Man jailed for 3 years after XL bully escaped and mauled neighbour to death
WATCH: Hospitalised dog attack victim speaks out AGAINST an XL Bully ban
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A man has been jailed for three years after his XL bully dog escaped and mauled his neighbour to death.
Christopher Bell, 45, ran out of his Sunderland home barefoot after neighbour Ian Langley had thrown a stone through one of his windows in 2023.
As he did so, he left a door open - and his two XL bullies ran out after him, eventually speeding ahead of him to violently attack Langley, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Jolyon Perks said Langley had run for about 100m before the larger of the two dogs, Titan, tackled him to the ground and latched on to his neck.
PICTURED: Christopher Bell arrives at Newcastle Crown Court
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The scene on Sunderland's Maple Terrace, after the attack took place
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Bell was eventually able to grab Titan and pull the dog off his neighbour, before returning to the scene and calling emergency services.
Langley was rushed to hospital, but the mauling had left him with "catastrophic injuries to his neck" and he was later pronounced dead.
Titan was destroyed at the scene, while Bell's other dog, Sapphire, was taken away and euthanised, the court heard.
The killer XL bully had attacked two dogs in the months leading up to Langley's death, and was "known to local residents," the court was told.
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The XL bully was destroyed following the killing (file photo)
GETTYPerks said that on July 26, 2022, it ran into the street and attacked a Yorkshire terrier, prompting owner Bell to "ask bystanders for a cigarette lighter to burn his dog's nose" to get him to release the terrier.
In June the next year, both Bell's dogs were off-lead when they attacked another dog in a "savage" five-to-10-minute-long attack which was only halted when Bell doused his XL bullies with water.
Perks said Bell had failed to act on prior knowledge of his dog's behaviour in the lead-up to the killing.
In a victim impact statement, Langley's son Jayke said his father "was not only loved by everyone in the community, he was also my role model and best influence in my life".
Northumbria, where the killing took place, ranks in the top three authorities for dangerous dog seizures in England and Wales
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He added: "His kindness and generosity shaped me into who I am. He taught me to make time for others and give to those less fortunate."
He said changes to the law after an "alarming increase in fatal dog attacks" in 2023 "sadly came too late for my dad".
The court heard Bell was "profoundly sorry for what has happened" and "had no quarrel" with Langley - and what prompted him to smash the window remains unknown.
Judge Carolyn Scott jailed Bell for three years, and banned him from owning a dog indefinitely.
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