A man and woman have been jailed after both admitting to being in charge of a dog that mauled a 10-year-old boy to death.
Jack Lis was attacked by the American bully, known as Beast, while playing with a friend at a house after school in Petwyn, Caerphilly, Wales on November 8, 2021. Brandon Hayden, 19, received a sentence of four years and six months at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, while Amy Salter, 29, was sentenced to three years in prison.
Salter, of Trethomas, Caerphilly, admitted being a person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control, causing injury resulting in Jack’s death, while Hayden, of Penyrheol, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to being the owner of the dog that killed Jack. Both of them have been banned from owning a dog indefinitely.
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Wales Online reports that in his sentencing remarks, Judge Michael Fitton QC said: “I have to sentence you for offences related to the ownership or responsibility of being in charge of a dog that cause injury relating to the death of Jack Lis on November 8.”
The judge added: “I’d like to pay my personal respects and express the court’s condolences to the family, loved ones and all those that knew him. Every life this court learns about is itself precious and the value of every life is greater of course to those who knew and lived the individual."
He continued: "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 VPS [victim personal statements] in intense terms the unbearable impact and harm it has done to those who knew and loved Jack. His death was an utterly tragic and needless event, it should never have happened and need never have happened.”
Addressing Salter, Judge Fitton said it was “utterly irresponsible” for her to agree to have the dog at her home and he said Hayden made inadequate efforts to control the dog.
He said: “On the day he died Jack was 10 years old and the circumstances reflect on both of you.”
The judge added: “We have heard powerful and moving accounts from the VPS. It’s impossible to imagine the full extent of the trauma and pain experienced by Jack and it’s obvious no one would want to find themselves in the position of any member of the family of the deceased or a member of the emergency services who attended the scene and the carnage that presented itself.
“The impact of your actions, irresponsibility, and thoughtlessness will live with the family of Jack forever and will way heavily on your conscience for the rest of your life.”
At an earlier hearing, the court heard how Jack had entered Salter’s property after school and was standing near the door when the dog jumped on him. The emergency services including paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service were called to the house at around 3.55pm but were unable to save him.
Jack suffered severe injuries to the head and neck described as “unsurvivable”, an inquest opening into Jack’s death heard.
Police firearms officers attended the scene and destroyed the dog. The animal was later found to be an 115lb American bully or XL bully, which are not on the banned breed list.
In a statement issued the day after he was killed, Jack’s family said: “Our boy made us the proudest parents and family on the planet. He was the sweetest of boys.” A funeral held for Jack at St Martin’s Church in Caerphilly was attended by hundreds of people wearing red and carrying red balloons in his memory.
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