Particle.news
Download on the App Store

XL Bully Trial: Owner Says Dog Was Locked in Shed Before Fatal Mauling

The testimony sharpens the question of whether alleged neglect made the fatal attack foreseeable.

Overview

  • Sean Garner told jurors on Friday that he left his XL bully, Toretto, locked in a shed with a bolt, chain and padlock before the attack.
  • Prosecutors say the dog was not secured in the shed and was on the patio behind a simple latch when 84-year-old John McColl walked up the driveway.
  • Evidence shown in court described a ferocious mauling, with armed officers firing 10 shots to stop the dog and vets later finding human tissue in its stomach.
  • A police dog-legislation officer testified the animal likely had not been fed for about 10 hours, explaining that hunger can push some dogs toward aggression.
  • XL bullies are banned in the UK without an exemption certificate, and Garner has admitted owning two without one and promoting breeding online, which frames the case within tighter rules on dangerous breeds.