|
|
|
Ellie Lawrenson Trial continued |
|
| Selected
Article |
Simpson denied that she knew the dog was dangerous but prosecutor Nigel Flewitt QC told the jury that he had no doubt that Simpson was aware of the dog being dangerous.
She knew that the dog had attacked at least twice before. One attack was on a neighbour's dog and the other on Simpson's younger daughter Kelsey, 19. Kelsey had three large bites when the dog savaged her right thigh six weeks before Ellie's death.
Miss Simpson described the dog as having “bulging red and horrible eyes”. A neighbour, William Dinsdale, 70, has a Jack Russell that was attacked by Reuben. Mr Dinsdale told the court that he felt lucky not to have been killed as he had to use his walking stick to get Reuben off his dog. Mr Dinsdale phoned the police and the council to report the attack:
| “It really upset me because I reported this dog to two establishments and was under the illusion somebody would go out and look at this dog. But as far as I know somebody just sent a letter. Nobody assessed what type of dog it was.” |
Jackie Simpson claims that she told her son to get rid of the dog. Her son Kiel Simpson appeared before Liverpool magistrates and was jailed for eight weeks in April this year for owning a dog that is banned under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
When Simpson was asked whether she could have prevented the attack and whether she accepted responsibility for Ellie's death she replied:
| “Yes because I let the dog in. If things had gone the way they should have that day, I wouldn't have had the kids anyway. I opened the door and it's my fault. I never thought the dog would do anything to Ellie.” |
Neil Flewitt QC said:
“You let that child down didn't you?”
“Yes”, said Jackie Simpson.
Ellie's mother, Lyndsey Simpson 25 said that everyone loved the dog when it was a five week old puppy but for several months before the attack the puppy had grown into a boisterous unpredictable dog.
Lyndsey Simpson cried as she told the jury that it was as bad as putting her daughter in “with a lion”:
| “The dog was jealous of Ellie and hated her. I used to look at it through the window and think, “Never let that dog get into the house. It looked evil. Ellie used to play in the living room and you could tell the dog was jealous because he was outside and Ellie was inside.” |
Facing her mother Lyndsey Simpson said that her mother was well aware of the rule of never to let the dog into the house when Ellie was there.
Facing the jury of seven men and five women, Simpson denied that there was a rule and she had no reason to suspect they would be in danger if she let the dog in.
Neil Flewitt QC said that a forensic scientist and toxicology expert, Brian Johnson who had analysed blood samples taken from Jackie Simpson said that the cocktail of drugs and drink would have left her in a “dream like” state and could have affected her decision to let the dog in.
The case continues.
If you wish to discuss this case, or the issue of the Dangerous Dogs Act in the UK, your views are more than welcome in our Free Dog Discussion Forum
|
|
|
|
|
|
