A ‘RECKLESSLY irresponsible’ Widnes woman whose out-of-control American XL bully savaged her partner then re-homed it with her dad – who it also bit.
The powerful animal, named Reggie, was determined not to release its grip on Jessica Campbell’s partner’s right arm - even when he desperately squeezed its testicles.
It was only after the second attack that Campbell had the dog put to sleep, but Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday that she still has another XL bully – which has twice been out of control – at home.
Judge Stuart Driver expressed concern that she has that dog, named Rui, in her house along with her six-month-old baby.
In August 2022, she was issued with a dog control order after being convicted of being the owner of Rui while it was dangerously out of control.
“You were recklessly irresponsible, and I am troubled to hear that you still have possession and custody of a dog that was involved in the 2022 case – and was one of the animals I have seen out of control in the video – in the home you share with a baby,” he said.
CCTV footage was played to Liverpool Crown Court showing Reggie and Rui running out of control along Netherfield, Widnes, where Campbell lives.
Campbell, who was in her dressing gown, and her partner were seen trying to catch the dogs, which were trying to get into a neighbour’s garden, where there was another dog or small animal, said Jo Maxwell, prosecuting.
The 30-year-old defendant eventually managed to restrain Rui, but her partner, aged 37, was grabbed on the arm by Reggie and ended up wrestling with it on the floor.
His efforts to get it off, and a woman neighbour throwing a bowl of water over its head, all failed, but at last Campbell managed to restrain it.
When Cheshire Police called at her home shortly after the incident, at 9.20 pm on June 28 last year, Campbell’s partner opened the door with a towel over his forearm and officers saw several deep puncture wounds, leading them to call an ambulance.
Campbell was described by police as ‘uncooperative’ and refused to answer questions.
“She said there were four dogs in the house and closed the door,” said Miss Maxwell.
Officers returned with a warrant on October 2 and she was arrested, before ‘lying’ during her police interview.
Miss Maxwell said that meanwhile, Reggie had been in the care of her father.
“It slipped its lead and went for someone else to attack them, causing the father to intervene, and his arm was bitten and injured,” she told the court.
“The dog was then voluntarily handed over and has since been euthanised.”
The prosecutor said that Campbell claimed that on the day of the attack on Campbell’s partner, the dogs had escaped from a car before she could put on their muzzles and leads.
Miss Maxwell pointed out that the defendant had been wearing a dressing gown.
Carmel Wilde, defending, said: “She accepts responsibility for the offences and made no attempt to justify it.
“It was a terrible incident which hurt her partner, who she loves most. She feels terrible about what happened and made sure the dog was put to sleep.”
However, Judge Driver interrupted to say: “I don’t accept a word of that.”
He said that text messages ‘made it clear she did not feel terrible’.
“She was mainly concerned about her pet and, rather than do the sensible thing and have it destroyed, she put it in the custody of her father, and only when it attacked him was it destroyed,” he commented.
The judge added: “Don’t insult the court by saying there is remorse because there isn’t.”
Miss Wilde said that Campbell has suffered from epilepsy from the age of seven, has a six-month-old baby and has no other convictions except the one from 2022 involving Rui.
On the day of the fateful incident, Campbell was pregnant, and it was said that while she had had Reggie from a puppy and loved it, she made the decision to have it euthanised.
Urging the judge not to disqualify the defendant from dog ownership, Miss Wilde said that she has been to dog training with Rui and has demonstrated she can be a good dog owner.
Sentencing Campbell to five months in prison suspended for 18 months, Judge Driver said that the fact she had been sentenced 10 months before the incident was an aggravating factor.
CCTV showed the two dogs were ‘big and strong’ and running free in a residential area, with a ‘high potential for serious injury’.
Having pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control which caused injury, Campbell was also disqualified from dog ownership for five years.
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