A woman whose XL bully dog attacked and killed her 19-year-old cousin in a Bristol flat has avoided jail with a suspended prison sentence.
Kelcie Reed, 24, was responsible for the dog, named Prince, when it mauled Morgan Dorsett at a property in Withywood on February 26 last year.
Ms Dorsett, of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, suffered fatal injuries to her head and neck during the attack, and Prince was subsequently euthanised.
Reed admitted a charge of being responsible of a dog that was dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death – entering her guilty plea at Bristol Crown Court in May.
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The court heard the devastating consequences of the attack for Dorsett’s family, while the judge also acknowledged the profound effect the incident had had on Reed.
Judge Anna Richardson sentenced Reed to 18 weeks in prison but suspended the term for 18 months.
She was also ordered to undergo a nine-month mental health treatment programme.
Addressing Reed in court, Judge Richardson described Dorsett’s death as an “utterly tragic” event for her family.
She said the loss suffered by Dorsett’s loved ones was of the “greatest possible magnitude”, adding that the sentence could appear inadequate to them given the circumstances.
The judge also warned Reed that the custodial sentence remained in place and could be activated if she failed to comply with the conditions imposed by the court.
“If you do not attend appointments in the next 18 months, and if you do not complete the treatment requirement, then you serve that prison sentence,” she said.
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Judge Richardson said she recognised that the case had also had a major impact on Reed, although she stressed that this could not be compared with the loss experienced by Dorsett’s family.
The case comes amid strict restrictions on XL bully dogs in England and Wales.
Since February 2024, it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully without a valid exemption certificate.
Owners who are permitted to keep the breed must comply with a range of requirements, including having their dogs microchipped and neutered.
The animals must also be kept on a lead and fitted with a muzzle when in public.
The restrictions were introduced by the Government following a series of serious incidents involving XL bullies, including attacks on people and other animals.
The breed was added to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act, making it illegal to own an XL bully without meeting the exemption requirements.
The court’s decision means Reed will avoid immediate imprisonment, but she faces custody if she breaches the terms of her suspended sentence or fails to complete the treatment ordered.
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