Conflicting paperwork led to charges being dismissed against a Southampton woman in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Acting Senior Magistrate Edward King read out a charge of owning a dog who injured Carlton Hunt by biting him on the left arm on June 12 of last year to Patricia Ann Hill, 40, of Church Road, Southampton.

But Crown counsel Wayne Caines said that the charge he had was that Hill was the owner of two dogs and had allowed the dogs to stray.

After the matter was stood down for a few minutes, Mr. Caines asked that the charge be amended in order to reflect his information. "I can't amend this to that,'' said Mr. King. "That is a charge of straying.

Principal Crown counsel Dorien Taylor then intervened to ask that the matter be adjourned. "There's obviously some sort of typographical error,'' said Mr.

Taylor.

Mr. King pointed out however, that the dog bite charge was no longer valid as more than six months had elapsed since the alleged incident.

"I cannot adjourn the matter because it is a non-matter as it stands in front of me. The information is inherently defective,'' said Mr. King. "As far as I'm concerned if you have other charges for the lady, you can lay them. This one is buried.'' "This is really embarrassing,'' said Mr. Taylor.

"Not for me,'' replied Mr. King.