A man made a disturbing joke to his partner about their 26-day-old baby following an incident where their aggressive French bulldog attacked the infant’s toes.
Aaron Newsome, 24, and Caitlin Powell, 20, initially lied about their baby being bitten by a stranger’s dog at a bus stop when they arrived at Ormskirk Hospital on October 5, 2023. However, hospital staff became suspicious and alerted the authorities.
During police questioning, their fabricated story fell apart. Newsome, from Evington in Skelmersdale, reacted strongly when asked to hand over his phone for examination, leading investigators to discover evidence of their deception.
Text messages showed Newsome instructing Powell to stick to their false account of the incident, emphasizing that they should claim they were near a specific location. He then heartlessly joked about needing a special outfit for his injured son.
The brutal attack occurred on October 4, 2023, just before Powell brought the injured baby to the hospital. The mother continued to insist that a stranger’s dog was responsible for the incident.
Powell eventually admitted to authorities that their French bulldog, Boss, had bitten the child while he was crying, acknowledging that she panicked. Newsome was not present during the attack.
Caitlin Powell’s father, Carl Powell, was also involved in trying to cover up the attack. The couple had been living with him in Southport along with five dogs, including Boss.
Carl Powell revealed that he rushed to the hospital after receiving a distressing call from his daughter about his grandson’s injuries. He later mentioned disposing of Boss, but ultimately handed the dog over to someone unaware of the situation.
The infant suffered injuries to his toes, resulting in the amputation of one. After a 12-day hospital stay, the baby showed signs of significant recovery.
Newsome, Carl Powell, and Caitlin Powell pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. Caitlin also admitted to being in charge of a dog that caused injury.
Carl Powell had a history of criminal convictions, while Newsome had a clean record. Both received suspended prison sentences during their court hearing.
Caitlin Powell’s sentencing was postponed due to issues locating Boss’ current owner, Rebecca Cahill, which prevented the judge from making decisions regarding the dog’s fate under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The judge expressed concern about proceeding with the sentencing without resolving the matter of the dog’s ownership. Caitlin Powell’s sentencing was rescheduled to a later date pending further developments in locating the dog’s owner.
