A mum has been accused of “insulting” the courts after her XL bullies attacked three times. Jessica Campbell’s partner was savaged on the arm as they tried to regain control of her dogs, Reggie and Rui.
The pregnant woman ran down the street in her dressing gown after the dogs broke free and started causing chaos. Reggie went on to bite Campbell’s dad after being rehomed with him, while she has also had a previous encounter with the law due to Rui’s bad behaviour.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday, October 2 that Campbell’s XL bullies escaped from her home on Netherfield in Widnes on the evening of June 28 last year. Both the 30 year old, who was wearing her dressing gown, and her boyfriend David Smith then chased after the dogs in an attempt to restrain them.
Joanne Maxwell, prosecuting, described how she managed to grab hold of Rui while her partner tried to control Reggie. CCTV footage shown to the court depicted both pets wandering around a neighbour’s front garden before Mr Smith was seen wrestling in the middle of the road with the dog in question before being bitten on the right forearm.
He suffered “significant” puncture wounds as a result and needed hospital treatment, having answered the door to the police with his arm covered by a towel. Campbell was meanwhile said to have been “uncooperative”, only telling officers she had four dogs in her property before shutting the door on them, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Following the execution of a warrant on October 2, Campbell initially denied any wrongdoing during an interview, but later made some admissions during a second round of questioning on November 24. According to Ms Maxwell, Reggie was subsequently handed over to Campbell’s father, but the dog bit him on the arm after escaping its lead and attacking another person on July 23, resulting in the dog being put down.
Campbell had a previous conviction from August 2022 for being in charge of a dangerously out-of-control dog, related to an incident involving Rui in December 2021. Judge Stuart Driver KC expressed shock upon learning that this dog was still in Campbell’s care.
Carmel Wilde, defending Campbell, stated: “She accepts that it was a terrible incident. It has hurt her partner, who she loves the most. She says she feels terrible about what happened.”
However, Judge Driver disputed this, citing text messages sent by Campbell after the incident, which he claimed “showed a complete lack of remorse”. He added: “It is quite clear that she did not feel terrible about what happened. Rather than do the sensible thing and have it destroyed, she put it in the custody of her father.”
“It was only when it attacked him that she had it destroyed. Do not insult the court by saying there is remorse, because there clearly is not.”
Ms Wilde also informed the court about her client’s epilepsy and said, “It was the defendant’s actions that ensured that the dog released its grip. There had not been any complaints against this dog previously.”
“A further factor is, the defendant was pregnant at the time. It is hard when a dog is well loved from a puppy and is a family pet. She should have taken the decision to take the dog to be euthanised earlier, but she did eventually do that.”
When quizzed on whether the dog named Rui was still in the same residence as Campbell’s six-month-old baby, Ms Wilde responded, “Yes, there have not been any issues. The dog is good for her mental wellbeing.”
“She has been a dog lover all her life. It is classed as one of the family. There has not been any incident since the dog was subjected to that control order, and she has demonstrated that she can be a responsible dog owner in regard to Rui.”
“She is a bright young lady who has family responsibilities. The dog lives in the family home and is under control. She was assessed as a fit and proper person to look after that dog. While this is a serious offence, the complainant has recovered from his injuries. They are still in a relationship.”
Campbell pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog causing injury while dangerously out of control in a public place on the day her trial was set to commence.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
She received a five-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and is prohibited from owning dogs for five years.
During sentencing, Judge Driver stated: “They were completely out of control. They were so big and strong that you and your partner could hardly contain them. The potential for serious injury was high.”
He continued: “The first obvious aggravating feature is that you have a previous conviction for a section three offence, in which one of the two dogs who were out of control on this day attacked another dog. You were sentenced for that only 10 months before this incident. The other aggravating feature is your conduct after this incident.”
He added: “In mitigation, you are in poor physical health. You are the mother to a six-month-old baby, and so immediate custody would have a significant harmful impact on the child.”
He further noted: “After he had been injured, you showed no remorse. You did not have the animal euthanised. You instead chose to put it in the care of your father. Only when the dog inevitably attacked somebody else and injured you father while he intervened did you consent to the destruction of the animal.”
He concluded: “You were recklessly irresponsible. I am troubled to hear that you still have possession and custody of the dog that was involved in the 2022 case and was one of the animals I have seen out of control on this video, in the home which you share with a baby.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.