Blood-curdling screams heard as two XL Bully dogs mauled man to death – as neighbours battered beasts with bins
BLOOD-curdling screams were heard as two “XL Bully” dogs mauled a man to death as he tried to protect his elderly mum.
Neighbours battered the beasts with bins as they attempted to save Ian Price in Stonall, Staffordshire, yesterday afternoon.
But the 52-year-old suffered catastrophic injuries and tragically died later in hospital.
Nursery nurse Amanda Ward said her daughter Amy, 20, heard screams before going to investigate.
The 55-year-old added: “In the end some brave locals used wheelie bins to separate the dogs from the man and they tied one of the dogs’ legs together.
“The other dog went back to its flat.”
Another local alleged the hell hounds leapt out of a neighbours window before jumping through a hedge.
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They added: “[They] appeared in the elderly lady’s garden. Her son had gone out to protect her.
“We think the dogs were at home on their own because there were no cars outside at the time.”
Next door neighbour Matt, 43, said Ian was a “lovely guy”, adding: “We were both Aston Villa supporters and used to chat over the garden fence.
“My wife told me about it on the phone. She had called the police when she heard the screams.
“I’m still in shock at what has happened and I have a lot of anger in me because this just should never have happened.
“It could have been me or my wife or any of us in the village.”
“They got through the hedge behind the house and appeared in the elderly lady’s garden. Her son had gone out to protect her.
Police said on Friday that one of the mutts died after being restrained, the other was put down by a vet.
Amid the horrific scenes, nearby St Peter’s Primary Academy was placed on lockdown, with kids stopped from leaving “for safety reasons”.
A man in his thirties was initially arrested on suspicion of having dogs dangerously out of control before being re-arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
It comes as Rishi Sunak today said XL Bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year to stop violent attacks.
Announcing the clampdown, he said in a statement: “It’s clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, it’s a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.”
Superintendent Tracy Meir said: “I would like to offer my condolences to the loved ones of the man who tragically lost his life in this horrendous dog attack.
“We are continuing to support them at this incredibly difficult time.
“Detectives continue to investigate and we have taken statements, viewed CCTV and carried out house-to-house enquiries in the local area but are keen to speak to anyone with information.”
Fatal dog attacks in 2023
Five people have died in dog attacks this year:
- Natasha Johnston, 28 – killed by a pack of dogs in Surrey in January
- Alice Stones, 4 – attacked in her back garden in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire in February
- Wayne Stevens, 51 – mauled by an “out-of-control” dog in Derby in April
- Jonathan Hogg, 37 – savaged to death by an American XL Bully in Leigh in May
- Woman in her 70s – mauled to death as she sunbathed in her Warwickshire garden