The little boy was left, disfigured, scarred and terrified of dogs
A “huge” and “powerful” XL Bully dog viciously attacked a terrified five-year-old boy without any warning and clamped its jaws onto his head – causing horrific injuries. The young boy innocently asked to see the “puppy” after his mother took him to the house where the dog – from a “notorious” breed known for being “capable of extreme violence” – was being kept.
He was expecting to see a small and cuddly puppy but he was suddenly set upon in a “horror” attack that left him disfigured and scarred. The young woman who owned the potentially “dangerous” XL Bully left it with her mother while she went on holiday but no safety precautions whatsover were arranged, Hull Crown Court heard.
Courteney Chearman, 26, of Steynburg Street, east Hull, denied being the owner of a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control on May 27 last year but she was convicted by a jury after a trial. Her mother, Victoria Marks, 48, also of Steynburg Street, admitted being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control.
The court heard that Chearman was the owner of an 11-month-old XL Bully, called Chappy. The dog had been one of 12 puppies born in June 2023 to an XL Bully owned by Chearman’s then boyfriend.
They decided to keep Chappy but the relationship broke down. Chappy, then two months old, was later looked after exclusively by Chearman.
The XL Bully breed became illegal to own. Current owners had to have an exemption certificate. Chearman applied for one but the process was not completed.
She was going on a caravan holiday with her four-year-old daughter for five days and she took the dog to stay with Marks, who was living at the time with her cousin in Brazil Street, Hull. Marks knew the dog but it had not stayed with her before.
Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that the dog’s crate, where it slept at night, was not taken to the house where Marks lived. There was no discussion between Chearman and Marks about safety precautions, such as a dog gate or barrier, for if there were visitors.
The XL Bully was a “large, powerful dog” even though it was officially still a puppy. “Dogs are unpredictable and he was a dangerous dog breed,” said Miss Holmes.
“There were no precautions taken to safeguard anyone who came to the house.” Chearman had clearly thought: “It’ll be fine.” But Miss Holmes added: “It wasn’t fine.”
A woman arrived at the house with her five-year-old son, who wanted to see the “puppy” that was there. They were let in – but the boy was attacked by the XL Bully. “It all happened very quickly,” said Miss Holmes.
“The attack was almost instantaneous. Attacks like this do happen unpredictably.” The boy was first through the door when the dog pounced and attacked.
The people who were there were trying to get the dog off the boy. He was taken to hospital. He lost part of his scalp in the attack and he needed a skin graft to half his head. The hair in that area would not grow back and he was left scarred.
“It could have been much worse, as bad as it was,” said Miss Holmes. “He, thankfully, doesn’t remember very much of the attack. He has been left with a fear of dogs.
“If he sees a dog out in public, he will shake in fear and he is terrified.” The boy’s mother later described the dog as a “beast” and “huge” with a “massive” head. The dog was taken away by the police and was put down in October last year.
Chearman had no previous convictions but Marks had previously been jailed for a burglary in which she was not present during the raid itself but gave information about the presence of £20,000 cash at the premises targeted.
Jazmine Lee, representing Chearman, said that a young child had been injured by a “notorious breed” dog – “one we have heard lots about in headline news over the last few years”. It was a “horror” case but Chearman believed that she was “doing everything right” as an owner.
There had been no issues with the dog previously and Chearman described the dog as “daft” and “playful”. There had never been any signs of agitation or aggression at all.
“There was never any reason to doubt him,” said Miss Lee. “She was an experienced dog handler. This was her second XL Bully.
“She had no reason to believe that her beloved Chappy was aggressive to anyone. She could not have foreseen what he did do. Her mother had a good relationship with Chappy.
“There had never been any issues – only positive interactions. She believed that her mother was completely prepared and up to speed to have Chappy.
“She was wrong to trust her mother. She has taken this as a strong lesson.” Chearman told the court that she now had only “fish” and no pets.
Oliver Shipley, representing Marks, said that the dog attack had a profound effect on her and she had undergone counselling for it. “She was injured during the course of trying to stop the attack or, at least, help,” said Mr Shipley.
Marks tried to drag the boy away from the dog but she could not release the dog from him, the court heard. The dog bit Marks while she was trying to prise it from the child. She suffered hand injuries.
She had said that she would never look after a dog again. She had suffered flashbacks of trying to drag the dog off the boy. She felt helpless at the time.
Marks had used drugs in the past and she smoked cannabis from the age of 13. She was on crack cocaine while living with her cousin but she was not under the influence of drugs at the time of the dog attack.
Marks was no longer using drugs and she had moved away from associates who used drugs. She was providing negative drug tests and was looking for work.
Judge Mark Bury said that, “all of a sudden”, Chappy’s jaws “locked on to” the boy’s head, causing serious injuries to his scalp. “XL Bullies are known to be capable of extreme violence,” said Judge Bury.
He told Chearman: “You wanted to go on holiday with your daughter for a few days. You wanted someone to look after Chappy.” Chearman took the dog to where her mother was living.
“You genuinely thought that she was a fit and proper person,” said Judge Bury. “It’s clear to me that Victoria Marks was not a fit and proper person.
“No safety requirements or measures had been put in place. He was allowed to roam freely in the house. You were happy just to leave Chappy with your mum and leave her to look after him.
“As a responsible dog owner, you should have done more than that. You were genuinely shocked and upset by what happened.”
Judge Bury told Marks: “While you were in charge of Chappy, he caused a very serious injury to a young boy. That injury will be permanent and it’s a disfiguring injury.
“He has already undertaken skin grafts. The hair on one side of his head will never grow back. Serious though that is, it could have been worse.
“You were not a fit and proper person to look after him. You are more to blame than your daughter. She trusted you to look after him. You singularly failed to do that.
“It was foreseeable that there might come a time when he would show aggression. He’s a powerful dog. You didn’t take your responsibility anywhere near seriously enough. “There is no way that anyone should have been allowed to have contact with Chappy other than you. You simply did not give any sufficient thought to his safety or the safety of others.”
Chearman was given 70 hours’ unpaid work. Marks was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 150 hours’ unpaid work and 15 days’ rehabilitation. She was banned from having custody of a dog for 10 years. No ban was imposed on Chearman.