‘Beast’ dog that killed boy mauled two others
AN EIGHT-STONE dog named ‘Beast’ that mauled a ten-year-old schoolboy to death attacked two other people days before the killing, a court heard yesterday.
Jack Lis was killed by the dog while playing at a school friend’s house in Caerphilly, South Wales, in November. He was left with ‘unsurvivable injuries’ to the head and neck.
Amy Salter, 28 and Brandon Hayden, 19, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday to being in charge of the American bully dog, which was destroyed by police.
Salter pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control while Hayden admitted to being the owner of the animal. The teenager also pleaded guilty to five offences of owning a dog dangerously out of control between November 4 and 7.
The court heard that two members of the public – Michael Ball and Sian Sullivan – were bitten in separate incidents before Jack’s death.
Mr Ball was attacked on November 4 when the dog jumped up and bit him as he left a local shop.
Miss Sullivan was attacked near the same shop on November 7 – the day before Jack’s death. Prosecutor Nathan Fear said Hayden had ‘reassured’ her that the dog wouldn’t bite – only for Beast to grab hold of her hoodie and injure her stomach.
Salter and Hayden, both also from Caerphilly, spoke only to confirm their names and to enter a guilty plea. They will be sentenced at Newport Crown Court on June 10.
Judge Michael Fitton QC said he was ‘not making any promises’ as he granted them both bail. Both have been banned from being in possession of a dog while Hayden was also banned from uploading any photos of himself with a dog.
An inquest in November heard that Jack was outside his house ‘playing with a friend’ before going to Salter’s home in a neighbouring street. Upon entering the house, Jack was attacked by the dog. Although emergency services rushed to the scene, he was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
In a statement issued after his death, Jack’s family said they were ‘absolutely heartbroken’.
They added: ‘Our lives will never be the same without Jack. This is not something any parent should ever have to be writing... We love him more than words can describe. Our boy made us the proudest parents and family on the planet.’
‘Attacked while leaving a shop’