Only In England…

…would a woman whose four dogs mauled a child to death be convicted of cruelty.

To the dogs..!

The dogs were owned by Beverley Concannon, in whose former home the teenager died. Concannon, 45, pleaded guilty at Wigan magistrates court on Tuesday to the cruelty offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which could bring a jail sentence.

The charge said she subjected the animals to "an environment that was detrimental to their wellbeing" and she knew or ought to have reasonably known what she had done.

Pity the Lomas family face no such charges for exposing their daughter to that same environment…

An alternative charge of not ensuring the welfare of the dogs between the same dates was dropped, as was a third charge of causing unnecessary suffering on 26 March, when the dogs were shot by police.

Well, given the usual police ‘marksmanship’ shown in these cases, that’s surprising. Though, frankly, it shouldn’t be the owner that cops for such a charge, no matter what the circumstances...

This month when announcing the cruelty charges, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to bring a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence against Concannon.

It is understood that the maximum sentence Concannon could face is six months in jail. She could also be fined and banned from keeping animals.

I wonder. The fabled ‘reports’ have been called for.