Young and sweet 10-year-old Jack Lis was no match for the dog that would cause his death in the most horrific way imaginable. Muscular, aggressive and weighing nearly 100 pounds, Beast possessed a name befitting its physique, WalesOnline reports.
As Jack's lifeless body was pulled out of a house in Caerphilly, South Wales by police, gunshots rang around the street as firearms officers shot and killed Beast to prevent him harming anyone else. The dog's owner, Brandon Hayden, and carer Amy Salter were nowhere to be seen.
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But they would receive justice for their gross negligence which led to an innocent boy being robbed of the rest of his life in a fatal dog attack.
This is the full story of how Jack Lis was killed by a dangerous dog.
Bought on Facebook
Brandon Hayden, 19, purchased Beast on November 3 having responded to an advert on Facebook. He was told the dog would be free to anyone willing to give it a good home.
The seller said the animal was not good with other dogs, but Hayden agreed to take ownership of Beast on the understanding it was prone to aggressive behaviour. Despite his house being too small for Beast and his father too ill to look after him, Hayden went forward with the deal, viewing the dog as a status-symbol.
He asked friend Amy Salter if she would be willing to keep the dog at her house. Salter, 29, initially rejected the request having felt nervous of Beast's size but later relented and agreed to let Beast live in her home.
Aggressive behaviour caught on camera
In the days leading up to Jack's death, Hayden and sometimes Salter could be seen hanging around outside the Top Shops in Penyrheol with Beast in tow. On several occasions the dog was recorded on CCTV lunging and barking at people in the street.
On November 4, Michael Ball was bitten by Beast as he made his way out of Top Shops and received a cut on his arm which became swollen. On November 7, another victim, Sian Sullivan, approached the dog again outside Top Shops and asked Hayden if Beast would bite but he told her he would only jump up. She went over to stroke Beast but he lunged at her, and grabbed hold of her hoodie while growling.
The fatal attack
On November 8, Salter went to work and Hayden brought Beast back to the house at 3pm after taking him out for a walk. After finishing school for the day, Jack was invited to see the dog when no adults were present. Jack was initially nervous of Beast but having been reassured of his safety he went up the dog to give him a stroke.
But Beast violently jumped up with his paws out and sent Jack crashing to the floor before proceeding to fatally attack him. The full details of what happened to Jack are publicly unknown due to their graphic nature but he was described as sustaining 'catastrophic and unsurvivable injuries'. An inquest opening heard Jack received 'severe injuries to the head and neck'.
Attempts were made to save Jack but Beast was said to be 'too powerful' and they were unable to prevent it from attacking Jack. Hayden had been called and having arrived at the scene he looked inside the door before quickly closing it. A witness described Hayden as "freaking out" and that he left as police arrived in the street.
Crowds gathered outside the house with initial confusion about how many children were inside the property with the dog. Police made attempts to distract Beast by banging on the kitchen window. Sergeant Ross Phillips reached inside and dragged Jack's body into the garden, holding off Beast as he tried to get out of the house. Paramedics tried to treat Jack but he was already dead.
Firearms officers entered the house with loaded firearms and shot Beast in an upstairs bedroom.
The court hearings
Hayden pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control, two counts of being the owner of a dog which caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place and three counts of being the owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control. Salter pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog which caused serious injury resulting in death.
In a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on June 10, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: "For any child to lose their life at the age of 10 is bad enough but the circumstances we have heard and read and the pain expressed in intense terms the unbearable impact and harm it has done to those who knew and loved Jack."
Hayden was sentenced to four years and six months detention in a young offenders' institute and Salter was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Both were disqualified from owning or keeping a dog indefinitely.
Family statement
After the hearing, Jack's mother Emma Whitfield expressed anger towards the defendants responsible for the dog which caused her son's death. Holding on tightly to a cuddly toy that had belonged to her 'beautiful' son, she said the following: "Unfortunately, the torture will continue and we will have to continue to live with it. This has been the consequence of people wanting a status symbol."
She added: "Amy Salter, a mother, allowed this dog into a house knowing full well what it was capable of. More needs to be done regarding the law to prevent these types of owners and to prevent the situation happening again."
Ms Whitfield said: "Hayden has laughed in my face too many times trying to sell a dog with the same name two months later just two doors away from me. This has shown absolutely no remorse or respect to me."
The proud mum also paid tribute to her son, saying: "Nothing will ever make up for what has happened to our family. Jack played, he told jokes. He deserved to live more of a life than this."
