Grandmother Charged With Manslaughter - 3rd Apr 2007 2:02pm
Originally Posted by BBC News
The grandmother of a five-year-old girl who was killed in an attack by a pit bull terrier-type dog has been charged with her manslaughter.
Ellie Lawrenson suffered severe head and neck injuries in the attack by the family pet at Jacqueline Simpson's home in St Helens on New Year's Day.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that Mrs Simpson, 46, had been charged with manslaughter.
Ellie's uncle Kiel Simpson was charged with possession of a dangerous dog.
Ellie Lawrenson suffered severe head and neck injuries in the attack by the family pet at Jacqueline Simpson's home in St Helens on New Year's Day.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that Mrs Simpson, 46, had been charged with manslaughter.
Ellie's uncle Kiel Simpson was charged with possession of a dangerous dog.
This will be an interesting case, not only locally, but nationally I suspect too, given the current media interest in dangerous dogs and how they are enforcing the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
Im not sure if there should be too long a sentence involved, but the charge of manslaughter does seem to reflect what happened quite well.
It will be interesting to see what they are basing the charge on. I wonder if they believe she knew the dog was illegal to own in the UK and this is the reason they are pushing for a manslughter charge?? I suppose either way though, whether she knew or not, it was really her duty to find out anyway.
They really did need to push the dangerous dogs act into the spotlight to make people more aware, its just a shame its taken a number of attacks and tragedies for this to happen.
BBC News Report
