Man Spared Jail After Dogs Killed Girlfriend

[Jazzy]

A man whose pregnant girlfriend was killed by their two pitbull-type dogs in a "truly shocking, tragic and disturbing episode" has avoided a jail sentence.

Lee Horner, 34, was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid work after being given a community order over the death of mother-of-four Emma Bennett.

Ms Bennett, 27, died after she was attacked by the dogs, named Dollar and Bella, at the couple's home in Leeds in December.

Deputy District Judge Tim Spruce told Horner at Leeds Magistrates Court that the case "crossed the custody threshold".

But the judge said he felt it was not appropriate to jail Horner in view of the loss he had suffered with the death of his partner.

Passing sentence, Mr Spruce said the legislation was designed to protect the public from certain breeds "because these animals are inclined to be unpredictable in nature and often with devastating consequences".

The judge continued: "That unpredictability, those consequences could not be more solemnly illustrated than in the unique and tragic circumstances of the case before the court today.

"Two dogs with no previous recorded history of difficulty, danger or harm have set up their owner in circumstances which may never be entirely clear.

"This was a truly shocking, tragic and disturbing episode."

Horner last month admitted owning dogs prohibited by the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Prosecutors had described how Horner was out when police arrived at the house he shared with Ms Bennett.

Police were called by neighbours who heard a noise they first thought was an argument.

Miss Bennett was heard shouting: "No, no, no."

The two officers forced their way inside after nobody answered and found the two dogs acting excitably with blood on their snouts.

They tried to resuscitate Miss Bennett, who had suffered severe injuries to her face and head, but she died.

Prosecutor Vincent O'Malley told the court how two women social workers visited the house in July last year and Horner told one of them: "Shut it or I'll set the dog on you."

Mr O'Malley said that Horner told the other social worker, who was eight months pregnant at the time: "What you looking at? Wait until I get the dog and see if you continue looking at me like that."

Horner has been ordered to pay £500 towards the destruction of the two dogs as well as their housing since the incident.

He was also ordered to pay £240 in prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

He has been banned for life from keeping dogs.

Source

Do you think he should have been spared jail? Why / Why not?

 

[DrLeftover]

He got away with murder, and the dogs have to suffer for it.

 

[Nebulous]

"Shut it or I'll set the dog on you."

"What you looking at? Wait until I get the dog and see if you continue looking at me like that."

Sounds like he knew they were aggressive and he was proud of it.

 

[Jazzy]

Mr O'Malley said that Horner told the other social worker, who was eight months pregnant at the time: "What you looking at? Wait until I get the dog and see if you continue looking at me like that."

A man whose pregnant girlfriend was killed by their two pitbull-type dogs in a "truly shocking, tragic and disturbing episode" has avoided a jail sentence.

Seems to me he had a problem with pregnant women.

 

[McConnaughay]

I feel like I don't have enough information to really make an assessment about it. From the looks of it, it looks like he, in-fact, knew that his dogs were capable of some pretty grisly behaviors. However, in might have been taken out-of-context. I remember whenever I was younger. I would always fight sticks with my older brothers. We didn't care about getting on other people's property. This old-man always yelled at us and screamed, "I'll feed you to the mutt," and other things like that. When he said it, he probably didn't mean it as playful but meant it to scare us, however, he never actually planned to feed us to the dogs.

This could be similar to that. He could have meant it to sound threatening, and the comments could have been cherry-picked as a way to get across a certain agenda.

With that, I can't really full-heartedly call him a murderer.

All the same, it's difficulty not to consider him at least responsible a considerable amount. If the dogs were banned and he had them. He was accepting the consequences of those actions.

Also, if the neighbors reportedly heard something that looked like an argument and THEY called the police and not him, it seems weighted against him.

In other-words, ... he probably got away with murder.

Still, I don't want to make an accusation based without hearing more.

 

[DrLeftover]

He knew damned good and well what the dogs were capable of, that they were banned, and he had used them to threaten others.

He got away with murder and the dogs have to suffer for it.

 

[McConnaughay]

Well, I guess that settles it then.