain refunds.

And the court hearing was told that Gregory had lost his job as a site manager because of the dog attack.

In 2006 Gregory himself was the victim of a mauling when a Rottweiler sank its jaws into his side, leaving a football-sized bruise on the William Foster playing fields in Ince.

The then 45-year-old repeatedly punched the 12-stone dog in an attempt to break its grip.

He needed three trips to hospital for treatment but afterwards he told the Wigan Evening Post that, rather than the pain, his main concern was that the Rottweiler should be muzzled before it attacked anyone else, especially those more vulenerable.