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Owner of XL Bully Dogs Gets Five-Year Sentence Over Fatal 2023 Attack

Prosecutors said persistent negligence over known risks led to the fatal attack.

Overview

  • Stafford Crown Court sentenced James Harrison Trimble-Pettit, 33, to five years in custody and disqualified him from owning dogs indefinitely.
  • Ian Price, 52, died after being mauled on Main Street in Stonnall on 14 September 2023 when two XL bully dogs escaped through an insecure door and window.
  • Prosecutors presented evidence that the owner knew the dogs could escape and be violent, including a March 2023 incident in which they attacked a woman and her dog in a local shop.
  • An expert assessment found inadequate security and poor living conditions at the property, and evidence indicated the owner pushed a window shut from outside so it did not lock securely.
  • The CPS said it built the case using witness testimony, CCTV and expert reports, and that the defendant changed his plea on the second day of his trial.