XL bully owner jailed over dog attack death

A dog owner whose XL bullies attacked and killed a man has been jailed for five years.

James Harrison Trimble-Pettit, 33, previously pleaded guilty to having dogs dangerously out of control when Ian Price, 52, was attacked outside a property in Stonnall, Staffordshire, near Walsall, on 14 September 2023.

Price suffered multiple dog bite wounds and was taken to hospital, where he later died. The court heard Trimble-Pettit's dogs had previously escaped and attaccked other people.

During the sentencing hearing at Stafford Crown Court, the victim's wife, Hannah Price, said losing her husband "broke" her.

"I'm haunted by dreams of those dogs, what Ian endured and the kids' faces when I had to tell them," she told Thursday's hearing.

One of the dogs died during the attack after being restrained and the other was put down by a vet inside Trimble-Pettitt's flat.

The court heard the father-of-two found one of the dogs outside Trimble-Pettit's home after it had escaped and was trying to take it back when the attack happened shortly after 15:00 BST.

Judge John Edwards said he was "utterly overpowered by these young, powerful creatures who ravaged him for 12 minutes".

Just hours after Ian Price's death, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the XL bully breed would be banned in England and Wales.

At the time of the attacks, a friend, Rob Ellwood, described Ian Price as a keen golfer and a man who loved his family, walking his own dogs and Aston Villa.

Hannah Price said her husband's death made her "question everything" and "ripped away" every dream she had for the future.

"I always thought Ian was indestructible," she added. "He was the toughest man I ever met...as well as being strong, he was kind and dependable."

The court heard both of Trimble-Pettit's dogs, named Via and Ares managed to escape their owner's home through an insecure door and open window, while the garden gate had also been left ajar.

Prosecutors said the animals attacked Ian Price's face and continued "jumping and biting".

Members of the public tried to help the victim with one attempting to use their car and others using bins.

The attack was witnessed by both his wife and mother, with Ian Price eventually falling to the ground in the latter's garden.

The court was told Heather Price called police and was heard telling them the dogs were "absolutely ravaging him".

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but suffered severe blood loss and a cardiac arrest, later dying of his injuries that evening.

Speaking during the hearing, Ian Price's son Russell said the attack took away a part of him.

He said he had made memories he wished he could have shared with his father, including trips abroad.

"I know he will be proud of me and that brings me some peace but I'll never be able to hear it," he added.

Daughter Fiona Price, who was 17 years old at the time of the attack, said her father would always make sure she made the right decisions.

"I'll never get to celebrate with him when I'm happy or console with him when I'm sad," she said.

The court heard Trimble-Pettit, now of Fradley, near Lichfield, knew his dogs could escape his home and witnesses reported previous cases of them being out of his control.

In March 2023, both dogs escaped and attacked a woman and her dog at a nearby shop.

One woman stopped using a local park in January 2023 after Trimble-Pettit warned her that his dogs were "not friendly" while they ran off their leads and ignored his commands.

Witnesses reported seeing both dogs escaping through his windows and gates on several occasions.

They were also reported to not be living in a safe environment and had no toys, blankets or dog beds.

An expert who examined the property also found the garden was "full of faeces".

Judge Edwards said while Trimble-Pettit did not intent for them to attack Ian Price, he displayed a "wholesale disregard" for his responsibilities as a dog owner.

Thomas Schofield KC, mitigating, said he recognised the "magnitude of the loss" felt by Ian Price's family, describing his death as a "tragedy of the highest level".

He said Trimble-Pettit's fault was one of negligence rather than intention, adding: "He didn't wake up that day thinking he was going to hurt somebody."

He was the "epitome of remorse", Schofield said, and wrote a letter to the family apologising for what happened.

In his sentencing, Judge Edwards also disqualified Trimble-Pettit from keeping dogs indefinitely.

"Nothing can undo the devastation caused to Mr Price's family, but we hope this conviction and sentence provides them with some measure of justice. Our thoughts are with them at this time," James Morris from the Crown Prosecution Service said

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