Latest news with #DanielTwigg
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Boy, 3, 'left alone' before fatal dog attack on farm
A three-year-old boy who died in a dog attack on a farm was left unsupervised with "dangerous" and "aggressive" animals for at least 15 minutes, a court has been told. Daniel Twigg was attacked after letting himself into a fenced yard where the two dogs - described as being large mastiffs - were kept on Carr Farm, Rochdale, on 15 May 2022. He suffered injuries including bites to the neck and died at the scene. His parents Joanne Bedford and Mark Twigg have denied gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Their trial at Manchester Crown Court was told the incident was "not a short rapid attack". Daniel's family had moved to the farm in March 2022 to look after the property and several dogs who belonged to the farm's owner, Matthew Brown, the court heard. The two dogs that attacked Daniel - named Sid and Tiny - weighed around 110 lbs (50 kg) and were used for breeding and as guard dogs. The court was told that immediately after the incident, Ms Bedford told a police officer that other members of the family were in the garden when Daniel disappeared before they heard the dogs attacking him. She told the officer: "We went in straightaway but he'd already gone. They killed him out right." But John Elvidge KC, for the prosecution, said Daniel was left unsupervised with the dogs for at least 15 minutes, and that Ms Bedford "failed to give the police any account for leaving Daniel unsupervised for so long". He said Daniel's parents knew he had previously gone into the pen by himself and was well-aware he liked and was very attracted to the dogs. Ms Bedford later told police that Daniel was only out of her sight for a "couple of minutes". Mr Elvidge told the court the defendants "blatantly disregarded" warnings from a RSPCA inspector who had recently visited the farm. He said the inspector was so concerned about the number of dangerous dogs and the potential danger to Daniel that he reported his concerns to police. The trial heard Mr Twigg was not at the farm at the time of the attack. His defence barrister Andrew Thomas KC said Mr Twigg was working 15 miles away and "had left Daniel in the care of his mum". The court was read extracts from WhatsApp messages between Ms Bedford and a neighbour, Leanne Thornton. In one, Ms Thornton described Tiny as a "ticking time bomb". Ms Bedford broke down in the dock as CCTV footage of the aftermath of the attack was shown to the jury. The footage showed a neighbour, carrying a knife, running to the pen where Daniel lay fatally injured. He returned to his home minutes later, visibly shaken. The trial continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Man and woman charged over boy's dog attack death
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Daniel Twigg: Boy, 3, 'left alone' before fatal dog attack on farm
A three-year-old boy who died in a dog attack on a farm was left unsupervised with "dangerous" and "aggressive" animals for at least 15 minutes, a court has been Twigg was attacked after letting himself into a fenced yard where the two dogs - described as being large mastiffs - were kept on Carr Farm, Rochdale, on 15 May 2022. He suffered injuries including bites to the neck and died at the scene. His parents Joanne Bedford and Mark Twigg have denied gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Their trial at Manchester Crown Court was told the incident was "not a short rapid attack". Daniel's family had moved to the farm in March 2022 to look after the property and several dogs who belonged to the farm's owner, Matthew Brown, the court two dogs that attacked Daniel - named Sid and Tiny - weighed around 110 lbs (50 kg) and were used for breeding and as guard dogs. The court was told that immediately after the incident, Ms Bedford told a police officer that other members of the family were in the garden when Daniel disappeared before they heard the dogs attacking told the officer: "We went in straightaway but he'd already gone. They killed him out right." 'Warnings ignored' But John Elvidge KC, for the prosecution, said Daniel was left unsupervised with the dogs for at least 15 minutes, and that Ms Bedford "failed to give the police any account for leaving Daniel unsupervised for so long".He said Daniel's parents knew he had previously gone into the pen by himself and was well-aware he liked and was very attracted to the Bedford later told police that Daniel was only out of her sight for a "couple of minutes".Mr Elvidge told the court the defendants "blatantly disregarded" warnings from a RSPCA inspector who had recently visited the said the inspector was so concerned about the number of dangerous dogs and the potential danger to Daniel that he reported his concerns to police. The trial heard Mr Twigg was not at the farm at the time of the defence barrister Andrew Thomas KC said Mr Twigg was working 15 miles away and "had left Daniel in the care of his mum".The court was read extracts from WhatsApp messages between Ms Bedford and a neighbour, Leanne Thornton. In one, Ms Thornton described Tiny as a "ticking time bomb". Ms Bedford broke down in the dock as CCTV footage of the aftermath of the attack was shown to the jury. The footage showed a neighbour, carrying a knife, running to the pen where Daniel lay fatally injured. He returned to his home minutes later, visibly trial continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Boy, 3, died in ‘furious' dog attack at farm after his ‘parents allowed him to wander into pen unsupervised'
A THREE-year-old boy died in a 'furious and prolonged' dog attack at a farm after his parents allowed him to wander into a pen unsupervised, a jury heard. Daniel Twigg was savagely mauled to death at Carr Farm, in Rochdale, Manchester, on May 15, 2022, due to the alleged negligence of his parents Mark Twigg, 43, and Joanne Bedford, 37. 3 3 3 The pair are now on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of Daniel's manslaughter. The prosecution claim the toddler was allowed to enter a dog pen where two large, 'dangerous' 50kg dogs - one a Cane Corso called Sid and another Boerboel or Boerboel cross Tiny - were kept. Daniel entered 'alone and unsupervised', it's alleged, and 'without effective precautions being taken'. John Elvidge KC, prosecuting, said the dogs, who belonged to the farm owner, were used as guard dog and for breeding and were not family pets. They were 'deliberately kept outside' in enclosed pens, he said, and the jury heard how the RSPCA had warned the dogs were a danger but the warnings were ignored. While steps were taken to stop them escaping, Mr Elvidge said, 'no effective precautions were taken to keep Daniel out'. CCTV from a neighbour's property showed Daniel inside the pen at 12.50pm, the jury heard, and he was seen moving around inside for a few moments before disappearing from view. At the same time, a dog in an adjacent pen became 'excited, bouncing up and down in animated fashion'. The prosecution, Mr Elvidge said, say this 'coincides with the beginning of a ferocious and prolonged attack' on Daniel. The tot suffered catastrophic injuries, principally to his head and neck, which were consistent with the 'predatory behaviour of dogs'. A 999 call was made by Daniel's mother almost 20 minutes later after he'd been inside the dog pen, the jury heard, and while it's not known for certain whether both dogs were involved in the attack Sid was the 'likely' culprit. 'No-one suggests that these catastrophic events were intended or desired by his parents but this attack and Daniel's death were utterly foreseeable consequences of negligently allowing Daniel to enter Sid and Tiny's pen alone and unsupervised,' Mr Elvidge said. Moment armed police shoot and kill dog after child mauled & cop bitten in attack 'It is the prosecution case that his parents were aware that Daniel could enter the pen if he was left unsupervised.' The jury heard how the dog pen, situated at the side of the farmhouse, was accessed through gates secured by a Karabiner clip - rather than a secure lock - that could 'easily' be slipped open. Daniel's parents had a 'long association' with the farm, owned by a Matthew Brown, with Twigg working as an odd job man and Bedford keeping horses there. The couple, who've got two other children, leased the farmhouse from Brown in March 2022 after he'd been remanded to prison when his girlfriend Deniqua Westwood made a complaint to police. Westwood, who operated a puppy breeding business, moved out and but it was agreed the guard dogs would remain and the couple would look after them. Twigg was paid £450 to attend to the day-to-day security, running of the farm, and the dogs' care. The couple, who also had another eight or nine dogs to look after, including three of their own, stayed on at the farm despite having a home in Blackley, Manchester, when Brown was released on bail, the jury heard. The pair continued to have responsibility for the dogs over weekends when he was away, with Daniel attacked one such weekend, argued the prosecution. 'CATASTROPHIC' Mr Elvidge said the dogs had been kept in 'filthy and disgusting conditions' and the couple were aware of concerns raised by the RSPCA and a warning that Daniel 'might be bitten'. And there were a number of incidents involving dogs at the farm escaping, biting people and fighting each other. Police were also aware that 'dangerous' dogs at the farm were being injured and neglected, the jury heard. It is claimed that RSPCA inspectors had expressed specific concerns about Daniel being around the dogs and mentioned a recent fatal attack involving a small child, but they were 'disregarded' by the couple. And they were also warned about the dogs being loose and kept locked up in suitable areas. The RSPCA also told police on March 30 that 'something could happen if the dogs started fighting near the child,' Mr Elvidge said, and his parents had been advised to be careful. The jury also heard how Rochdale Children's Services visited the farm just three days before the attack and expressed concerns. These included signs of 'neglect' of Daniel and that he was 'in danger' from the dogs. Twigg and Bedford, of Radcliffe, Bury, both deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter and being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control. The trial, due to last three weeks, continues.
