Mother and son jailed over XL bully attack on boy

A man and his mother have been jailed after admitting being in charge of an XL bully dog that caused "catastrophic and life changing injuries" to a boy.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the dog subjected the eight-year-old to a vicious and sustained attack in Bootle in February.

Lewis Young, 30, who was the owner of the dog, and his mother Amanda Young, 49, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury.

Lewis Young was jailed for two years, while Amanda was given 20 months in prison.

The attack happened just days after new rules governing the ownership of the breed were introduced in England and Wales.

The court heard despite the law change, Lewis Young had not registered his dog or applied for an exemption.

The hearing was told Young had left his mother in charge of his pet at their flat on Wadham Road on 10 February.

It heard witnesses tried frantically to pull the dog off the boy as it attacked him.

One man described how the animal was frothing at the mouth and shaking the boy’s head.

In a victim impact statement, the child’s mother said his injuries, which included a fractured skull, were likely to affect him for the rest of his life.

The court previously heard the dog, called Snoop, was seized by police and later destroyed with Lewis Young's agreement.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk