‘The injuries are just dreadful.’
A mum and son have been jailed after an XL bully dog ripped an eight-year-old boy’s scalp off in a ferocious attack.
Amanda Young, 49, was looking after the dog while son Lewis, 30, who had bought it from a Facebook advert without checking it was a banned breed, was working.
She let the animal, called Snoop, wander ‘unrestrained’ and ‘uncontrolled’ outside her flat in Bootle while she sat inside drinking, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
On the day of the attack, February 10, several people reported the dog jumping up at them before it attacked the boy in a communal area of the block when he stopped by to meet a friend.
The court heard neighbours tried to pull the dog off him while his mum screamed that ‘an XL bully has got my boy’.
One man, Anthony Atkinson, who bravely grabbed the dog by its neck to try and stop the attack, described seeing it latched on to the boy’s shoulder and neck area.
Others said it was ‘frothing at the mouth’ and shaking the boy’s head.
Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, said: ‘He was left with significant and life-changing juries.
‘His scalp was left on the floor, and despite 10 hours of surgery, doctors were unable to able to re-attach it and he has had skin grafts instead.’
The boy also had a skull fracture consistent with the dog’s tooth penetrating his scalp. As well as extensive injuries to his face and hands.
The court heard the dog was categorised as having substantial features of an XL bully-type dog.
Restrictions came into force at the end of last year requiring the dogs to be kept on a lead and muzzled in public and from February 1, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully in England and Wales without a certificate.
Lewis Young told police he had owned a cloth muzzle but the dog had chewed through it so it could not be used.
He said he was ‘not sure’ if the animal was an XL bully and had been planning to have it tested.
Amanda Young was jailed for 20 months after admitting being the person in charge of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place.
Her son pleaded guilty to being the owner and was given a two-year sentence.
Sentencing, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary said: ‘The circumstances of the attack are truly awful.
‘The nature of the injuries caused to the young victim, then eight years old, were catastrophic and on any view life changing.
‘The events of that day will no doubt haunt the memories of everyone who witnessed the savage and sustained attack by the dog you had decided to keep as a pet.’
He added: ‘This little boy has had multiple surgeries to graft skin to his head. He will be left, on any view, with extensive facial and scalp scarring and profound psychological scarring.
‘The injuries are just dreadful.’
In a statement, the victim’s mother, who was in court with relatives, said her son had to stay in hospital for more than two months and had not yet returned to school.
She said: ‘He is petrified when he sees a dog and will physically grab his dad’s or my hand.’
Daniel Travers, defending Lewis Young, said he was ‘devastated’ about the attack.
He added: ‘He will forever regret what happened and he knows he and his mother were completely to blame for what happened.’
Martine Snowdon, defending Amanda Young, said she had mental health difficulties and had volunteered at a community centre.
She said she had ‘genuine and profound remorse’.
Both were disqualified from owning a dog until further order.
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