XL Bully Owner's Family Abused Victim's Kin as He Died Slowly in Hospital
Sean Garner, aged 31, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after his XL bully dog, named Toretto, mauled and killed 84-year-old John McColl in Warrington in February last year. The horrific attack left the pensioner fighting for his life for five agonising weeks before he ultimately succumbed to his extensive injuries.
Traumatic Attack and Hospital Ordeal
John McColl, a retired steel erector originally from Scotland, was brutally attacked by the XL bully in Warrington. Police were forced to shoot the animal ten times to bring it under control. Mr McColl survived for five weeks in hospital, during which his suffering was described by a judge as "quite unspeakable".
Due to the severe nature of his injuries, his devastated family could only spend their final moments with him behind a surgical screen. His daughter, Joann Percival, 57, recounted the trauma of visiting her gravely ill father, whose injuries were so awful that they were unable to see his face. She said, "We went in and we weren't prepared for what we saw. We didn't see a lot, because he was behind a screen. It was just awful. You relive that all."
Mr McColl was barely able to communicate during his hospital stay, occasionally raising his arms as if protecting himself and uttering the word "dog". Despite medical advice, his granddaughter, Kelly Percival, 33, went behind the screen to see his face. She recalled, "He resembled nothing of my granddad. I had never seen anything at all like it. To think that a dog had done that, and that dog was around small babies as well, it's just frightening."
Online Abuse and False Narratives
While Mr McColl fought for his life, Garner's family and friends took to social media to spread false narratives and blame the victim. They claimed that Mr McColl had entered the garden and let the dog out himself. Joann Percival expressed her outrage, stating, "While my dad was fighting for his life, they were abusing us on Facebook and the comments they were coming out with. We were at the hospital with my dad and all they could do was think of lies."
Garner claimed at trial that he had kept the dog locked in a shed, which he alleged Mr McColl broke into. However, Ms Percival believes her father was performing a "neighbourly thing" by entering the driveway to inform the family their dog had escaped. She added, "We've had nothing apart from lies, blame and abuse off them. It's shocking."
Sentencing and Lack of Remorse
Judge Brian Cummings KC sentenced Garner to 12 years, noting that the dog was not securely contained and that Garner had shown no true remorse. The judge said, "I cannot accept that you have shown any true remorse. Remorse means being sorry for what you have done, but you have, from the outset, denied any responsibility whatsoever and tried to lie your way out of it."
Garner was also sentenced for two counts of owning a fighting dog prior to the trial. During sentencing, he nodded slightly but otherwise showed no reaction, while supporters in the public gallery gave him a thumbs up as he was led to the cells.
Impact on Emergency Services and Family
Cheshire Police Detective Inspector Simon Mills described the incident as the worst injuries he had seen in 28 years, with some officers requiring counselling. He said, "It was just an awful, traumatic incident for everyone involved, right through to surgeons at the hospitals later."
Det Insp Mills praised the dignity of Mr McColl's family, who endured online abuse and victim-blaming throughout the ordeal. He stated, "They've not been able to grieve properly. They've had to hold their emotions throughout the trial, seeing him lie at court and then his family making posts online that I don't think are pleasant in any way."
The Crown Prosecution Service considered criminal proceedings against members of Garner's family for encouraging him to lie, but ultimately decided not to charge them. The case highlights the devastating consequences of irresponsible dog ownership and the additional trauma caused by online harassment during such tragedies.
