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. Both of the dogs involved were put down after the attack.

During Trimble- Pettit's sentencing 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.

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".

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 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.