A dog owner whose XL bullies attacked and killed a man has been jailed for five years. James Harrison Trimble-Pettitt, 33, pleaded guilty to having dogs dangerously out of control when Ian Price, 52, was mauled outside a property in Stonnall, Staffordshire, on 14 September 2023.
Price suffered multiple dog bite wounds and died in hospital later that evening. The court heard Trimble-Pettitt's dogs, named Via and Ares, had previously escaped and attacked other people. One dog died during the attack after being restrained, and the other was put down by a vet.
During the sentencing at Stafford Crown Court, Price's wife Heather 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 said. The victim's son Russell said the attack 'took away a part of him,' while daughter Fiona said she would never get to celebrate or console with her father again.
The court heard Price was trying to return one of the dogs to Trimble-Pettitt's home when the attack occurred. Judge John Edwards said Price was 'utterly overpowered by these young, powerful creatures who ravaged him for 12 minutes'. Members of the public tried to help, using cars and wheelie bins to stop the dogs.
The dogs had escaped through an insecure door and open window, with the garden gate left ajar. Witnesses reported previous escapes and attacks, including one in March 2023 where both dogs attacked a woman and her dog. An expert found the property's garden was 'full of faeces'.
