Unsettling news from the UK
Dog owner jailed after his pitbull ‘scalped’ baby in a playground
"A dangerous dog owner has been jailed for two years after his banned pitbull cross ‘scalped’ a 18-month-old baby. Michael Thornton, 27, and his girlfriend Hayley Eldridge’s dog Max mauled the infant in a children’s park where dogs were not allowed.
Police shot Max, who was a banned breed, dead
The pair admitted paying a 15-year-old girl cannabis to walk him but only Eldridge, 29, appeared for sentencing last month.
Max the police-perforated pit.
"Thornton was jailed for two years for dangerous dog offence with a consecutive four weeks for his breach of bail. John Fitzgerald, defending, said Thornton did not have the courage to attend for sentence after he was arrested over the dog attack
"His girlfriend Eldridge, however, admitted and was jailed for 21 months for owning Max and 16 weeks consecutive for perjury at the hearing on October 10. Prosecutor Catherine Donnelly said the child’s scalp could not be replaced and left her skull exposed."
"Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said when sentencing Eldridge: ‘Frankly, an idiot in a hurry would know such a dog should be looked after with the greatest care and circumspection because of the forseeability of such a dog running amok. ‘It was utter folly, and showed reckless disregard, to the public to place such a dog in the charge of a child, aged only 15.’"