Former West Ham footballer Said Benrahma has been fined £12,000 for owning two dangerous and out-of-control dogs that attacked a golden retriever.
The Algerian pleaded guilty to two counts of the charge at Willesden Magistrates’ Court.
His two XL bullies chased and attacked a golden retriever in a “very distressing” incident in July 2023.
The owner of the golden retriever, Luke Rehbin, also sustained injuries as he grappled with the fighting dogs.
Said Benrahma was fined after his XL bullies attacked a golden retriever
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Benrahma spent four seasons with the Hammers before leaving for Lyon in 2024, and he admitted to owning the dogs when he lived in Hornchurch, east London, in 2023.
He said that the dogs had escaped from a side gate that had been left open by someone who was working for him at the time.
He appeared in court via video link from a car in Saudi Arabia, where he now plays for Neom in the Saudi Pro League.
He originally joined West Ham in 2020 and scored 24 goals in his 155 games for the club.
District Judge Matt Jabbitt said the incident must have been “very distressing” for the golden retriever’s owner, and fined Benrahma £5,000 for each of the attacks and ordered him to pay £2,500 compensation to Mr Rehbin on top of an additional £495 in kennel costs.
XL bullies must be registered in the UK
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The fine comes just days after another Premier League star was fined for forgetting to register their XL bully.
England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was fined after he did not register his dog, Harlo, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, owners were required to register all XL bullies by February 2024 after the breed was outlawed following a string of violent attacks across the country.
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Gibbs-White, who did not attend Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, was represented by solicitor Mark Haslam.
The player’s legal team said he had “fully cooperated with the investigation” and was “doing everything in his power to put things right.”
Haslam explained that Gibbs-White had complied with every other legal condition of ownership, including neutering, microchipping and ensuring Harlo is muzzled and kept on a lead in public.
Morgan Gibbs-White was fined earlier this week for failing to register his XL bully
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“All the conditions we were aware of have been met, apart from the registration, which will be met,” he said.
The court heard that Gibbs-White missed the registration deadline because of his busy professional schedule.