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Women jailed after neighbour was "literally eaten alive" by their dog Women jailed after neighbour was "literally eaten alive" by their dog
(35 minutes later)
Two women have been jailed for 12 months over the death of their elderly neighbour after he was “literally eaten alive” by their starving dog. Two women were sentenced to 12 months in prison on Tuesday, after a pensioner was “literally eaten alive” by their dog.
Retired hospital porter Clifford Clarke, 79, was mauled to death by the Presa Canario cross-breed in his own garden after leaving his kitchen door open while cooking dinner. Retired hospital porter Clifford Clarke, 79, was attacked by the Presa Canario dog in his Liverpool garden, after he opened his back door as he cooked a meal on a hot day in May last year.
The dog, which was shot dead by police, was so hungry it had resorted to eating bird food from plastic bowls containing cigarette butts and drinking dirty water. Hayley Sulley, 30, and Della Woods, 29, left the dog unattended while they went to a barbecue. The dog then escaped and made its way into the neighbouring garden belonging to Mr Clarke.
Owners Hayley Sulley, 30, and Della Woods, 29, of Norris Green in Liverpool were jailed for 12 months after they admitted to allowing Charlie to enter a place it was not allowed and where it injured a person. They had left their three dogs home alone as they attended a barbeque. The dog named Charlie was left without shade on the day of the attack, with test showing he had not been given enough food or water for several hours.
They also admitted to three offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. One neighbour called the police when he heard screaming coming from Mr Clarke's house in Richard Kelly Close, Norris Green, and was reportedly horrified when he saw the pensioner on the floor being dragged and mauled by the dog.
His left arm had been amputated from the elbow while his right arm was said to be "hanging by a thread". A Presa Canario, unrelated to the incident Armed police later arrived at the scene, at shot the dog dead.
There were also numerous wounds to his head and body. Mr Clarke was pronounced dead shortly afterwards in hospital.
Mr Clarke reportedly yelled, “Get off of me” as he was attacked. When police arrived, the dog was so crazed he tried to bite the end of one of their rifles, and, once shot, got up and tried to attack again, Eric Lamb, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court. Both women wept in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as Judge Mark Brown told them Mr Clarke's death was “entirely avoidable”.
One officer described the incident as “the worst thing I have ever seen”. Last month, Sulley, of Richard Kelly Close, and Woods, of Swallowhurst Crescent, Norris Green, pleaded guilty to three offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog.
The dog was said to have ingested large amounts of tissues, with Judge Brown saying that Mr Clarke had “literally been eaten alive”. They also admitted to an offence breaching the Dangerous Dogs Act.
A Presa Canario, unrelated to the incident Mr Clarke, an athlete in his younger days, had celebrated his birthday the night before. The Presa Canario, which originated in Spain's Canary Islands, is renowned as a large powerful breed but is not banned in the UK.
“Mr Clarke suffered a horrific death and you have taken away from his family the love and companionship he would have provided,” Judge Brown told Ms Sulley and Ms Woods.
He concluded “I am satisfied this dreadful and forceful attack on Mr Clarke was entirely avoidable.”
The judge has also banned them from ever owning dogs again.
Gary Simpson, senior crown prosecutor with the Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a vicious attack on a defenceless man who was powerless to fight back against this large and powerful dog.
“The guilty pleas of these two women have thankfully brought this case to a relatively speedy conclusion and have saved Mr Clarke’s relatives the ordeal of a trial.
“Hayley Sulley and Della Woods were both responsible for the dog’s welfare and behaviour on that fateful day. Their failure to make sure the dog was cared for and under control has led to a man’s death and they must now come to terms with that. Our thoughts are with the family of Mr Clarke at this sad time.”