Dog owner jailed after man’s death

A dog owner whose pet savaged a neighbour to death in Yorkshire despite being the subject of a control order has been jailed for 10 years. Aaron Joseph owned a cross-breed bull terrier which attacked and killed David Ellam, 52.

A DOG owner whose pet savaged a neighbour to death in Yorkshire despite being the subject of a control order has been jailed for 10 years.

Aaron Joseph owned a crossbreed bull terrier, Alex, which attacked and killed David Ellam, 52, outside his flat after digging under a fence.

Mr Ellam was heard to scream “help me, please somebody help me” as the dog savaged him and dragged him on the ground with its jaw clamped to his leg.

He suffered serious injuries during the attack in August 2016 and died 12 hours later at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

It took a jury at Leeds Crown Court just 40 minutes on Monday to find 30-year-old Joseph, the father of an eight-year-old child and 14-month-old twins, guilty of having a dog which caused injury resulting in death while dangerously out of control.

The court heard that Alex had previously attacked other neighbours and was subject to an order meaning she had to be muzzled, neutered and on a lead in public.

Sentencing Joseph yesterday, Judge Sally Cahill said the attack happened because of Joseph’s “arrogant and stubborn disregard” for the welfare and safety of others.

Joseph, described as a semiprofessional footballer, blew a kiss to the public gallery as he was led to the cells.

The court heard how his fiveyear-old dog attacked Mr Ellam outside his flat while he attempted to defend his own pet.

Former lollipop man Mr Ellam was set upon outside his flat in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire by the dog, which had dug its way out of a pen nearby.

The animal grabbed hold of him by the arm before biting his leg, and neighbours described in court hearing desperate screams for help.

One even fetched a knife to stab the animal, but the dog only released Mr Ellam after a police officer sprayed a fire extinguisher at its face.

The court heard that the dog was the subject of a control order in October 2012 which stated that the dog should be neutered, insured and microchipped. The court was also told that Joseph had ignored all the terms of the order.

The dog had also previously attacked three other neighbours and a council workman and was on the banned breeds list.

Police officers seized the animal, but it was returned to Joseph just eight days prior to the attack.

Joseph was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was also disqualified from owning a dog for life.

Mr Ellam’s partner, Claire, and friends watched the proceedings from the public gallery wearing Huddersfield Town kits emblazoned with “Dave Ellam 52” on the back.

In a victim impact statement from the partner read by prosecutor Jonathan Sharp QC, she described how “losing Dave was like turning out the light” in her life.

She said she had suffered anxiety and sleepless nights since the “simply unthinkable” attack.

The statement added: “Dave was one of those people that once you had met was hard to forget, once he was part of your life it was hard to imagine life without him.

“Losing Dave was like someone had turned out the light in our lives.”

In mitigation, Katherine Pierpoint said Joseph, who worked as a courier, was “genuinely shocked when he saw what had happened”.

Sentencing him, Judge Cahill said: “The circumstances of this offence are nothing short of horrendous. On August 15 2016, Mr David Ellam met his death in the most appalling manner.”

The circumstances are nothing short of horrendous. Judge Sally Cahill at Leeds Crown Court.