10-Year-Old Boy Needed ONE THOUSAND Stitches After Dog Attack

10-Year-Old Boy Needed ONE THOUSAND Stitches After Dog Attack

A 10-year-old boy needed more than a thousand stitches after he was savaged by a friend's Staffordshire bull terrier.

The child, whose mum says is 'lucky to be alive', had to spend four days in a specialist hospital being treated for horrific multiple bites to his arms, left leg, back and waist areas, magistrates in Gloucester were told.

Prosecutors asked the court to order the destruction of the four-year-old pedigree dog, Blade, but the decision has been delayed until December 23, when magistrates will also pass sentence on the dog's owner, Clayton Summerell, 42.

The vicious attack happened at Summerell's home in February, although Summerell was out at the time. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been playing with Summerell's young son, while a babysitter looked after them.

The dog was kept in a cage but the babysitter decided to let him out to take him for a walk. The dog immediately started to attack the boy, leaving him with serious injuries. The attack ended only when he managed to punch the dog on the nose.

Prosecutor Peter Ashby said: 'His mother has made a statement saying her son sustained horrendous injuries to the arms, back and one of his legs and was in severe pain.

'He underwent a three-hour operation by specialist surgeons and was stitched extensively, both internally and externally.

'She was relieved he actually survived the incident. She felt if it had been a smaller child it would quite probably not have survived. She has specifically asked for a destruction order for this dog.'

Summerell, of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, has admitted failing to keep his dog under proper control when his dog savaged the boy on February 16 this year.

He denied a second charge of having a dog dangerously out of control when Blade escaped from his home on April 5 this year and growled at two policemen who tried to catch him.

But magistrates found him guilty of both charges and bailed him while a pre-sentence report is written.

They warned that they would be considering jail as a possible option as well as ordering Blade's destruction at the next hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court.

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