A dog that “had never shown any signs of aggression” assaulted a two-week-old baby after his mother fell asleep on the couch, an investigation revealed.
Dog savagely killed baby after his mother fell asleep on couch
Two-week-old Reuben McNulty was sitting in a plush sofa seat with his mother Amy Litchfield when he was attacked by his pet, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Dotty.
His father, Daniel McNulty, scored 999 when he discovered the bloody scene in his apartment in Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, England, after having gone out for a smoke, it was said at Tuesday’s hearing in Peterborough.
Reuben was taken to hospital early on November 18, 2018, but died of a serious head injury on December 13, at the age of five weeks.
Cambridgeshire area coroner Simon Milburn reported that McNulty told a 999 call operator, “I think the damn dog attacked him.
Simon Newbury, a specialist in veterinary forensics, said Reuben had 23 puncture marks.
He said he believed that Dotty “saw Reuben as a small prey or a squeaky toy”.
Dotty and a second Staffordshire bull terrier dog named Fizz, both female and between seven and nine years old, were seized by the police and then slaughtered, as heard in the investigation.
Milburn said, “It is clear from any reading of the evidence that there were no previous problems or concerns with any of these dogs”.
In recording a narrative conclusion, he said: “Reuben died as a result of head injuries caused when he was attacked by a dog that was a family pet inside his home”.
Detective Sergeant Emma Compson said the police will take no further action against McNulty or Litchfield.
She said the couple had “separated as a result of the trauma”.
