The parents of a three-year-old boy who was mauled to death by untrained guard dogs at a farm have been jailed.
Daniel Twigg was viciously attacked by two 50kg Mastiff-type dogs called Tiny and Sid in May 2022.
Two months before the assault, his mother and father, Joanne Bedford, 37 and Mark Twigg, 43, moved to Carr Farm in Rochdale with their children.
The move involved looking after 11 dogs while their owner was on remand in prison.
Signs were in place around the farming warning visitors about the dangerous animals, they included ‘do not exit your vehicle’, ‘dogs are loose’ and ‘beware of the dogs they bite’.
The neglectful parents even signed a contract agreeing to care for the man’s ‘untrained guard dogs’ that were ‘difficult to control’.
They were also told by an RSPCA inspector about the risk of Daniel being bitten by the dogs, but they ‘brushed it off’.
All of the animals lived in an ‘extremely unclean and impoverished environment, with no clean bedding and surrounded by their own faeces’.
They were not let out for exercise and they had attacked others before Daniel was mauled to death.
A trial at Manchester Crown Court heard on the morning of May 15, 2022, Twigg went to work and Bedford stayed at the farm with Daniel and her daughter.
Daniel asked to go outside and so Bedford went upstairs to get him a pair of shorts, asking her daughter to ‘keep an eye on him’.
The mother heard screaming and ran downstairs to find Daniel ‘face down, with puncture wounds to his neck… covered in blood’ in the dog pen.
He was rushed to hospital where he died that afternoon.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, John Elvidge KC, prosecuting, said: ‘This case is a tragedy. Daniel sustained multiple bite injuries, mostly to his neck consisting of repeated biting and rapid shaking. Sadly he did not survive.
‘A neighbour responded to the call by taking a knife into Carr Farm. The dog made him feel like a prisoner in his own home. Responding officer, PC Justice, said what she saw will stay with her for the rest of her life.
‘PC Greaves, an experienced dog handler, was shaken by the situation. He said ‘I cannot unsee what I have seen. I cannot stop thinking about poor little Daniel. I just hope he did not suffer.’
Twigg and Bedford denied gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
They were found guilty of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control.
Bedford was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Twigg was handed two years and eight months, they were also banned from owning dogs for 15 years.
Detective Sergeant Mark Evans, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: ‘This was a deeply tragic and traumatic incident that has left a permanent mark on everyone involved from Daniel’s family and neighbours to the officers and medical professionals who responded that day.
‘Daniel was a bright, curious little boy who had grown up around dogs, but as a toddler, he couldn’t understand the risks they could pose. What happened to him was deeply tragic and I want to thank the teams who worked tirelessly to bring justice for Daniel.’
Dog Legislation Officer Stephen Greenough, from our Specialist Operations Unit, said: ‘The dogs in this case were unpredictable, powerful, and not properly trained or controlled — and the consequences were devastating.
‘Dogs should never be left unattended with children, particularly those under sixteen. Daniel was exposed to a situation no child should ever face, and the outcome was heartbreaking.
‘We urge all dog owners to take their responsibilities seriously. If a dog is dangerously out of control and causes injury, the law will hold you accountable. This case should serve as a stark warning of what can happen when those responsibilities are ignored.’
‘If anyone has concerns about a dog posing a risk in the community, please report it to police. Early intervention can prevent tragedy.’
