A “huge” and “powerful” XL Bully launched a sudden and vicious attack on a terrified five-year-old boy without any warning. The dog clamped its jaws onto the little boy’s head, causing horrific head injuries.
The boy had innocently asked to see the “puppy,” and was bitten without warning after his mother brought him to the house where the dog was being kept. The brutal attack resulted in permanent scarring and the loss of part of his scalp. The breed has been described as “notorious” and “capable of extreme violence.”
The young woman who owned the potentially “dangerous” XL Bully left it with the boy’s mother while she went on holiday, but no safety precautions whatsoever were arranged, Hull Crown Court heard.
Courteney Chearman, 26, of Steynburg Street, east Hull, denied owning a dog that caused injury while dangerously out of control on May 27 last year, but a jury found her guilty. Her mother, Victoria Marks, 48, also of Steynburg Street, admitted being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog.
The court heard that Chearman was the owner of an 11-month-old XL Bully, called Chappy. The dog had been one of 12 puppies born in June 2023 to an XL Bully owned by Chearman’s then boyfriend.
After the relationship came to an end, Chappy, then only two months old, became Chearman’s sole responsibility.
After the ferocious attack, the five-year-old boy had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, including a skin graft. The injuries left permanent scarring, and the little boy is now terrified of dogs.
Marks was also injured while trying to rescue the boy from the dog.
When the XL Bully breed became illegal to possess without an exemption certificate, Chearman applied for one, but the process was never completed.
Judge Mark Bury noted that XL Bullies are known for extreme violence and that Victoria Marks failed to supervise the dog responsibly, which led to the horrific injuries. Chearman believed her mother was trustworthy but did not ensure proper safety measures.
