Boy, 4, 'will never have a normal childhood' after being savaged by XL Bully dog

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A four-year-old boy was left with 'catastrophic' and 'life-changing' injuries after being savaged by an XL Bully dog. The youngster will be scarred for life and will 'never have a normal childhood' a court heard after the 'sustained and brutal' attack by the dog called Nola, which was later killed by police.

Mum Stacey Smith, 32, whose Liverpool home the dog was staying at, today (Thursday, September 28) wept as she was allowed to walk free from court by a judge who said in his opinion 'the fault may lie elsewhere.' Nola, who belonged to her partner at the time, had been at Smith's home for 10 days before the 'appalling incident' on August 13 last year the court was told. READ MORE: Flash EncroChat dealer suddenly went quiet on cops after they made a big discovery READ MORE: The latest court news and headlines here Helen Chenery, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court today, that he had been to the property in the Norris Green area of the city several times that day.

Shortly before 7pm the boy, who cannot be named, opened the front gate and entered the garden. Within seconds Nola burst out of the open front door and 'latched its jaws around his head.'.Ms Chenery told the court the boy's mum, who was walking just behind him, started screaming and "ragging" the dog to get it off her stricken son, the Liverpool Echo reports.

The court heard the 'great deal of shouting and screaming' prompted neighbours to run to the boy's aid. Neighbour Mirislava Zaloudakova heroically pulled back Nola's neck while shouting 'no' at the dog.