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Lexi Branson inquest: Mother stabbed dog during attack | Lexi Branson inquest: Mother stabbed dog during attack |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A mother has described how she stabbed the family's rescue dog to stop it attacking her four-year-old daughter. | |
Lexi Branson died after being bitten at home in Mountsorrel, near Loughborough, Leicestershire, on 5 November. | |
Her mother Jodi Hudson told Rutland and North Leicestershire Coroner's Court Lexi had been off sick from school. | |
Staff at the kennel which rehomed the dog had said it was more suited to a family without small children but had "no concerns" about its new home. | Staff at the kennel which rehomed the dog had said it was more suited to a family without small children but had "no concerns" about its new home. |
The inquest was told the dog called Mulan by the family, which was described as an Aylestone bulldog-type breed, had only been in their home for four to five weeks before it attacked Lexi. | |
It had had seven previous owners and during that time had attacked another family dog, but the Willow Tree Kennels, in Barrow-on-Soar, had not been told about that incident. | |
'Straight for her throat' | |
Giving evidence, Ms Hudson said Lexi was used to giving the dog cuddles and had shown no sign of aggression. | Giving evidence, Ms Hudson said Lexi was used to giving the dog cuddles and had shown no sign of aggression. |
Ms Hudson told the inquest she had previously described the dog as "very gentle" and that it had never shown any aggression to her to Lexi before the attack. | |
However, on the day the four-year-old was off sick, she had been watching TV with her mother when, Ms Hudson said, the dog "just went up on all fours and just stared at Lexi". | |
"I tapped her bum and said, 'Mulan, no', and as I did she went for Lexi. | |
"She went straight for her throat, then around her mouth." | |
Ms Hudson, who had previously never owned a dog, told the hearing how she tried to pull the dog's legs apart and smashed a glass on its head before grabbing a kitchen knife and stabbing the animal several times. | |
She gave her daughter first aid until paramedics arrived. | |
Despite treatment and being airlifted to hospital, the four-year-old girl died shortly afterwards of facial injuries and suffocation. | |
Det Sgt Kenny Henry, of Leicestershire Police, said while the dog had seemed "placid" it had attacked a previous owner's other dog in the garden. | |
Mulan's temperament had been assessed by a member of staff at the kennels who had no qualifications regarding dogs but years of experience with dealing with the animals, the inquest heard. | |
Kennels staff member Sammi Pestell said she had found the animal was "very sweet natured" with a "lovely temperament". | |
The kennels had advised the dog was better suited to a home without children due to its size but a member of staff told the hearing that advice was left to the new owner's discretion. | |
The hearing continues. | The hearing continues. |