Mauled to death by 8st ‘superbreed’ dog
Victim was walking pet bought on Snapchat by neighbour 24 hours earlier
A DOG walker was mauled to death by an eight-stone “superbreed” bought off Snapchat just 24 hours earlier, an inquest heard.
Ian Symes, 34, was taking his 20-yearold neighbour Callum Jones’s new American Bully XL for a stretch around a public park when a playful game of tug swiftly turned into a vicious attack.
Tragically, Mr Symes, known as Wiggy, died after “Kong” inflicted catastrophic neck injuries on him, including punctures to his jugular vein.
The 8st 3lb dog is thought to have become aggressive during “ragdoll-like play” with a tea towel found next to 7st 12 lb Mr Symes at the recreation ground in Fareham, Hants, on the morning of August 10, 2022.
Animal expert Dr Candy d’Sa told Portsmouth coroners court: “I believe it was a play exercise that got out of hand and turned into predatory behaviour very quickly.”
The inquest heard Kong, who was later destroyed, had not been socialised.
Mr Jones had bought him for £650 from travellers who had kept him in a kennel.
He had left him with Mr Symes, who was experienced with large dogs having previously kept Rottweilers, but warned him not to try to walk him alone as he was too strong.
Paul Keltie, who was also helping to look after Kong, said: “It was the most soppiest thing ever. Very strong, very big, but the most gentle thing ever.”
Dr d’Sa described American XL Bullies as “very controversial”, having been introduced following the banning of
American pit bull terriers. She warned they are bigger and stronger than pit bulls, sharing their instinct to hunt and kill other animals, and have an “extreme bite force” as strong as mastiff dogs. Dr d’Sa told the inquest: “They need highly specialised owners. They do not belong in kennels and they are certainly not dogs for one-bedroom flats. “Nobody knew this dog, this dog had been with these people less than 24 hours. “[These dogs] will continue to do damage until the public is educated.” Dr d’Sa said in her assessments of Kong following the tragedy that he quickly became aggressive during play and that he was so big he was borderline an “Extreme Bully”.
She added: “There was no way a man of that build could get a dog like that off. It weighed more than the victim and standing up Kong was face height. Ian would have fallen down very quickly.”
Recording a narrative conclusion, coroner Sarah Whitby said: “Mr Symes engaged in some play with Kong who responded with default behaviour... and bit his neck and torso repeatedly, severing the voice box and puncturing all four major blood vessels of the neck and severely damaging his spinal column. He died from catastrophic injuries aggressively inflicted by a dog.”
A police investigation into the tragedy ended without any charges.
After the death, Mr Symes’s brother Martin said: “The facts are he was out walking a dog, something he loved to do, and as sad as it is at least he passed away doing something he loved.”’