Boy, 5, mauled by XL Bully and left with disfigured face | UK | News
A “huge” and “strong” XL Bully launched a sudden and violent attack on a terrified five-year-old boy without warning. The dog clamped its jaws on the little boy’s head, causing horrific head injuries.
The boy innocently wanted to see the “puppy” and when his mother brought him to the house where the dog was kept, he was bitten without warning. The brutal attack left him with permanent scarring and the loss of part of his scalp. The breed has been described as “notorious” and “prone to extreme violence”.
The young woman who owned the potentially “dangerous” XL Bully left him with the boy’s mother while she went on holiday, but no safety precautions were taken. Hull Crown Court heard.
Courteney Chearman, 26, of Steynburg Street, East Hull, denied owning a dog that caused injury when it went dangerously out of control on May 27 last year, but a jury found her guilty. His mother, Victoria Marks, 48, who also lives in Steynburg Street, admitted taking responsibility for a dog that was dangerously out of control.
The court heard Chearman was the owner of an 11-month-old XL Bully called Chappy. The dog was one of 12 puppies born in June 2023 to an XL Bully dog owned by Chearman’s then-boyfriend.
After the relationship ended, Chappy, then only two months old, became Chearman’s sole responsibility.
Following the brutal attack, the five-year-old had to be taken to hospital for emergency treatment, including a skin graft. The wounds have left permanent scars and the little boy is now afraid of dogs.
Marks was also injured while trying to save the child from the dog.
When it became illegal to possess the XL Bully breed without an exemption certificate, Chearman applied for one but the process was never completed.
Judge Mark Bury said XL Bullies were known for acts of extreme violence and Victoria Marks failed to supervise the dog responsibly, resulting in horrific injuries. Chearman believed his mother was trustworthy but did not take appropriate security precautions.
