Dog owner jailed after XL bully police attack

Aden Hollyoake was jailed at Leicester Crown Court

A dog owner whose XL bully attacked a police officer in Leicestershire has been jailed.

The officer was inside a property in Lewis Close, Ibstock, for "less than a minute" when the dog got through a kitchen door, rushed through the lounge and bit the officer several times in October 2023, leaving him requiring surgery.

The dog's owner, Aden Hollyoake, 33, was jailed for two years and three months at Leicester Crown Court on Friday in relation to a pit bull being illegally kept at the property along with other offences.

His partner, Shanell Lawrence, 26, received a community order in connection to the XL bully attack on the officer.

Four bites

Leicestershire Police said two officers arrived at the property on 26 October to speak to Hollyoake, who lived at the address but was not home.

Lawrence, now of Charles Street in Coalville, Leicestershire, invited them in and told the officers she had dogs in the house, but they were in the kitchen.

Shortly after talking to Lawrence in the doorway of the lounge, one of the officers was attacked by the XL bully.

He and his colleague struggled to release the dog, which had clamped its jaws on to the officer's upper inner leg.

Police said the XL bully "finally let go after almost a minute" and Lawrence took the dog into the back garden as the two officers left.

The injured officer underwent surgery to repair and stitch four bite wounds to his leg. His colleague sustained a minor injury.

The XL bully, which had been legally registered and microchipped, was removed from the property alongside the pit bull terrier, which was in a crate in the kitchen.

Both dogs are being kept in secure kennels, police added.

At court, Hollyoake admitted being in possession or custody of a fighting dog.

His sentence included separate convictions for offences of driving whilst disqualified, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and possession of a controlled drug, for which he previously pleaded guilty.

At an earlier hearing, Lawrence admitted being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and in possession or custody of a fighting dog and was handed a 12-month community order.

'Terrifying attack'

Det Con James Highton said the officers entered the house with Lawrence's permission and on the understanding it was safe.

"She admitted in her interview that the XL bully dog had previously managed to open the kitchen door and gain access to the lounge," he said.

"The simple fact is that she didn't secure the dog properly and when he got into the lounge, she was not able to control him and prevent him attacking the officer in what is clearly a horrendous and terrifying attack.

"This could easily have been avoided if Lawrence had secured the dog properly or even suggested to speak to officers outside the address."

Det Con Highton said her failure to secure the dog left the officer with "significant injury, which could have not been much worse".

He said the injured officer was off work for a month to physically recover and had been "left wary of dogs, especially larger dogs", adding the attack had "a lasting effect on him".