The owner of an XL Bully dog that fatally mauled an 84-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. John McColl was attacked in February last year after he wandered onto the driveway of Sean Garner’s home in Warrington, Cheshire. McColl suffered severe facial injuries during a 45-minute assault by the dog, named Toretto, and died from his wounds approximately a month later.

The attack left authorities and witnesses deeply affected. Officers who responded to the scene later required counseling due to the traumatic nature of the incident. The dog, weighing around 7 stone 4 pounds, was shot dead by armed police after the attack. A post-mortem examination found the dog had no food in its stomach and had begun eating McColl alive.

McColl’s family described the injuries as horrific. His granddaughter, Kelly Percival, said that despite warnings, she had seen her grandfather behind a hospital privacy screen and that he “resembled nothing” of the man she knew. The family also reported facing false accusations from some supporters of Garner, who claimed McColl had broken into the property and let the dog out, assertions the family categorically denied.

At trial, Garner, 31, maintained that the dog had been confined in a locked shed on the property and suggested McColl must have opened it himself. Prosecutors argued that Garner failed to exercise proper control over Toretto. He was found guilty of owning a dog dangerously out of control that caused injury and pleaded guilty to possessing the dog without the required exemption certificate. Garner also has previous convictions relating to driving and drug offences.

Sentencing Garner, Judge Brian Cummings KC described the victim's suffering as "quite unspeakable" and acknowledged the tremendous distress caused. Investigating officers and medical personnel highlighted the severity of the injuries, with one detective describing it as the worst case of its kind he had seen in nearly three decades.

The family expressed frustration at Garner’s perceived lack of remorse and the online abuse they endured following the attack. While they acknowledged the tragedy was unintended, they criticized the absence of empathy or apology from Garner and his supporters.

A second dog found on the property at the time was also euthanized by police. The case has renewed discussions about the regulation of certain dog breeds and the responsibilities of owners to prevent such incidents.