A pensioner, John McColl, tragically passed away a month after being attacked by an XL bully dog named Toretto in Warrington, Cheshire, last February. The dog was shot 10 times by armed police officers who responded to the incident.
During the court proceedings at Liverpool Crown Court, the dog’s owner, Sean Garner, testified that he had taken all necessary precautions to ensure the dog’s safety. Garner claimed that the dog was securely locked inside a shed in his patio area with a gate fastened by a latch and chain when Mr. McColl approached the driveway.
Expressing his shock and devastation over the incident, Garner mentioned that he couldn’t fathom how someone could have let the dog out. Despite findings showing no dog food in the dog’s stomach, Garner denied that the dog was hungry, attributing its behavior to encountering an unfamiliar person on the property.
In response to the prosecution’s claim that the dog was not guarding the premises but attacking Mr. McColl, Garner maintained that the dog was confined in the shed at the time. He also admitted to not returning home immediately after being informed by the police due to his driving disqualification, leading to his partner’s arrest upon her return with their children.
The prosecution alleges that the dog was not properly secured in the shed and was instead on the patio with only a gate latch preventing it from escaping. Garner, from Belle Vale, Liverpool, denies the charge of owning a dog that caused injury while being dangerously out of control. He has acknowledged possessing the XL bully dogs, Toretto and Malibu, without the necessary exemption certificates.
The trial is ongoing.
