Mother and son jailed after XL Bully dog attack on child
A mother and son have been jailed after the XL Bully dog they kept at their home left an eight-year-old boy with life-changing injuries.
Amanda Young, 49 , of Wadham Road in Bootle was looking after the dog Snoop on 10 February 2024 when the young boy came to call.
The XL Bully dog, which is a banned breed, was owned by her son Lewis, 30, who also lives in the flat and was at work at the time. Ms Young was looking after her godson in the flat and the other child had come to play.
But as soon as the child called at the flat, the dog began attacking him. Ms Young was unable to get the dog off the child.
The boy was treated and survived but the injuries he sustained are described as “life-changing”. The dog was destroyed at the scene. When Lewis arrived he was spoken to by police. Lewis agreed that it was his dog and said he understood why it had to be destroyed.
He said he’d taken the dog a few months before from a friend and that he kept him in the flat he shared with his mum. He hadn’t realised that the dog was a banned breed and admitted he had not registered the dog yet. He said he hadn’t had any behaviour problems with the dog but didn’t let him off his lead outside of the flat.
Ms Young was also interviewed and said she had tried to get the dog off the child but couldn’t. She said the dog was normally fine with children.
On 11 March 2024, at Liverpool Crown Court, Lewis Young pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place. Amanda Young pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control in a public place.
On 13 May 2024, at Liverpool Crown Court. Lewis Young was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and Amanda Young was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Eve Johnson, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: “This was an horrific attack on a young child whose life will never be the same again.
“XL Bully Dogs are banned because they are dangerous. This dog was kept for long periods of time in a small flat and had never, as far as Lewis Young was concerned, undergone any behaviour training at all.
“Lewis claimed he didn’t know the dog was a banned breed and he hadn’t registered it and hadn’t made any attempt to formalise his ownership of the dog.
“This child had simply gone to a neighbour’s house to play and suffered dreadful injuries. That was the result of the actions of Amanda and Lewis Young in failing to make sure the dog they had was a legal breed and could be controlled.
“They have been prosecuted for their crimes but the victim is left with many years ahead where he will struggle with the consequences of what happened that day.”