Gran 'high' when pitbull attacked!

[helium3]

A crazed dog that mauled a girl to death was let in by her granny who had been taking drugs and drinking, a court heard yesterday.

Jacqueline Simpson, 45, had smoked cannabis and drunk wine when she broke a "clear family rule" and allowed the hulking pit bull terrier into the house, it was claimed.

Moments later, vicious Reuben locked his jaws round five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson's neck and shook her ferociously around the living room. The child screamed for her granny before falling silent.

She died in the early hours of New Year's Day before paramedics could reach her, suffering 72 injuries including 36 wounds to her head and neck.

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It had been decided not to let Reuben into the house in St Helens, Merseyside, at the same time as Ellie after two previous attacks.

A month before the pit bull killed the little girl, he savaged Simpson's daughter, Kelsey, 20, the jury heard.

Prosecutor Neil Flewitt said: "According to Kelsey, she saw something in Reuben's eyes that she had never seen before. They were bulging, red and horrible. He sank his teeth into her right leg just above the knee and tried to shake her."

Months earlier, Reuben had attacked a Jack Russell but the owner beat the dog off with his walking stick. At the time of the attack on Ellie, Simpson allegedly told police she was taking antidepressants.

Mr Flewitt told the jury: "You will have to consider whether the combination of the prescribed medication, cannabis and alcohol had any effect upon the defendant's actions that night."

Simpson, who was looking after Ellie while her parents celebrated New Year, told police that she let Reuben in because he "looked scared" and was crying. After the dog, who at 5st 4lb weighed twice as much as Ellie, went berserk, Simpson was bitten trying to haul him off her granddaughter.

She had told the ambulance crew that Reuben "just went at Ellie" as she sat on her knee. But she later claimed in a police interview that a firework exploded making the animal snap, Liverpool crown court heard.

Mr Flewitt added: "She said nothing to the paramedic about a firework going off."

The dog was bought by Simpson's son, Kiel, 24, as a puppy. But the dog soon grew into a vicious monster.

Mr Flewitt said: "There is no doubt the defendant loved Ellie dearly and has herself suffered considerably as a result of the tragic events.

"But by allowing Kiel Simpson to keep a dangerous dog and by allowing it into the house, the defendant let down Ellie and her parents."

Jacqueline Simpson denies manslaughter by gross negligence. The trial continues.

Reuben was put down soon after Ellie's death. Kiel Simpson pleaded guilty in April to owning a banned dog.

'She saw something in the dog's eyes t hat she had never seen before.. they were bulging, red and horrible'

- Neil Flewitt QC on an EARLIER attack by dog that killed Ellie

[helium3]

this is another story that happens far too often.

so what do we do? easy...make it law for all dogs to wear muzzles when they are out for a walk.

a. it doesnt cost much

b. it doesnt hurt the dog.

c. it would cut these attacks down by half at the very minimum.


obviously attacks that occur in the house, we can only ask that parents be more vigilant.

[Mogamedogz]

this is another story that happens far too often.

so what do we do? easy...make it law for all dogs to wear muzzles when they are out for a walk.

a. it doesnt cost much

b. it doesnt hurt the dog.

c. it would cut these attacks down by half at the very minimum.


obviously attacks that occur in the house, we can only ask that parents be more vigilant.

How about not allowing people to own vicious dogs in the first place?

[bpm1]

How about not allowing people to own vicious dogs in the first place?

ANY dog can be vicious, ud have to ban dogs altogether

[Mogamedogz]

ANY dog can be vicious, ud have to ban dogs altogether

Any dog CAN be vicious... but not all dogs ARE vicious. Big difference bud.

[godkilla]

keeping a vicious pitbull that alrdy attacked one of your kids (and another dog)and then leaving your kids with there pill popping, weed smoking, drunk grandma (fireworks in the house?!). wtf is wrong with people. there actions cost the lives of there own daughter and there pet.

[Amorphic]

its a simple case of stupidity. Dogs need to be muzzled or kept away from small children, its a simple fact.

[BgMc31]

I guess we can go on and on about pits and other bully dog breeds. It's really a shame that just the other day at my son's football practice a dachsund mauled a two year old girl. Of course the child only suffered some superficial injuries because the dogs lack of size and power, but still no headlines.

Just food for thought.

[helium3]

so i say again lets muzzle them all, that way the people who love these breeds so much can still have them.

everybody would be happy and also their faces would be intact!

[ftony]

Its a shame whenever a child is hurt, or much worse killed.This seems like something that could have and should have been avoided.This particular dogs previous attack on a human should have been followed up with the dog being euthenised.People must keep in mind that most dog bites and or attacks are reported as pitbulls, and most of the time are muts."Pitbull mixes" problems that arise when breeding a human aggressive breed into the pitbull line has proved to be a very bad mix..However it goes on unnoticed or people just don't care because it sells papers or magazine's or whatever.Thats more important than identifying the problem and addressing it.Just last week a local paper read.Pitbull attacks women walking on walkway,The 150 pound pitbull appeared from nowhere and attacked the women...HUH 150 what?? Obviously anyone who knows anything about dogs,which fortunately for the papers is not many,would know there's no such pitbull on this planet.Pitbulls that are 150 pounds is you guessed it, not a pitbull.And this happens all the time....I Think there should be strict breeding guidlines.Dogs should be bred to order and adopted in a more structured agreement.Which makes mandatory basic obedience training part of your dogs license just like a rabies vaccine.fine breeders deviating from breeds form and characteristics,by getting the dog registry's more involved.And finally remove all backyard breeders from news paper classified ads.Just simple things common sense that people don't seem to posses can go a long way..Muzzling dogs indiscriminately based on breed ridiculous...